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Criminal Justice Committee 11 March 2026 [Draft]

11 Mar 2026 · S6 · Criminal Justice Committee

Item of business

Criminal Justice System (Challenges for Session 7)

Sara Snell (HM Inspectorate of Prisons for Scotland) Watch on SPTV

Thank you for inviting His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons in Scotland to give evidence at the Criminal Justice Committee. I should like to begin by explaining that I am accompanied by Stephen Sandham and Calum McCarthy because it would not be proper to present the key work of HMIPS during session 6 without acknowledging the key role that they have played during that time, as they will both have retired before session 7.No one will know better than this committee how challenging things have been with the prison population. I imagine that some of your questions will focus on the issues, so I will start by highlighting some of the progress.The investment in physical infrastructure in Scottish prisons is impressive. Few jurisdictions invest in that area. As well as the much-needed building of replacement prisons for HMP Inverness and HMP Barlinnie, much of the infrastructure of the older Scottish prisons has been entirely replaced, such as at HMP Edinburgh and HMP Glenochil. That has included in-cell telephony, making it easier for people to maintain family contact and request support and assistance privately, such as from our independent prison monitors.The Scottish prisons assessment and review of outcomes for women, which, for obvious reasons, is called SPAROW, looked at the new Scottish Prison Service model of custody for women. As I am describing progress, I will cite the innovative strategy and the physical design, while flagging that the vision cannot be fully realised without commensurate changes in rules and approaches. The new high-security psychiatric unit for women at the state hospital means that those requiring such treatment do not have to go south of the border or, indeed, remain in prison.Upside, the new service supporting short-sentence prisoners and those on remand to return to the community, has been in operation for a year now.There is a better staffing and skills mix of national health service prison healthcare teams.It represents a significant success that there have been no major incidents of concerted indiscipline in Scottish prisons and that there has been no large-scale loss of living accommodation.Our key concerns clearly include overpopulation, which, among its myriad ills, breaches international standards such as by requiring convicted prisoners to share with remand prisoners.The number of deaths in custody reached record highs in 2024 and included the highest annual number of completed suicides. Although the number reduced to 51 deaths in custody in 2025, there is still not enough understanding of causes and prevention.Transport problems lead to cancelled healthcare appointments and disrupt access to secondary care, as well as attendance at the bedsides of seriously ill family members or at funerals, and access to courts, but there has been improvement in those areas.A more complex population is being incarcerated, with rising needs for support and supervision. Increasing numbers of people are being held in solitary confinement and there is a lack of progression for people serving long and life sentences.

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Criminal Justice Committee 11 March 2026 [Draft]

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