JUSTICE CONVENER "VERY CONCERNED" ABOUT SCOTTISH PRISON SERVICE

Roseanna Cunningham, said:

"From the outset, this committee has taken an active interest in Scotland’s prisons. Early in September, we called in the Chief Inspector of Prisons, Clive Fairweather, in response to some of the concerns he expressed in his 1998-99 report, especially those relating to conditions at Longriggend and Low Moss.

"A fortnight later, members of the committee visited those establishments and saw for themselves the appalling conditions there. We are, therefore, very concerned about the recent announcements of budget cuts, job losses and prison closures.

"The committee wants to find out what led to these decisions and what effect they will have on prison conditions and on prison staff. We would, I think, be particularly concerned if these moves were to lead to a return to overcrowding or to cutbacks in drug rehabilitation and education programmes."

BACKGROUND NOTES

The announcement that two prisons were to close and others merged or mothballed was made on Tuesday, November 16 (the day before the committee’s last meeting, Wednesday, November 17).

On that Wednesday, prison officers demonstrated outside the Parliament and around 70 sat in the public gallery to observe part of the committee’s proceedings, which took place in the Parliament’s main chamber.

At an earlier meeting on November 3, the committee briefly discussed the original announcement of cuts amounting to £13 million in the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) budget.

Following that meeting, the convener wrote to the Minister for Justice, Jim Wallace, and to Tony Cameron, Chief Executive SPS, asking for an explanation of why the cuts were being made and what effect they would have.

Tomorrow’s meeting will also be held in the Parliament’s main chamber to enable those prison officers who wish to attend the opportunity to hear the evidence given by Mr Cameron and the trade unions involved.

Clive Fairweather, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons for Scotland gave evidence to the committee on September 14, 1999. The Official Report for that meeting is available on the Parliament’s website or from the Stationery Office.

The committee’s membership is as follows:

Roseanna Cunningham (SNP) (convener). Scott Barrie (Lab), Phil Gallie (Con), Christine Grahame (SNP), Gordon Jackson (Lab), Lyndsay McIntosh (Con), Kate MacLean (Lab), Maureen Macmillan (Lab), Pauline McNeill (Lab), Tricia Marwick (SNP), Euan Robson (LD)

Eric MacLeod: 0131 348 5605
email: eric.macleod@parliament.uk

Andrew Mylne, Clerk to the Committee: Tel 0131 348 5206
email: andrew.mylne@scottish.parliament.uk