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1. FOREWORD
I am pleased to be able to publish these standards used in the inspection of prisons in Scotland. They represent a significant step towards the demonstration of consistency and transparency.
Scotland is very unusual in having independent inspection of prisons. Many other countries have no system of prison inspection: of those that do, inspection is usually carried out by prison officials or by judges. In Scotland, the Chief Inspector is independent of the Scottish Prison Service and of the Scottish Executive.
These standards reflect the independence of the inspection of prisons in Scotland. They have been developed from the actual practice of such inspecting. While the basis for these standards is rooted in international human rights treaties and conventions and in prison rules, they are our own standards.
The publication of these standards is designed to enable prisoners and prison staff to understand the main areas to be examined in the course of an inspection and what would be expected in each area; and to provide assurance to Ministers and the public that inspection is being carried out within a consistent framework and that measurements are being made against appropriate standards.
I am grateful to all those who have helped in the production of this document. In particular, I am grateful to Professor Andrew Coyle and the staff of the International Centre for Prison Studies: they have done much of the work involved in arranging in this written and systematic form the standards we already use in inspecting prisons.
ANDREW R C McLELLAN
HM Chief Inspector of Prisons
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