INVERNESS JAIL REMAINS ONE OF SCOTLAND’S MOST OVERCROWDED

DAMNING INDICTMENT OF EXEC FAILURE TO TACKLE OVERCROWDING

Shadow Deputy Justice Minister Mr Stewart Stevenson MSP has today (Tuesday) accused the Justice Minister of burying her head in the sand about overcrowding in Scotland’s jails after a report into Inverness Prison from HM Inspectorate of Prisons stated that “Inverness is always one of Scotland’s most overcrowded prisons”

Commenting, Mr Stevenson said:

“This is the next in a long line of reports from the HMIP that condemns the state of Scottish prisons.

“Time and time again we hear about overcrowding in jails and time and time again, the Executive refuse to act.

“While progress has been made at the prison in some areas, it is clear that this is more a result of the work of staff, not the Scottish Executive.

“Overcrowding makes it even more difficult to try and rehabilitate prisoners and in a jail where the number of inmates is contracted out to the SPS to deal with almost 50 percent more people than it should have this will be made increasingly difficult.

"Andrew McLellan's report is a damning indictment of the Scottish Executive's continuing failure to reduce prison overcrowding, and it’s time for the Minister to stop burying her head in the sand and take action.

“Therefore, the Justice Minister must bring forward her capital spending plans for the next round of prison upgrades as soon as possible.”