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Seòmar agus comataidhean

Official Report: search what was said in Parliament

The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.  

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Dates of parliamentary sessions
  1. Session 1: 12 May 1999 to 31 March 2003
  2. Session 2: 7 May 2003 to 2 April 2007
  3. Session 3: 9 May 2007 to 22 March 2011
  4. Session 4: 11 May 2011 to 23 March 2016
  5. Session 5: 12 May 2016 to 5 May 2021
  6. Current session: 12 May 2021 to 17 March 2025
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Displaying 2095 contributions

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Public Audit Committee

Section 22 Report: “The 2022/23 audit of the Scottish Prison Service”

Meeting date: 14 March 2024

Willie Coffey

In essence, there is no other—

Public Audit Committee

Section 22 Report: “The 2022/23 audit of the Scottish Prison Service”

Meeting date: 14 March 2024

Willie Coffey

You mentioned that the regime at Greenock is really well thought of among the staff and the prisoners. Do they try to share that practice with the rest of the prisons?

Public Audit Committee

Section 22 Report: “The 2022/23 audit of the Scottish Prison Service”

Meeting date: 14 March 2024

Willie Coffey

I also get that impression when I visit Kilmarnock prison. There are 500 or so prisoners there, but I get the sense from working closely with the director and the staff that there is a good regime. The prison is well managed and there are good relationships.

Public Audit Committee

Section 22 Report: “The 2022/23 audit of the Scottish Prison Service”

Meeting date: 14 March 2024

Willie Coffey

Convener, did we agree that you would ask about the demographics? I could do that, if you want.

Public Audit Committee

Section 22 Report: “The 2022/23 audit of the Scottish Prison Service”

Meeting date: 14 March 2024

Willie Coffey

Thanks so much for your responses to those questions.

Public Audit Committee

Section 22 Report: “The 2022/23 audit of the Scottish Prison Service”

Meeting date: 14 March 2024

Willie Coffey

Thank you for answering that question. I had not intended to ask it, but we were led in that direction from the earlier conversation, and it is quite important.

Let us turn to Barlinnie, which the 2018-19 audit identified as presenting the

“biggest risk of failure in the prison system”.

In the inspection report that we are discussing today, you talk about “surge capacity” and so on. For the benefit of committee members and, perhaps, the public, will you briefly explain what we mean by surge capacity and why Barlinnie is in the frame when we talk about that?

Public Audit Committee

Section 22 Report: “The 2022/23 audit of the Scottish Prison Service”

Meeting date: 14 March 2024

Willie Coffey

Yes, I know it well. I am very familiar with it.

There is really no option; if we have such a situation, it has to be Barlinnie that takes on the extra demand, because of its size and design, presumably. It has the space, but it is perhaps in the poorest condition of all our prisons.

Public Audit Committee

Section 22 Report: “The 2022/23 audit of the Scottish Prison Service”

Meeting date: 14 March 2024

Willie Coffey

In 2020, the Government told our predecessor committee that the Prison Service has

“robust contingency plans in place”

to deal with

“a loss of critical infrastructure or ... an incident”.

Are those robust contingency plans still in place and, if so, are they fit for purpose?

Public Audit Committee

Section 22 Report: “The 2022/23 audit of the Scottish Prison Service”

Meeting date: 14 March 2024

Willie Coffey

In 2019, you told our predecessor committee—it was probably in answer to a question from me—that it would take five or six years before Barlinnie would be replaced, but we are still not there.

Public Audit Committee

Section 22 Report: “The 2022/23 audit of the Scottish Prison Service”

Meeting date: 14 March 2024

Willie Coffey

When a person gets sentenced to be imprisoned, does the system look at that person’s needs initially before it is decided where they should go, if they have particular health requirements and so on?