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2.1 The Unit occupies the site of what was once 'E' Hall at HM Prison Peterhead and is located within the perimeter of the main prison, which is some 35 miles north of Aberdeen. The Unit is a separate establishment with its own Governor in Charge but shares a number of common services with the main prison. It consists of a main building and garden area adjacent to separate exercise areas which is a relic of its former role as a control unit. All are enclosed within a separate secure perimeter wall.
2.2 The Peterhead Unit opened in September 1995 "to provide an intensive treatment resource for those prisoners who are unable or unwilling to accept the operation of the mainstream prisons and who it is agreed might benefit from removal from their present location in order to enable prisoners, through participative interaction, to develop effective and appropriate coping mechanisms and interpersonal skills in order to resume serving their sentences in mainstream prisons".
2.3 It has its origins in the publication of the report of the Working Party on the Barlinnie Special Unit in October 1994 which heralded the closure of BSU and gave a clear direction for units in the SPS. A synopsis of the report, describing the purpose, features and principles of the Peterhead Unit is contained at Annex 1. Specifically it stated that the Peterhead Unit should cater for those "difficult" prisoners who were not able to function in a regime as unstructured and as orientated towards personal responsibility as that in place in the Shotts Unit. These prisoners would typically be of below average intelligence, withdrawn, lacking in self confidence and self esteem, easily manipulated, susceptible to peer pressure and with few social and interpersonal skills.
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