Meeting of the Parliament 25 March 2026 [Draft]
It is extremely sad that yet another inspection at Polmont young offenders institution has told us that there are deep-rooted problems in keeping young offenders safe. The tragic suicide of 19-year-old Daniel Kerr two weeks ago illustrates again that the state is failing to keep those young people safe—and that comes after the findings of the inquiry into the deaths of William Brown and Katie Allan.
This week, Professor Sarah Armstrong pointed out in an interview that the issue is not just about resources. However, despite the professionalism and dedication of our prison staff, the system still operates in a way that is completely contrary to the obvious needs of a young person who struggles when they are detained and does not have adequate time out of their cell. In fact, His Majesty’s chief inspector of prisons for Scotland, Sara Snell, said:
“Young men in Polmont continue to spend far too long locked in their cells”.
Why has there not already been a complete shake-up of how we detain young offenders? Surely, in the last days of this current Scottish Government, it is time to admit failure on the issue.
Perhaps the First Minister and I could agree that Scotland must implement a new daily structure in the Polmont young offenders institution—one in which, at the very least, adequate and productive time out of a prison cell is at the heart of the system.