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1. FOREWORD
1.1 There are nine Police Stations in Scotland where police cells have been "legalised": in them prisoners (as opposed to those taken into custody by the police) can be detained for a period up to 30 days. These nine Police Stations are all in places which are not near to prisons (where these prisoners would otherwise be held): Lerwick, Kirkwall, Thurso, Stornoway, Lochmaddy, Oban, Campbeltown, Dunoon and Hawick. The cells at Ayr were discontinued from 30 November 2002. The need for the cells within Northern Constabulary (Lerwick, Kirkwall, Thurso, Stornoway and Lochmaddy) was an ongoing issue throughout the year. The cells were discontinued in February 2008 and then reinstated. It is the responsibility of HM Chief Inspector of Prisons to inspect legalised police cells in the same terms as prisons, and to report on the conditions and treatment of prisoners in them.
1.2 Individual matters are raised in connection with the reports on individual legalised cells. There are also some general matters.
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