10.1 Recommendation

For consideration or coordination at Scottish Office level

Remand Prisoners

10.1.1 There should be a review of the policy and practices in respect of the custody of remand prisoners (paragraph 9.4).

10.2 Points of Note

To be considered at all levels

Drugs

10.2.1 Contact with the various drug agencies should be established well before prsioners’ release so that external agencies can become more involved in the pre-release period (paragraph 5.32).

For consideration or coordination at Scottish Office level

Drugs

10.2.2 There should be a coordinated approach to the funding arrangements for the response to the drug abuse problem in prison (paragraph 5.39).

For the consideration of SPS HQ and individual establishments

Drugs

10.2.3 There should be a more vigorous approach within each establishment to the searching of visitors, staff and trades vehicles with efforts also being made to reducing the number of trades vehicles making routine visits (paragraph 5.21).

10.2.4 Consideration should be given to extending the reception and induction phases at each establishment so that a proper assessment might be made of prisoners’ previous drug history (paragraph 5.25).

Suicide

10.2.5 Arrangements should be made to ensure that all prisoners withdrawing from drugs receive the appropriate treatment (paragraph 6.5.6).

10.2.6 Comprehensive case notes should be distributed on a daily basis and analysed at Governor in Charge level (paragraph 6.9).

10.2.7 Proper, professional counselling arrangements should be available for staff following any violent death in custody (paragraph 6.14).

For SPS HQ response

Overcrowding

10.2.8 Consideration should be given to the possibility of further building within existing prison perimeters as a means of reducing overcrowding (paragraph 4.17).

Drugs

10.2.9 Intelligence gathering requires greater coordination backed up by improved searching at a number of locations, including the use of more up-to-date technology (paragraph 5.4).

10.2.10 Drug education and reduction strategies need to be enhanced now with a system of incentives and more cogent throughcare arrangements (paragraph 5.4).

10.2.11 There should be a Drug Intelligence team in every prison with each team working to the manager with responsibility for the overall anti-drug strategy in the establishment (paragraph 5.15).

10.2.12 Consideration should be given to the appointment of an overall drugs strategic coordinator or intelligence team at SPS HQ (paragraph 5.15).

10.2.13 The scale of punishments under the MDT system should be revisited to ensure that they are having a deterrent effect; the whole system should also be reviewed to assess its relationship with sentence planning, offending behaviour, security categorisation and other aspects of prison life (paragraph 5.20).

10.2.14 Drug related behaviour should be introduced in the criteria which enable prisoners to make progress within the prison system (paragraph 5.20).

10.2.15 There should be a centrally directed policy regarding drug free areas within establishments (paragraph 5.28).

10.2.16 The allocation of rehabilitative resources should be revisited, particularly for young offenders and remand prisoners (paragraphs 5.40 and 5.41).

Suicide

10.2.17 Consideration should be given to the appointment of full-time anti-suicide coordinators, at least in the larger establishments (paragraph 6.9).

10.2.18 Priority should be given to preventive measures which concern remand prisoners, including greater focus on their induction arrangements (paragraph 6.12).

Employment

10.2.19 There should be a review of all prison VT courses to ensure that they retain relevance to the employment market, with access to the courses also being carefully monitored to ensure that they are attended by those who are most likely to derive benefit from them (paragraph 7.10).

10.2.20 Prisoners pay levels should be reviewed and increased with consideration being given to the introduction of a pilot scheme under which a realistic wage was paid but out of which prisoners would save for release, send money out to dependants and pay for part of the cost of their imprisonment (paragraph 7.19).

Staff and Management

10.2.21 The qualifications for a Deputy Governor’s post should include the candidate’s potential compatibility with the existing Governor (paragraph 8.6).

For the attention of individual establishments

Drugs

10.2.22 There is a need to improve the briefing of visitors by prison staff to provide a fuller understanding of the penalties involved in drug abuse and the benefits of not doing so (paragraph 5.21).

10.2.23 As part of an incentive scheme, prisoners who wish to come off drugs should be offered the possibility of more sport, physical education or access to library and education facilities at weekends (paragraph 5.29).

10.2.24 In an attempt to influence prisoners drug related behaviour, there should be a twin-track approach using family persuasion and staff influences, including family briefings by FCDOs both at the beginning and at the pre-release stage of a sentence (paragraph 5.30).

10.2.25 Alcohol awareness training should be included in all pre-release arrangements (paragraph 5.34).

Suicide

10.2.26 Special care should be taken where any prisoner has drug withdrawal complications, particularly during early periods of custody or where self harm has previously been indicated (paragraph 6.12).

Employment

10.2.27 A timetabling approach to prisoners’ routines is worthy of consideration (paragraphs 5.29 and 7.16).

Staff and Management

10.2.28 Management at all levels should monitor not only the quantity of staff training but also the quality (paragraph 8.11).