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2.1 HMYOI Dumfries is located approximately one mile to the west of the town centre and close to the main A75 Stranraer road. Surrounded on all sides by private housing, a prison of some sort or other has stood on the site -; known locally as Jessiefield - since 1852. Some of the Halls which date to 1883 are still standing, though a new Wing was added in the 1960s.
2.2 The original purpose of the prison was to house male and female remand and convicted prisoners from the south west of Scotland. Since 1951, however, the establishment has undergone a number of changes of role, including use as a Borstal, and its present role as an Institution for long term YOs was adopted in 1987. In addition, it holds a relatively small number of untried and convicted adult prisoners from the Sheriff and District Courts of Dumfries, Stranraer and Kirkcudbright as well as the District Courts of Annan and Lockerbie. There is also a Female Unit for up to 10 prisoners.
2.3 At the time of inspection, Phase I of a major construction project was nearly complete, whilst Phase II, which would take about a year, was due shortly to start. Amongst other considerations, this will mean that the unhygienic and degrading practice of slopping out should be ended at Dumfries around the start of the new millennium.
2.4 At the time of our inspection, 'A' Hall was out of commission as it was being refurbished and this meant that the design capacity of the Institution had effectively been reduced to 132. On the first full day of our inspection -; Monday 17 May 1999 -; the population at lock-up was 116 and was accommodated as follows:-
| Location | Design Capacity | Population |
| 'A' Hall | N/A | NIL |
| 'B' Hall | 54 | 33 |
| 'C' Hall | 40 | 37 |
| 'D' Hall | 27 | 25 |
| Female Unit | 11 | 7 |
| Total | 132 | 102 |
In addition, a total of 14 YOs and adults were located in the Basement/Segregation Unit area.
2.5 Of that total population of 116, four were adult female convicted prisoners and three were female YOs. Of the male population, 24 were adults and 85 were YOs of whom 12 and six respectively were on remand. A breakdown of the sentences being served by the convicted population was:-
| Males | Females | |||
| YOs | Adults | YOs | Adults | |
| Without limit of time | 13 | - | - | - |
| Life | 21 | - | - | - |
| 10 years and over | 4 | - | - | - |
| 4 years and less than 10 years | 35 | 2 | - | - |
| 2 years and less than 4 years | 1 | - | - | 2 |
| 6 months and less than 2 years | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| 3 months and less than 6 months | 2 | 6 | 2 | 1 |
| 1 month and less than 3 months | 1 | - | - | - |
| Less than 1 month | - | 1 | - | - |
| Totals | 79 | 12 | 3 | 4 |
2.6 All of the remand population were classified as security category 'B', whilst a breakdown of convicted categories was:-
| Males | Females | |||
| YOs | Adults | YOs | Adults | |
| Category 'A' | - | - | - | - |
| Category 'B' | 74 | 8 | 2 | - |
| Category 'C' | 4 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Category 'D' | 1 | 2 | - | 1 |
| Totals | 79 | 12 | 3 | 4 |
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