Scottish Government
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Open prisons in Scotland
The criteria for admission to the Open Estate have been tightened considerably in the past year and the number of absconds has reduced, according to the latest report by Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons published yesterday.
Although the inspection was not carried out as a direct result of the Robert Foye case last year, some of the comments in the report reflect the changes made to the Open Prison Estate by the Scottish Prison Service following this case.
The main findings of Dr Andrew McLellan's report are:
- The system in closed establishments for assessing suitability for the Open Estate is now much more robust and at the time of inspection there were proportionately fewer short-term prisoners and more long-term prisoners preparing for release being sent to the prison. This has improved the atmosphere and reduced tensions
- The processes connected to the risk assessment and risk management of prisoners have improved considerably
- Extended Home Leave and Community Work Placements are the main means of reintegrating prisoners into the community. The Community Placements Scheme is excellent
- There is a lack of accredited programmes to address offending behaviour, and no "top up" programmes
- Education provision is poor
- Sex offenders receive the worst preparation for release
- There has been a significant drop in the level of illegal drug taking across both sites
- Relationships are in general good
Dr McLellan said:
"This report concentrates almost entirely on matters connected with the preparation of prisoners for release. No Scottish prison has been the subject of more press and public concern in the past year than the Open Estate. The focus of the concern was the rape of a young woman by a man who had absconded from Castle Huntly. This crime provoked outrage; and the implication was that the Open Estate was too easy to get in to and too easy to get out of.
"This inspection demonstrates that significant change has taken place this year. The criteria for admission to the Open Estate have been tightened considerably. So there are far fewer prisoners in the Open Estate than there used to be. Among these the proportion of short-term prisoners has dropped.
"Moreover, the use and availability of illegal drugs have also been reduced in the past year. The same progress can be seen in the number of absconds. It is still a high number, but it is lower than it used to be. Most of these absconds are technically "non-returns": it is not that the majority have escaped, but that they have not returned to prison after a period of home leave or community placement.
"Throughout this inspection staff insisted that the more rigorous admission standards for prisoners have resulted in a more positive atmosphere in which they were able to do "better work with better prisoners".
"Nevertheless there are still two faults with the new admission procedure. There is almost no preparation in closed prisons before prisoners move to the Open Estate; and the procedural delays which cause prisoners to spend as much as the first three months after admission waiting for home leave lead to real frustration.
"Healthcare is very good at both Castle Huntly and Noranside, although the times at which prisoners can access these services is more restricted at Noranside. The administration of controlled medication at Noranside falls outside recommended standards.
"In the last year the processes connected with the management, and in particular the risk management, of prisoners before release have improved considerably. Integrated Case Management and the personal officer scheme are fully operational and effective.
"The main components of preparation for release at Castle Huntly and Noranside are, as they were before, community placements and home leave. The Extended Home Leave scheme is managed very well; and many early hesitations about it have disappeared. Community placements are also managed very well. These schemes provide testing in the community, development of employable skills, connection with local agencies, and family contact for those prisoners approaching the end of their sentences.
"However, there are no accredited programmes to address offending behaviour, and no "top-up" programmes. Education provision is poor and not particularly directed toward preparation for release.
"So many reports have stated that sex offenders get the worst preparation for release in Scotland's prisons despite their being the prisoners whom the public would expect to receive the most thorough preparation for release. The number of sex offenders in the Open Estate at the time of inspection was two. Of course it is difficult and dangerous and controversial to give any form of access to the community to imprisoned sex offenders. But it is more difficult and more dangerous, and it should be more controversial, to return them to the community at the end of their sentences without any previous testing in the community and without proper preparation for release."
Today's report relates to a focused inspection of the Open Prison Estate. The focus was on matters connected with the preparation of prisoners for release.
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