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Considerable improvements have been made in prisoner progression and risk assessment processes but it is impossible to eradicate risk completely when reintegrating prisoners back into communities from open prisons and National Top End facilities, according to a report by the Chief Inspector of Prisons published today.

Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons, Brigadier Hugh Monro said:

"It is clear that significant advances have been made in the prisoner progression and risk assessment processes since the absconding of prisoners Robert Foye and Brian Martin from open conditions in 2007 and 2009.

"The rate of absconding from the open estate has reduced from 71 or 24 per cent of the average population in 2004-2005, to six or 2.3 per cent of the average population in 2010-2011.

"It is also clear that no matter how well developed and sophisticated the Scottish Prison Service's (SPS) risk assessment processes become, risk assessment itself is a fallible undertaking."

The report recommends that the SPS Board should:

• Take formal responsibility and ownership of the progression system
• Review progression processes and training with a view to producing a simplified and improved system
• Review how better to align prisoners' high priority needs and their existing programme and intervention provision
• Produce a National Sex Offender Strategy
• Publish a community reintegration strategy for the guidance of prison Governors and Directors
• Publish a risk management and progression manual for practitioners
• Review the system used to determine the level of security applied to individual prisoners

Brigadier Monro said:

"This review confirms that the individual components which make up the 'progression system' are themselves appropriate and relevant, however the interrelationship between them has become unclear and a comprehensive review needs to be undertaken to eradicate duplication and ensure a more coherent approach."

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