Meeting of the Parliament 13 November 2024
The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that our prisons function safely and effectively for all those who live and work in our prison estate. The Scottish Prison Service must be able to accommodate those who pose the greatest risk of harm to victims and public safety. It must also be able to support rehabilitation to reduce reoffending and future victimisation.
Let me set out why we are in an urgent situation. In previous statements to Parliament, the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs has set out the scale of the challenge that we face. The prison population has often exceeded 8,300 this year. That is an on-going challenge to the continued safe and effective operation of the estate.
This is not just about the numbers; it is also about the complex needs of the population and the persistent pressures on prison staff. As a result of the increasing and complex prison population, the prison estate is under substantial pressure. That reduces the capacity that the Scottish Prison Service has to prepare individuals for reintegration into the community, facilitate quality purposeful activity and carry out rehabilitative work, all of which contributes to a safer Scotland. Visits to prisoners are becoming difficult to maintain, and there are increasing challenges to the effective delivery of healthcare.