This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Executive response to prisons report
04/09/2002
Justice Minister Jim Wallace said today that he shared the concerns of the Chief Inspector of Prisons about the problem of over-crowding in Scotlands prisons.
Mr Wallace said that Ministers had made no secret of the fact that over-crowding and a rising prisoner population were key issues that must be addressed as part of the Estates Review.
The Minister was responding to the publication HM Inspector of Prisons annual report on the Scottish prison system.
In it, Clive Fairweather's last annual report, Jim Wallace paid tribute to his eight years of diligent and dedicated work adding that he never flinched from being critical when he believed there was a just cause, but equally has been quick to commend where things are working well.
Mr Wallace said:
"It is clear from this annual report that there is a lot of good work being done in Scotlands prisons however there are a number of areas which give cause for concern, particularly in terms of the prison population.
"I share the concerns of the Chief Inspector. Ministers have made no secret of the fact that over crowding and the rising prisoner population are two of the key issues that the Prison Estates Review must address. These are problems that cannot be wished away.
"When I published the consultation on the future of Scotlands prison estate earlier this year, I set out our key priorities in providing secure custody, better standards of accommodation, improved rehabilitation programmes and value for taxpayers money.
"The numbers of people being sent to prison by the courts continues to rise and place pressure on a number of prisons. It is clear that this presents us with immediate challenges in terms of accommodation and if we are serious about ending the practice of slopping out then urgent action is needed.
"I welcome the positive findings in relation to the improved conditions for remand prisoners following the refurbishment of B Hall at Barlinnie and the continuing reduction of suicides across the estate. There is much good work that goes on within our prisons. We need to make sure that prison officers have the best facilities possible to apply their skills. We also need to start making progress with our reforms and remove the uncertainty that has been hanging over Scotlands prison in recent times.
"I wish to end on a personal note, by thanking Clive Fairweather for his eight years of diligent and dedicated work as Chief Inspector of Prisons. He has never flinched from being critical when he believed there was a just cause, but equally has been quick to commend where things are working well. He has received, and deserves, much praise for the way he has gone about his work."