This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Dumfries Prison report
12/07/2006
A sense of purpose, focus and motivation is making a significant impact on Dumfries Prison, according to the latest report by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons.
Dr Andrew McLellan's report, based on a follow up inspection in March 2006, highlights the following:
- Better use of anti-suicide measures
- Access to a more productive day for most prisoners
- Better sentence management for long-term prisoners
- Greater consistency in the quality of induction for all groups of prisoners
- Improvements to the organisation of the complaints system
- Better access to, and quality of, health care
However, the report also notes that:
- Remand prisoners and short-term prisoners on protection do not enjoy enough opportunities to be productive
- Concerns about interview procedures and use of cubicles in the reception, highlighted in last year's report, have not yet been addressed
Dr McLellan said:
"Dumfries Prison has responded well to the inspection report of 2005. An impressive number of concerns raised have been addressed and resolved completely.
"Prisoners and staff alike drew attention to the sense of purpose, focus and motivation making a significant impact on the prison. From a staff perspective there has been a marked reduction in sick leave, while prisoners spoke of a clearer understanding of what was happening in the prison and of what was expected of them.
"The arrival of sex offenders from Peterhead in 2004 was well managed, as last year's report showed. At the time of the last report, however, there was little evidence that the prison had addressed the needs of that population. That is no longer true, and this report shows that there has been significant improvement in provision for long-term sex offenders.
"However, improvement has come at a price. It is to the credit of the Scottish Prison Service that they had, until recently, tried to hold remand prisoners in the best accommodation. But now remand prisoners spend long hours locked in their cells, have no access to work and very little access to education. The prison is fulfilling the terms of its contract, but the conditions of remand prisoners are not good.
"The other group of prisoners who should not be ignored are the female prisoners, now in Cornton Vale, who would have been held in Dumfries had the female unit not closed. The report recognises that closing the unit has brought real advantages. But it also recognises that women who are imprisoned many miles from their families, particularly those imprisoned for a short time, are likely to be disadvantaged.
"The number of complaints received from prisoners has increased significantly. After examination of the statistics and a selection of the complaints themselves, and after discussion with the Scottish Prisons Complaints Commissioner, I conclude that this increase does not represent a deterioration in the conditions and treatment of prisoners. It represents a positive change in the attitudes of prisoners towards the complaints system.