 |
 |
| Publications |
| Home | Press | Publications | What We Do | Who We Are | Search | Site Map | Contacts | Links | ||||
|
|
|||
| > What We Do > Justice > HMIP |
< Previous | Contents | Next >
We are writing to you on behalf of all prisoners at HMP Kilmarnock who are tired of having the jail and its systems continually bad-mouthed by the media. It always seems the case that you wish to pick up on the bad points of the establishment.
There are a lot of good points about the prison that are never mentioned or noted. From our point of view it is nice to be able to live in a prison that treats us as human beings and not like dogs. Yes, we have all committed crimes, but our punishment is our loss of freedom, not having to be treated like animals, as we are in the majority of SPS prisons.
Through the system existing at HMP Kilmarnock more prisoners are being given a chance at rehabilitation and improvement on both education and attitude towards work. The prison boasts an excellent education department offering a whole range of courses that could increase a prisoner's choice of gainful employment on release. Noting that unemployment is indeed accountable toward a large degree of crime and drug abuse.
The wage structure within the prison enables the prisoner to be self-sufficient inside the jail, thus taking away the need for financial dependency on their families, allowing the likes of say a single mother or indeed a wife to support herself and her family with a higher degree of ease.
It is true that we may have better living facilities than other prisons in Scotland, but these facilities are gained through hard work, and a need to stay clear of drug dependency. There are well over 120 inmates living on an enhanced regime, which is drug-free. This number increases monthly as new inmates soon see the benefit of staying drug-free, a fact that we would say proves that the prison works. In comparison to other jails in Scotland, HMP Kilmarnock offers a prisoner the biggest chance of rehabilitation and education, a boast that no other establishment in Scotland could make.
So isn't it time that you sat up and realised that we are now approaching the 21st century and should walk out of the dark ages and join other European countries in line with treatment of offenders? The loss of freedom is our punishment, not the degradation and humiliation that go with it.
Please stop giving our families further stress and worries each time a badly researched article is printed in the paper.
Again take it as gospel that this representation is only a small voice among many.
S Vance and 276 other signatories,
HMP Kilmarnock, Bowhouse.
< Previous | Contents | Next >
The information contained on this WWW site is Crown Copyright but may be reproduced without formal permission or charge for personal or in-house use. Privacy and Content Disclaimer.
For general enquiries about this web site email ceu@scotland.gov.uk or fill out our online questionnaire.
