Scotland's jails at 'crisis point', say prison officers

Prison officers have said morale is low in Scotland's jails

Prison officers have warned that overcrowding and understaffing have pushed Scotland's jails to "crisis point."

The prison population hit an all-time high of 8,430 last week, beating the previous record set in 2012.

A report published by the Prison Officers' Association (POA) paints a bleak picture of staff struggling to cope with a "toxic combination" of challenges.

One officer told the authors that staff morale had reached an all-time low; another described conditions behind bars as "a ticking time bomb."

To ease pressure on the system, the Scottish government is proposing the emergency release of up to 1,000 prisoners, repeating an exercise which saw nearly 800 freed early in 2024 and in spring this year.

Justice Secretary Angela Constance says funding for the prison service has been increased by 10% this year and an independent commission is looking for long-term solutions to the issues facing the country's jails.

The POA has 4,000 members working for the Scottish Prison Service and the State Hospital at Carstairs, with about 400 interviewed for the report.

The association's assistant general secretary for Scotland Phil Fairlie said some of the responses were so downbeat even he was taken aback.

He said: "Scotland's prison system is under extreme pressure like never before.

"The toxic combination of overcrowding and understaffing, added to the complexity of the prisoner population is having a huge impact on every prison officer in every jail."

Prison officers told the report's authors they were having to manage prisoners with chronic mental health issues, serious organised crime group members and an ever growing cohort of ageing sex offenders.

The POA has produced a list of demands for change, including sustained investment in the prison service budget, an overhaul of recruitment, increased pay and retirement at 60.

Officer complaints

Some of the testimony provided by officers included:

• "There is a perfect storm brewing. It's a ticking time bomb

• "During my 34 years working as a prison officer, I have never felt as under-valued as I currently do."

• "I have been on a wing (area in cell block) with just three staff to look after 160 prisoners."

• "Sufficient background checks are not being conducted...which has led to people being employed who have criminal records or without the right to work in the UK."

• "I was on a recruitment interview panel and realised the applicant was from an organised crime gang."

• "We see a lot of people with mental health issues that should be nowhere near a prison environment."

• "I have finished a shift, and helped out with my two year-old's sleep routine by reading a story. Unknown to myself, I have inhaled a legal high. I struggled with reading out basic words."

• "The support for staff suffering from poor mental health or having experienced trauma is appalling."

• "Would you like to have to try to restrain a 6ft, 18 stone, 21-year-old who spends in their time in the gym most days, when you are 67-years-old?

• "There is a culture of bullying from first line management and above. Management demands loyalty and flexibility from staff but there is no quid pro quo."

A Scottish Prison Service spokesperson said it was proud of staff and the tireless work they do to help rehabilitate individuals and build safer communities.

"It is important their voice is heard and listened to, particularly given the extremely high and complex population they are managing, and we remain committed to working alongside them and our trade union partners," they said.

Justice Secretary Angela Constance said she welcomed the report and paid tribute to the hard work of prison staff.

She said prisons officers have been been awarded an 8% pay increase over two years and £481.5m has been invested into the Scottish Prison Service.

She said: "I want a safe and rehabilitative prison environment and have taken a number of actions to tackle the rising prison population, including maximising the estate, increased investment in community justice, with a total of £159m this year to strengthen alternatives to custody, and an increase in the use of Home Detention Curfew.

"Whilst prison will always be needed, we need to have sustainable solutions to the prison population and address why Scotland, along with England and Wales, is a complete outlier in comparison with other European countries in terms of our high prison population."

The Scottish Conservatives and Scottish Labour have accused SNP ministers of mismanaging the prison system.

They say early release has been used as a "sticking plaster solution" without addressing long-term problems.