| POPULATION
AND ACCOMMODATION |
| |
| Population |
| 3.1
An average daily population of 5,629 continued to stretch
resources throughout the year. Although the overall
prison design capacity was 5,635 there were a number of
cells out of use for repair or refurbishment which
further reduced the amount of accommodation available:
additionally, the Security Category and sex of prisoners
rarely matched the exact cell capacity. On 31 March 1995
a total of 5,156 places could be used, against a
population of 5,645. Four establishments suffered from
regular overcrowding - Barlinnie (36%), Edinburgh (27%),
Friarton (39%) and Inverness (70%). |
| 3.2
The average daily remand population was 1,008: the
average daily young offender population was 715. |
| 3.3
Of the remaining 3,907 prisoners, (of whom 14 were
Category ‘A’), approximately 1,500 were serving
sentences of less than two years; 424 adult prisoners
were serving life sentences. |
| 3.4
The female population, at an average of 181 remand,
convicted and YOs, comprised some 3% of the total prison
population. |
| 3.5
The provisional ‘throughput’ of prisoners was
assessed as; Sentenced Receptions 21,000, Remand
Receptions 13,000. |
| 3.6
Throughout 1994-95 there was a total of 16 escapes, 100
absconds and 25 deaths in custody, including 16 suicides;
there were 50 serious assaults by prisoners on other
prisoners, with staff suffering a total of 5 serious
assaults. |
| |
| Accommodation |
| 3.7
Overcrowding continued to cause strain on accommodation,
staff and prisoners in a number of establishments. This
was often compounded by the fact that these and other
locations were also engaged in separate refurbishment
programmes. Nevertheless, we are able to report that a
start on the installation of integral sanitation or
access to night sanitation has been made in a number of
locations, including Polmont, Dumfries and Perth. |
| 3.8
Chronic overcrowding, the refurbishment programme and
integral sanitation are all inter-linked. For example,
the installation of wc’s in cells has to be in very
gradual stages. This greatly depends on the number of
empty cells which can be sustained, but this in turn
depends on the degree of local overcrowding, which often
cannot be forecast; thus the SPS is caught in a vicious
circle in this (and many other) areas. |
| 3.9
In a wider context, the standard of prison accommodation
which was available throughout Scotland was surprisingly
varied. For example, at HMP Low Moss this involved hutted
dormitories - and these are probably acceptable for the
Security Category and sentence duration of its
population, at least for another few years. Overcrowding
at HMP Friarton, albeit in excellent buildings, has led
to a number of prisoners having to share accommodation;
again this is probably sustainable, given the
location’s many other advantages. |
| 3.10
Meanwhile we judged accommodation at HMP Shotts to be
very good - and so it should be, as a recent and
purpose-built establishment of the 1980’s. In stark
contrast, accommodation at overcrowded HMP Barlinnie
could be described as ‘functional’, at best,
and as mentioned previously is due for major
refurbishment. At HM Institution Cornton Vale,
women’s cells were more like ‘bedrooms’
with accommodation blocks set in a most pleasant
‘campus’ surrounding. No overcrowding was
observed here - indeed the opposite applied latterly. |
| 3.11
In the North, those detention cells at HMP Inverness
which have been described by some as ‘the
cages’ began to be dismantled in January 1995. |
| 3.12
Separately, there were no instances of major damage to
accommodation by prisoners; thankfully the SPS has been
spared large scale riot damage, which for example in the
1980’s resulted in the loss of many millions of
pounds. |
| 3.13
We also noted that some establishments were extremely
tidy, possibly reflecting good management by staff - eg,
at HMP Friarton and HMYOI Dumfries. Others were untidy,
eg HMYOI Polmont. The latter could have been due to the
turnover of its younger population, reflecting a cultural
problem which appears to be endemic. |
| 3.14
Looking to the future it very much looks as though the
debilitating problems of overcrowding will remain. This
may necessitate the eventual construction of another
prison (see paragraph 4.7). The obvious alternative is
for fewer individuals to be sent to prison; or a
reduction in those given very short but nevertheless
resource demanding sentences. Fine defaulters are one
obvious example: last year it cost an average £500 per
week to imprison a male prisoner; more for females.
Additionally many women offenders are jailed for not
paying fines - apparently far more so than males.
‘Alternative to custody’ schemes are another
option, as Community based punishments leave families
intact and offenders with employment. |
