- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 October 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 12 November 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to the Annual Report of the Cornton Vale (under 21) Visiting Committee, what improvements have been made to the prison's library facilities.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:A recent refurbishment of the library included repainting, the installation of new comfortable seating and carousel book display racks. Prisoners now have access to:2,000 books50 talking books100 video cassettes100 musical audio tapes50 CD romsfive copies of Prison Rules & Directionstwo copies of Prison Rules (on floppy disc)All items are regularly changed and updated. Books not held, including any requested legal books/foreign language books are sourced through a partnership with Stirling District Council Library Services. Other recent additions are:
- Citizen Advice Bureau information volumes 1 to 3 which are updated every month through the establishment's membership with the CAB.
- A "scanlab" computerised system for book management comparable to any modern local authority library.
- two PCs for prisoner access.
- A TV/video combination of previewing videos.
- A hi-fi system for pre-listening audio tapes.
The number of borrowers presently stands at 249.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 October 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 12 November 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to the Annual Report of the Cornton Vale (Under 21) Visiting Committee, what its position is regarding the concerns expressed over the adequacy of the prisoner food allowance and what is being done to address this issue.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:The per capita food budget provides prisoners at Cornton Vale with three meals a day. Four choices are available at lunch and tea times including a "Scottish Slimmers" and "healthy options" choice. Fresh fruit and vegetables are available daily. All religious and dietary needs can also be catered for.The Cornton Vale catering team were this year awarded Charter Mark for the quality of their service.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 October 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 12 November 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to reduce the number of women being imprisoned.
Answer
A ministerial group, which I chair, has been set up to tackle the specific issue of women's offending. It is looking at a range of measures to encourage the appropriate use of alternatives to custody for female offenders. The group is due to complete its work in December and will report shortly thereafter.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 October 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 12 November 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what alternatives to imprisonment are (a) in place and (b) planned in order to reduce the number of women imprisoned.
Answer
A broad range of community disposals are available across Scotland for both female and male offenders. These include probation, community service orders and supervised attendance orders for female and male fine defaulters who might otherwise be facing a custodial sentence. Drug Treatment and Testing Orders and Restriction of Liberty Orders are also currently available in a number of courts. We have provided funding for diversion from prosecution schemes to allow all procurators fiscal access to local schemes and made female accused one of the four target groups. We are now moving forward with plans for the national roll-out of Restriction of Liberty Orders by May next year, and I have announced the extension of Drug Treatment and Testing Orders to a further seven sheriff courts. We are also considering funding structured work for deferred sentences and further developments in the use of supervised attendance orders.The Ministerial Group on Women Offenders, which I chair, is looking at a range of measures to encourage the use of alternatives to custody specifically for women offenders.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 22 October 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 5 November 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost implications would be of bringing HM Prison Kilmarnock back into the public sector.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:Like all contracts, costs of termination depends on many factors, including the reasons for such a decision and the point of time in the contract. Such costs would require detailed calculation by independent advisers, both financial and legal.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 22 October 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 5 November 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has received concerning the first report by Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons for England and Wales on HM Prison Buckley Hall, Rochdale since it was transferred from the private to the public sector and what lessons it has learned from that report.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:The SPS does not normally receive reports on prisons from other jurisdictions and has not received the report referred to.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 October 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 31 October 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will respond to Point of Concern 2.4 in the Association of Visiting Committees for Scottish Penal Establishments Annual Report for the year ending 31 March 2001 that the practice of prisoners eating in cells where there is in-cell sanitation could be successfully challenged under the European Convention on Human Rights and what contingency plans are in place should this occur.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-18792.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 October 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 31 October 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will respond to Point of Concern 2.3 in the Association of Visiting Committees for Scottish Penal Establishments Annual Report for the year ending 31 March 2001 regarding the comments by visiting committees about the level of staff morale and that because of staff absences prisoners were locked up for longer periods.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-18792.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 October 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 31 October 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will respond to Point of Concern 2.5 in the Association of Visiting Committees for Scottish Penal Establishments Annual Report for the year ending 31 March 2001 regarding the Scottish Prison Service's Estates Review consultation process, who the Prison Service will consult with and how long this consultation process will last.
Answer
Completion of the Estates Review process has taken longer than originally anticipated but it is considered essential that the financial costings are independently evaluated. The findings will be published later this year and a period of consultation will follow.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 October 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 31 October 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will respond to Point of Concern 2.2 in the Association of Visiting Committees for Scottish Penal Establishments Annual Report for the year ending 31 March 2001 regarding lack of appropriate work for prisoner rehabilitation in prisons and, in particular, about numbers of prisoners sitting in sheds with no work to do, workshops closed because staff were required for escort duty and the type of work undertaken in prisons.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:A response to this and the other points made in the association's Annual Report will be sent to the association shortly. A copy will be sent to the member.
