Scottish Prison Service
| File:Scottish Prison Service logo.png | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1993 |
| Type | Executive agency of the Scottish Government |
| Jurisdiction | Scotland |
| Headquarters | Calton House 5 Redheughs Rigg Edinburgh EH12 9HW[1] |
| Employees | 4,000 |
| Minister responsible | |
| Agency executive |
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| Website | www |
| Map | |
 Scotland in the UK and Europe | |
| Part of a series on |
| Scots law |
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The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) is an executive agency of the Scottish Government tasked with managing prisons and Young Offender Institutions.
The Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, currently Colin McConnell, is responsible for its administration and reports to the Cabinet Secretary for Justice, who is responsible for the Scottish Prison Service within the Scottish Government.
There are fifteen prison establishments in the country, two of which are privately managed.[2] The SPS employs over 4,000 staff, with its headquarters in Calton House, located in South Gyle, Edinburgh.[3]
Key personnel
The current Chief Executive is Teresa Medhurst and supporting him is the SPS Board consisting of:
- Ruth Sutherland - acting Director of Corporate Services
- Eric Murch - Director of Corporate Change
- Teresa Medhurst - Interim Director of Strategy & Innovatio
- Jim Kerr- Director of Operations
List of establishments
- HMP Addiewell
- HMP Barlinnie
- HMP Castle Huntly (Open prison)
- HMP & YOI Cornton Vale (Young Offenders Institution and Women's Prison)
- HMP Dumfries
- HMP Edinburgh
- HMP Glenochil
- HMP & YOI Grampian (Young offenders Institution)
- HMP Greenock
- HMP Inverness
- HMP Kilmarnock (Operated by Serco as part of a public-private partnership scheme)
- HMP Low Moss
- HMP Perth
- HMYOI Polmont (Young Offenders Institution)
- HMP Shotts
HMP Addiewell and HMP Kilmarnock are both privately managed under contract to the SPS.
Other responsibilities
Prisoner escorting
In November 2003 SPS signed a contract on behalf of Scottish Ministers for a "Prisoner Escort and Court Custody Service". This contract with Reliance Custodial Services provides for all prisoner escorting between police cells, court, prisons and hospitals as well as covering escorts from prison such as funerals, hospital appointments and community placements and also operating the court custody units. In 2012, SPS contracted this service out to G4S.
Secure hospital
Some prisoners are detained in a secure psychiatric hospital. This is run by the Scottish National Health Service rather than the SPS.
Prison aftercare
An aftercare scheme, Throughcare, has significantly cut reoffending. The scheme involves getting released prisoners a roof over their heads, sorting out their benefits and medical needs, and showing them that someone cares about them. 78% of former prisoners who received Throughcare did not return to prison over two years. Eleven Scottish prison service sites use Throughcare.[6] "The TSOs [Throughcare Support Officers] use a case management approach, working collaboratively with the prisoner, their family, statutory and third sector service partners, to discuss appropriate support provision and to develop a personalised plan to support the person during their transition from custody back in to the community."[7]
Media Coverage
The SPS has been featured in many TV shows including Prison: First & Last 24 Hours on Sky One which was broadcast between 28 October 2015 and 5 December 2016.
See also
- Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons for Scotland
- Her Majesty's Prison Service
- List of United Kingdom prisons
- Northern Ireland Prison Service
- Prison categories in the United Kingdom
- Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service
- United Kingdom prison population
- Young offender
References
- ^ "Contact Us". Scottish Prison Service. Retrieved 6 December 2019.
- ^ "About us". Scottish Prison Service. Retrieved 13 February 2016.
- ^ "About us: Headquarters". Scottish Prison Service. Retrieved 13 February 2016.
- ^ Watchdog finds 'emergency' conditions in Scottish prisons The Guardian
- ^ "The State Hospital". NHS Scotland. Retrieved 13 February 2016.
- ^ Throughcare prison support scheme 'cuts reoffending' BBC
- ^ Throughcare Support Officers in Scottish Prisons
External links
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