|
Abbey
National Bank
Securicor
March 4, 2003
Two security guards have been robbed at gunpoint of about 100,00 at a bank in
Edinburgh. They were confronted by two masked men brandishing a shotgun
as they replenished a cash dispenser at the Morningside Road branch of the
Abbey National. One of the security guards, who work for Securicor, was
slightly injured when he was hit in the mouth. (BBC News)
HMP Addiewell
Sodexho (Kalyx)
Aug
21, 2021 todayuknews.com
Prison guards routinely turn a blind eye to illegal activities inside
crisis-hit Addiewell prison, according to
whistleblowers.
The
allegations regarding the West Lothian institution were made by insiders sickened
by the way the privately-operated jail is being run. They come after the
Record yesterday revealed shocking images of an inmate kissing a warder at
the jail. The crisis in the prison has prompted calls for the Scottish
Government to step in and sort out the jail, run by Sodexo.
Whistleblowers
told how:
● Organised
crime gangs are controlling the institution.
● Management believe
“staff cost them money, prisoners make them money”.
● Broken alarm systems are not being
repaired because it would cost too much money.
● Staff are encouraged to play down
incidents on reports and safety is secondary to profit.
The
whistleblowers have also claimed relationships between prisoners and officers
are “rife” and several staff members have been suspended or sacked for
smuggling in contraband. Yesterday we told how a cocky convict secretly
filmed himself kissing a prison officer for bragging rights with other cons.
The video shows Addiewell prisoner Kevin Hogg in a
passionate clinch with warder Rachel Wilson after she enters his cell.
Insiders said it’s just one incident which shows how out of control the
prison is. Politicians are now demanding that the Scottish Government looks into the claims and ensures staff have the resources
to be able to do their jobs effectively. The whistleblower said: “There is
problem after problem. Staff have been known to walk out with keys in their
pockets because the biometric slider system is broken and has been for so
long. “They’ve been caught going out with alarm fobs and not getting sacked
and management said it’s because it would cost £2.5million to replace the
locks and they just keep it quiet so the Scottish
Prison Service don’t find out and they save money. “Management have asked
staff to underplay incidents on report sheets, especially if they want to
ship a certain prisoner out the jail because they’re having bother with them.
They’d say, ‘Just go and say this,’ and you get POs [prison officers] who do
it because they don’t want sacked or to be out of the clique within the
prison.” Whistleblower claims gangs run Addiewell
jail and prison guards ‘turn blind eye' He added: “Staff have been forced to
resign because they’ve been caught bringing in packages and stuff, at least
four of them. Another staff member was recently caught sleeping with a
prisoner. Relationships with the inmates is a regular occurrence.” The
whistleblower went on: “Violence against staff is horrific as well. The POs are scared of the prisoners, they’re not being trained
properly – the prisoners are in charge, without a doubt. “In other wings, ill
prisoners or prisoners needing hospital treatment have been left for days
without being seen because the staff forget or there’s a lack of awareness or
they just can’t be bothered to write the reports. “Prisoners like the weekend
because they know there’s not enough staff to deal with them. “They will
co-ordinate incidents to kick off because they know there’s not enough first
response teams to cover. “They find it funny. It’s dangerous for the staff
because all it would take is one or two incidents to kick off where staff
need help and there’s not enough people on shift to get to them. “Staff
morale is through the floor. The nickname for the prison is SPS training
school. People come in and move on to the prison service.” The whistleblower
claimed the warders may only have interpersonal skills to fall back on in
violent situations. He added: “But if a prisoner is running at you with a
weapon, telling him to think of the consequences isn’t going to cut it. He’s
going to plunge that weapon right in. “We are given basic safety training but you need back-up and most of the time it’s
not there. When anyone is attacked by a prisoner it’s a case of clean up the
blood and get back on the floor. “The prisoner is not sanctioned. Officers
are routinely threatened by the prisoners and blind eyes are turned on it.”
Last night, leading politicians called on the Scottish Government to get a
grip on the crisis-hit jail. Scottish Conservative community safety
spokesman, Russell Findlay MSP, said: “Prison officers deserve recognition
and gratitude for dealing with Scotland’s most dangerous and depraved
people. “But the public must have faith that prisons do not become safe
places for organised crime gangs who already wield
far too much power throughout society. Whistleblower claims gangs run Addiewell jail and prison guards ‘turn blind eye' “This
prison is known to house members of the gangs responsible for large
quantities of drugs in our communities. “These thugs need to understand it’s
the staff who run the place, not them, and the SNP Government needs to ensure
staff have the resources and support they need to do their jobs safely and
effectively. “Any reports of officers becoming compromised or controlled by
criminals must be taken seriously. “We owe staff a duty of care but those who
become involved in illegality must be rooted out and held to account.” Labour MSP Pauline McNeill said: “A weak regime is not in
the interests of staff or prisoner safety. “There has been controversy for
some time on private prisons and whether they are spending adequately on
staff training and investing in proper practices. “There has to be greater
scrutiny over private prisons like Addiewell and as
a matter of urgency we should consider bring it back to public control if
standards are found wanting. “In the short term, prison management should
review all practices and training and recruitment processes.” HMP Addiewell said: “We are committed to running a prison
that is safe for all who live and work there. “We take whistleblower
allegations very seriously and have processes in place to ensure that these
are swiftly looked into and that whistleblowers’
rights are protected. “We can be clear that procedures are in place to ensure
proper security levels are maintained and areas are risk assessed.”
Mar
25, 2020 en.brinkwire.com
Rioting
prisoners carrying metal bars smash up jail in Scotland
Two
police officers have been injured in a suspected riot at a prison as tensions
over coronavirus soar inside jails across the UK. Police were called to Addiewell Prison in West Lothian, Scotland, on Monday
after rioting prisoners carrying metal bars were said to have ‘smashed up’
part of the jail and stabbed a prison officer who had been taken hostage. The
riots comes after it was announced that prisons across England and Wales
would be shutting down jail visits in an effort to
reduce the spread of COVID-19 which has now claimed the lives of 422 people
in the UK. A number of prisons have already
confirmed cases of COVID-19 as cases soar across the UK and Boris Johnson
orders Britons to stay inside. However anxiety
inside jails over coronavirus continues to grow due to the close proximity of
prisoners and fears staff will go off sick with the disease. Today video
footage from Addiewell Prison showed a prisoner
laughing as he filmed the vandalism done to the private jail’s Forth D hall.
The prisoner said: ‘Mate, you’s have lost the plot.
Have you trashed the whole place?’ He also asked a bare-chested prisoner in
the video: ‘Where’s your cosh,’ before the thug
brings a length of metal into shot. A source told the Daily Record: ‘A
hardcore of prisoners at HMP Addiewell went on the
rampage and smashed things up, leading to a lockdown. ‘They situation there
has been growing more tense every day, as there is no effective way to apply
social distancing inside a jail. ‘Prisoners are angry that others with
symptoms are not been taken of the premises until they are confirmed as
suffering from the virus.’ A Scottish Prison Service spokeswoman said the
incident had now been dealt with. She said: ‘An incident took place yesterday
in HMP Addiewell where a small number of
individuals were involved in a disturbance in one section of the
establishment. ‘The incident was brought to a safe conclusion and the prison
was secured on Monday night. The individuals involved have been reported to
Police Scotland.’ Today the Ministry of Justice confirmed that visitors would
no longer be allowed to enter the establishments in an
effort to keep staff, inmates and families safe and protect the NHS’s
ability to cope with the surge in coronavirus cases. A message of their
Twitter page read: ‘We have suspended all prison visits in England &
Wales for today. This is while we ensure safe & secure functioning of our
prisons while enforcing social distancing. ‘If you have a visit booked today,
please do not attend. Stay home, protect the NHS, save lives.’ The Prisoner
Officer’s Association (POA) also confirmed that inmates would be locked up
for most hours of the day and would be let out only to access necessities
such as showers or to use the phones and exercise. National chair of the POA,
Mark Fairhurst, confirmed that the new plans were approved on Monday night
after talks with the government brought to light that more prisoners were
showing symptoms of the coronavirus. He told The Independent: ‘More and
more staff are self-isolating, more and more prisoners are showing symptoms
of Covid-19, and in order to protect staff, prisoners and the general public,
it is now necessary to self-isolate our prisoners to stop the spread.’ He
added: ‘We’ve continued to work normally for as long as we possibly can and I
think families of prisoners will be relieved that they’re not at risks and
prisoners will be relieved that their loved ones will be safe at home instead
of travelling all over the country into packed visit halls and putting
themselves at risk. ‘In my local prison, HMP Liverpool, prisoners have been
asking why they haven’t been locked down yet, so we’re hoping there will be a
sensible reaction from prisoners. They must realise
that this is for their safety and their loved ones.’ Addressing the Prime Minster’s new coronavirus lockdown rules on Monday, the
POA General Secretary Steve Gillan said: ‘The POA recognise that Prison staff are key workers, but the
Prime Minister statement is a game changer. ‘It was always envisaged that
regimes would be kept as normal as possible, but that position has now
altered and the POA will continue to work with Government and Employer to
keep our members and prisoners as safe as possible. ‘These restrictions will
bring their own challenges operationally, but the Director General Phil Copple
has made the correct decision.’ According to the new prison restrictions,
essential workers such as kitchen, laundry and cleaning staff, will be
unlocked to carry out their work and prison staff will be briefed on arrival
for duty.The latest announcement comes as it was
revealed today that a prisoner has contracted the virus at the all-male
Oakwood Prison near Wolverhampton and is in self-isolation. G4S, the private
company which runs the jail, said it was continuing to monitor national
guidance. John Whitwam, managing director, G4S
custodial and detention services, said: ‘We have confirmed one case of
coronavirus at HMP Oakwood. ‘The health and safety of our staff and the
people in our care is our top priority and we have existing, well-developed
policies and procedures in place to manage outbreaks of infectious diseases.
‘We are in regular discussion with Public Health England and following their
guidance. ‘The person concerned had already been self-isolating since
Tuesday, in accordance with national guidance, and will remain in isolation
and in regular consultation with our on-site health professionals. His family
have been contacted and will be kept up-to-date.’ Oakwood joins HMP
Manchester and HMP High Down in having confirmed cases of coronavirus. It is
believed visits to Oakwoood have reduced amid the
crisis. The POA said it ‘praised the decision of the Secretary of State for
Justice and the Director of Public Sector Prisons for their decision to place
Prisons in England and Wales on immediate lockdown’. Last week it was
revealed that almost 1,000 prison officers have gone into self-isolation and
some security procedures may have to be halted if there are staff shortages
amid the coronavirus outbreak, it is understood. Prison cell searches and
drug tests for inmates might be scrapped in a bid to cope with absences
during the crisis. Some 900 prison officers were off work and self-isolating
on Thursday. ‘Core security processes’ will ‘cease’ and prisoners will need
to be confined to their cells if jails in England and Wales do not have
enough staff, according to official guidance seen by BBC News. Meals,
medication, prisoner safety and family visits will be prioritised.
The number of prison officers off work rose on Friday, sources told the BBC.
The guidance is also said to advise against starting new offender behaviour programmes like those
put in place for sex offenders. The news came after a former chief inspector
of prisons called for low-risk inmates to be released from prison to avoid
them becoming ‘incubators’ for coronavirus. Speaking on the BBC’s Newsnight programme, Nick Hardwick suggested prisoners with only a
short amount of their sentence left to serve could be freed to help ease the
pressure on the prison system.
Nov
17, 2019 dailyrecord.co.uk
Crisis-hit
private prisons to return to public ownership in Scotland
The
Scottish Government move comes amid concerns over the £1.4billion contract
costs for HMP Kilmanock and Addiewell.
Controversial private Scottish prisons are to be brought back into public
ownership when their contracts end. The Scottish Government move comes amid
concerns over the cost to the taxpayer of HMP Kilmarnock and HMP Addiewell. We can reveal the final bill will be just
under £1.4billion by the end of the contracts. The £368million contract for Kilmarnock , run by Serco, was awarded in 1997 and is due
to expire in 2024. Addiewell’s contract began in
2006 and expires in 2034. The West Lothian jail is operated by Sodexo Justice
Services. Union officials want the deal terminated early despite the
Scottish Government being liable for a financial penalty. Kilmarnock and Addiewell were built under the Private Finance Initiative
(PFI). Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf revealed the plans at a meeting with
the Prison Officers Association (POA) Scotland in the Borders. Welcoming
Yousaf’s plan, Andy Hogg, assistant general secretary of POA Scotland, said:
“The cost of bringing in Addiewell earlier would be
expensive. “However that needs to be balanced with
the incredible payments that have been left as an absurd legacy of the failed
PFI schemes.” A Sodexo spokesman said: “Sodexo are proud to hold the 25-year
contract to operate HMP Addiewell and will work
with the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to deliver the best service we can.
“We look forward to Kilmarnock transferring to the control of the SPS in
2024. Serco declined to comment. The Scottish Government said: “We have
always maintained that prisons should be managed by the public sector and
not run for profit by private companies. “That is why private prisons will
come into public ownership after their contracts expire.” There have been
problems at both jails in recent months. Addiewell
has been hit by staff shortages leading to a prisoner revolt in which several
cell were set on fire. Director of Addiewell Ian Whitehead left his job while a female
officer resigned after failing a drugs test this
month. In August, about 60 prisoners in Kilmarnock were involved in disturbance
following a drugs crackdown.
Jan 16, 2019 heraldscotland.com
Inmates at private prison HMP Addiewell 'shun
lessons to play computer games', inspectors say
Prisoners at Scotland's 'learning' prison are choosing to sit around playing
computer games rather than attending classes, according to an inspection
report. High staff turnover and staff shortages are also causing problems,
leaving new prison officers supervised by workers who have little more
experience than they do, an inspection of the privately-run HMP Addiewell has revealed. In some cases, inmates know more
about the way the West Lothian jail is run than the staff, the inspectors
said. Scotland's new Chief Inspector of Prisons inspected Scotland's newest
prison in August. Wendy Sinclair-Gieben was
appointed in July, and her first report on the prison, run by Sodexo under
contract to the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), says it is safe and well run.
The report praises a computerised kiosk information
system used by prisoners, backs a partnership with Police Scotland to tackle
the dangers of 'legal highs', and says the prison is doing good work to
reduce self-harm. However it says Addiewell, which
was set up to be a learning establishment, helping prisoners gain skills and
reduce their offending, struggles to get prisoners engaged in education, paid
jobs and work experience. Some sessions are poorly run. The report says only
18 prisoners out of around 70 in one block were attending education when
inspectors visited. But the activities were unstructured and not obviously
educational: "Most of the prisoners attending mezzanine sessions engaged
in computer games or activities to pass the time, rather than constructive
educational work," the report says. High quality facilities for sports,
including an indoor games hall and a football pitch are not being regularly
used because of "low levels of prisoner participation," it says,
and because use of a fitness centre has dropped to
around 25 per cent of capacity, many exercise classes do not take place. The
quality of learning and teaching within the classrooms was good, the report
says. "However, the engagement by prisoners was constrained by the fact
that typically, half the allocated places in any one session remained
unfilled." Inspectors say it is unclear why so many prisoners were
failing to attend their scheduled classes. Ms
Sinclair-Gieben expressed similar concerns about
employment opportunities at the prison. Nearly two-thirds of the work offered
to prisoners is in 'ambassadorial' roles or prison 'passman' duties, the
report says, adding: "The remaining opportunities were in work parties
that included industrial cleaning, painting and decorating, barbering,
grounds work, maintenance, recycling, stores and the main kitchen. "However,
almost all work opportunities were limited to simple, repetitive tasks that
did not engage prisoners well, and few of these led to useful vocational
qualifications." Some prisoners do emerge with qualifications, in areas
such as cleaning, food hygiene, construction skills and roads and street
works, the report says, and The biggest concern raised by staff was in
relation to staff shortages, and the prison was 36 short of its full staffing
complement when inspectors visited. More than a third of prison officers at
HMP Addiewell have less than two years experience and one in five has less than 12 months
experience, the report says, adding: "New staff were being supported and
coached on the job, often by individuals with little more service than them,
and openly stated to inspectors that this was of concern to them." Staff are regularly cross-deployed
to cover shortages in other halls, according to the inspectorate, and it says
this makes it difficult for individual members of staff to get to know
prisoners or colleague. "Throughout the inspection, it was observed that
hall staff were often at their desks and not engaging with prisoners in the
halls. Staff were often found carrying out a number of different roles, in
different locations, during their shift." Nevertheless, the report says,
"Whilst recognising the challenges that the
inconsistency of staffing creates, it was clear that there was a working
relationship within the halls... and that the interactions between the staff
and prisoners were, in the main, professional." Ms
Sinclair-Gieben said: "Overall, the prison is
on the cusp of a positive future if the momentum is maintained and the
matters identified in this report are addressed." Scottish Labour's Justice spokesperson Daniel Johnson MSP
described the report as "deeply". He added: “The problems at Addiewell Prison have been well known for some time – and
it is essential action is now taken to resolve them. “In particular, it is
clear there are issues with accountability and responsibility with this
private contractor. That is why it is essential that the SNP government now
look at bringing this prison into public sector management once it expires.
“In the meantime, the Sodexo must urgently engage with the findings of this
review.”
Jul 22, 2018 dailyrecord.co.uk
Jail chiefs face £40,000 phone bill after mobiles seized at crisis-hit HMP
Addiewell
Five phones as well as drugs and knives were found in a major police
crackdown on organised crime in a crisis hit
private jail. Now the £65million prison run by French facility management
giants Sodexo is facing a £40,000 penalty over the mobiles. It is understood
the jail can be fined up to £8000 for each phone smuggled into the jail under
the noses of prison officers. The money is withheld from payments made to
Sodexo by the Scottish Prison Service each year for running the jail. Police
Scotland and Sodexo last week confirmed the discoveries. It’s understood the
phones will be examined by police for the identities of the criminals who
inmates were contacting. Many gangsters continue to run criminal operations
from behind bars and use contacts on the outside to smuggle in drugs and
other contraband. Detective Inspector Paul Batten said: “Staff at HMP Addiewell carried out a search of various areas of the
prison on July 18 where they recovered a number of mobile phones and other
prohibited items.” An Addiewell spokesman added:
“Drugs, mobile phones and other illicit items are an issue across the whole
prison estate and we regularly carry out intelligence-led searches of the
prison. Our staff work hard to stop these items getting into the prison.
“During an intelligence-led search, excellent work by our staff led to the
recovery of a number of illicit items. “We report all such incidents to the
Scottish Prison Service, and to Police Scotland where this is appropriate. ” Two weeks ago, a prisoner was found wandering in the lifers wing by a stunner prison officer after his cell
door was left unlocked. Sodexo could also be hit with a further financial
penalty over the door blunder.
Aug
23, 2017 mirror.co.uk
Three prison officers hospitalised after
inhaling second-hand smoke from 'zombie' drug Spice
HMP Addiewell in Scotland 'was put into lock
down' after the guards became unwell when they entered the cell where the inmate
had been smoking it. According to one convict's family member the
top-security private jail in West Lothian is "awash" with the
strong hallucinogenic drug. The incident is just the latest involving Spice,
which has been flooding into prisons across the country, reports Daily
Record. A prison spokesman said: “We can confirm three staff were taken
unwell while on duty on Saturday and taken to hospital by ambulance. “We work
closely with the police and NHS to tackle drugs, which are a challenge across
the whole prison estate.” One convict revealed the extent of the problem to a
family member during a visit this week. The woman said: “He is serving a
short sentence at Addiewell and realises
he has done wrong. “But he does not want to be exposed to this drug while
serving his sentence. “It is going to cause a death before long – the prison
is awash with it. “At Addiewell, Spice is
everywhere – and it is dangerous to other inmates and the staff. “The
officers were taken to hospital on Saturday due to the effects of Spice after
they walked into a cell where it was being smoked. “The fumes are so strong
they leave people seriously ill. “We’ve been told an inmate smoking the drug
was hospitalised as well. I believe they all had to
be kept in for observation at hospital. “I don’t know how the prisoners are
getting the stuff into the jail. There’s a rumour
that the drug sniffer dogs they use at some prisons can’t detect Spice as
they haven’t been trained to detect it. “I don’t know if that’s true but it
seems to be getting into prisons with ease. “The other problem is that the
prison authorities have pretty much put the place on lockdown because of this
problem. “That means inmates doing the right thing and serving their time are
having their activities curtailed and are locked up more than they should
be.” Spice is synthetic cannabis – a mixture of smokeable herbs and man-made
chemicals – which can spark hallucinations and severe psychotic episodes. It
is now known widely as a "zombie" drug because of the way it makes
people act when they are on it - often slumped over and completely unaware of
their surroundings. It can make users aggressive and paranoid or leave them
slumped on the ground, unable to move. Trade union Community, who represent
staff at the prison, last night demanded action to make sure warders are not
put in danger again. Scottish secretary Steve Farrell said: “We have been
warning prison management and the Scottish Government that ‘legal highs’ pose
a real danger to prison officers. “Our members have just as much right to
feel safe at work as anyone else.” Spice has been linked to deaths in the UK
and abroad and was on a list of legal highs outlawed in 2016. The Scottish
Public Health Observatory say over half of Addiewell’s
inmates had drugs in their system during a one-month period last year. The
prison is run by Sodexo.
Jan 12, 2016 holyrood.com
Scottish Government ministers have confirmed plans to broaden the scope of
freedom of information laws later this year. Contractors who run Scotland's
two private prisons at Addiewell and Kilmarnock
will be subject to FOI requests from September, as will providers of secure
accommodation for children, grant-aided schools and independent special
schools. The announcement comes almost a year to the day since Scottish
Information Commissioner Rosemary Agnew claimed powers to extend FOI to
non-public sector bodies delivering public services as a result of
outsourcing had been “woefully underused”. The government also looks set to
give into pressure to include housing associations after acknowledging there
are “persuasive arguments favouring extension” to
registered social landlords (RSLs). A full consultation on the proposal will
take place this year. Ministers have the power to extend FOI to third parties
providing public services under Section 5 of the Freedom of Information
(Scotland) Act 2002, though have only done so once to encompass bodies
providing culture and leisure services on behalf of local authorities. A
consultation was launched in June last year on extending coverage to four
separate types of organisation. Implementation will
now go ahead five months after originally planned due to concerns about
rushed timescales. Ministers also intend to relax a requirement to respond to
requests within 20 working days for “certain bodies in certain
circumstances”. Agnew said: “We are pleased about the further extension of
FOI, and hope this current order is simply the next in a series. “Extension
to these organisations will give the public a right
to information about performance, standards and how public money is
spent. It will also place a duty on organisations to publish information proactively. “Over
the coming months we’ll be working with the organisations
to help them prepare for their new responsibilities, to ensure that they are
ready by the September deadline.” Though ministers initially said they were
not “persuaded of the merits” of extending coverage to housing associations,
views were sought on which other bodies should be brought under FOI as part of
the recent consultation. A “considerable number” of responses backed a
petition currently before Holyrood requesting that housing associations fall
under the Act, while the Scottish Information Commissioner has pressed for
the move to be made. “Given this combination of factors we are now of the
view that there are persuasive arguments favouring
extension of coverage of FOISA to registered social landlords and that the
sector should be formally consulted in order to fully explore the issues
involved and consider which of their functions should be subject to FOISA,”
said the Scottish Government in its response. “We therefore propose to
consult the RSL sector in tandem with this year’s review of the Scottish
Social Housing Charter.” Since the FOI Act came into force in 2005, over
15,000 Scottish households have lost FOI rights following the transfer of
local authority housing stock to housing associations, according to the
Scottish Information Commissioner.
Jan 12, 2016 holyrood.com
Government confirms plans to extend freedom of information reach
Scottish Government ministers have confirmed plans to broaden the scope
of freedom of information laws later this year. Contractors who run
Scotland's two private prisons at Addiewell and
Kilmarnock will be subject to FOI requests from September, as will providers
of secure accommodation for children, grant-aided schools and independent
special schools. The announcement comes almost a year to the day since
Scottish Information Commissioner Rosemary Agnew claimed powers to extend FOI
to non-public sector bodies delivering public services as a result of
outsourcing had been “woefully underused”. The government also looks set to
give into pressure to include housing associations after acknowledging there
are “persuasive arguments favouring extension” to
registered social landlords (RSLs). A full consultation on the proposal will
take place this year. Ministers have the power to extend FOI to third parties
providing public services under Section 5 of the Freedom of Information
(Scotland) Act 2002, though have only done so once to encompass bodies
providing culture and leisure services on behalf of local authorities. A
consultation was launched in June last year on extending coverage to four
separate types of organisation. Implementation will
now go ahead five months after originally planned due to concerns about
rushed timescales. Ministers also intend to relax a requirement to respond to
requests within 20 working days for “certain bodies in certain
circumstances”. Agnew said: “We are pleased about the further extension of
FOI, and hope this current order is simply the next in a series. “Extension
to these organisations will give the public a right
to information about performance, standards and how public money is
spent. It will also place a duty on organisations to publish information proactively. “Over
the coming months we’ll be working with the organisations
to help them prepare for their new responsibilities, to ensure that they are
ready by the September deadline.” Though ministers initially said they were
not “persuaded of the merits” of extending coverage to housing associations,
views were sought on which other bodies should be brought under FOI as part
of the recent consultation. A “considerable number” of responses backed a
petition currently before Holyrood requesting that housing associations fall
under the Act, while the Scottish Information Commissioner has pressed for
the move to be made. “Given this combination of factors we are now of the
view that there are persuasive arguments favouring
extension of coverage of FOISA to registered social landlords and that the
sector should be formally consulted in order to fully explore the issues
involved and consider which of their functions should be subject to FOISA,”
said the Scottish Government in its response. “We therefore propose to
consult the RSL sector in tandem with this year’s review of the Scottish
Social Housing Charter.” Since the FOI Act came into force in 2005, over
15,000 Scottish households have lost FOI rights following the transfer of
local authority housing stock to housing associations, according to the
Scottish Information Commissioner.
April 25, 2012 STV
The company which runs Addiewell prison has been criticised over the way they recorded a prisoner’s
medication. Richard McGhie, 41, was found dead at the jail in West Lothian in
November 2010, less than a month after beginning a three-month jail term for
assault. A fatal accident inquiry heard the private prison's record keeping
was "haphazard" and noted that it had failed to make clear notes of
what drugs were dispensed to inmates. Mr McGhie
suffered from epilepsy and died when he had a fit in his prison cell. Staff
tried to revive him but it was too late. On Wednesday, Sheriff Graeme Fleming
delivered the findings of a Fatal Accident Inquiry into Mr
McGhie’s death. He said all efforts had been made to save the prisoner and
placed no blame on the prison or other parties. However, he did tell Sodexo,
the company which runs the prison, they need to improve their record keeping.
March 26, 2012 STV
An epileptic prisoner who died in his cell may have suffered a rare type of
fatal seizure, a court has been told. Richard McGhie, 41, was found dead in Addiewell Prison in West Lothian in November 2010, less
than a month after beginning a three-month jail term for assault. A fatal
accident inquiry heard that the private prison's record keeping was
"haphazard" and noted that it had failed to make clear notes of
what drugs were dispensed to inmates. Dr Richard Leitch said it was difficult
to establish if Mr McGhie had been given the
medication he needed, but added that he could not fault the care he received
while in the jail. Dr Leitch also dismissed a suggestion that the prison
should introduce movement alarms for epileptic prisoners, as they would
trigger too many false alarms. The consultant neurologist said he was unable
to identify whether Mr McGhie suffered a cardiac
arrest, abnormal heart rhythms or some kind of fit.
January 23, 2012 Deadline News
FIREFIGHTERS today tackled the second blaze at a Scottish private prison
within 11 days. Crews from three stations were called to Addiewell
Prison, Addiewell, West Lothian, after a fire in a
prisoner’s cell shortly after 7.30am. A spokeswoman for Lothian and Borders Fire
Brigade said: “Once we gained access, the prisoner was removed and was placed
in the care of the ambulance service.” Fire crews were called out to a blaze
on the evening January 12 at the jail, which houses 700 inmates and has been
dubbed the “Addison” because of its supposedly hotel-like luxury. Addiewell and Kilmarnock are Scotland’s only private
prisons and have been criticised for being “cushy”,
offering prisoners flat screen televisions and snooker tables to pass the
time. On January 2 it was reported that as many as 70 prisoners went on a
riot, firing snooker balls as missiles and setting fires after taking control
of a wing for three hours. No-one was available for comment from Sodexo, the
private company that runs the jail.
January 3, 2012 Daily Record
PRISONERS at Addiewell private jail went on the
rampage last night after a crackdown on drugs. Inmates set fire to furniture
and threatened prison officers. It is believed the riot was sparked by a
clampdown on the illegal trafficking of drugs into the jail over the festive
period. A prisoner at the West Lothian prison said: “There has been a problem
with the supply of drugs into the jail over Christmas and New Year because
they are getting stricter at visiting times. “And they’ve been raiding the cells
for drugs and mobile phones. “The guys are not happy that their drugs are
being taken away from them and they decided to do something about it. “It was
like a powder keg over New Year.” Around 12 inmates out of more than 40 in
Lomond Hall took part in the riot. A Scottish Prison Service spokesman said
last night: “I can confirm there was an incidental HMP Addiewell
which was dealt with locally by Addiewell staff.
“The incident was contained to one part of the prison and the rest carried on
as normal. “There have been no injuries to staff or prisoners.” A spokesman
for Sodexo Justice Services, who run the jail, said the rest of the prison
continued to run as normal during the riot.
December 3, 2011 The Scotsman
A PRISONER suffered serious cuts to his body after he was attacked by a
fellow inmate at Addiewell prison. It is understood
the prisoner was left with deep slashes to his chest and arms and lacerations
to his face after he was attacked in the private prison on Wednesday night.
It is believed he was struck with a crude weapon that had been fashioned from
a glass jar or a similar implement. The man, believed to be in his 30s, was
treated at the ERI. Today, an Addiewell spokeswoman
said: “We do not comment on individual prisoners.” It is understood that the
incident is now the subject of an internal investigation. Despite being one
of Scotland’s most modern prisons, HMP Addiewell
has seen several incidents of violence since it opened in December 2008.
Prisoners at the £130 million West Lothian jail enjoy flatscreen televisions
and en-suite showers. Despite these, over the past
18 months officers recorded 37 prisoner-on-staff assaults, and 75
prisoner-on-prisoner assaults at the private jail, run by Sodexo Justice
Services. An incident in December last year saw one inmate throw scalding
water over another who was allegedly bullying him, and stab him in the back
twice with a makeshift weapon. The jail was also the scene of a major
disturbance in October 2009 which saw seven prison officers assaulted, while
damage in Lomond B wing was estimated at around £5000. Four prisoners were
later given jail sentences totalling 17 years
yesterday for their part in the disturbance. Police confirmed they had been
called to the prison in connection with a fight, but said neither party was
making a complaint and, as a result, no charges were made.
September 22, 2011 STV
A former prison officer has been accused of dealing drugs in jail. Garry
McDonald worked at HMP Addiewell Prison, near
Whitburn, West Lothian. Mr McDonald, 22, appeared
on petition at Livingston Sheriff Court facing five offences under the Misuse
of Drugs Act 1971. The charges all cover offences of being concerned in the
supply of drugs, He also faces an allegation that he took an unauthorised communication device into Addiewell. Mr McDonald, from
Falkirk, has been charged under sections of the Prisons (Scotland) Act which
cover mobile phones and sim cards.
May 30, 2011 The Scotsman
INMATES at privately-run Addiewell Prison make
more complaints about conditions than prisoners in any other Scottish jail,
with around 80 grievances lodged every week. Prisoners at the £130 million
West Lothian jail, who enjoy flat-screen televisions and en-suite
showers, have made 8921 official complaints since it opened in December 2008.
The figures, which included 756 complaints over the quality of food and 47
over clothing issued to prisoners, meant it had more than double the number
at any other Scottish jail. Sodexo Justice Services, which runs the facility
once dubbed "Hotel Addiewell" due to
allegedly excessive comfort for inmates, said many of the complaints were
linked to it being brand new.
March 10, 2011 Daily Record
SCOTLAND"S showpiece private prison is more violent than any other jail
of its size in the country, a shock report by inspectors has revealed. Addiewell jail has been dubbed the Addison - after the
Radisson hotel chain - because cons enjoy flat-screen TVs, Sky Sports and en-suite bathrooms in their cells. But there were more
attacks on staff and inmates at Addiewell in 12
months than at Saughton in Edinburgh, Perth or
Kilmarnock prisons, which are about the same size. And the West Lothian jail
has been hit by two major riots since it opened little more than two years
ago at a cost of £130million. As he unveiled his first ever report on Addiewell, Scotland's chief inspector of prisons,
Brigadier Hugh Monro, said: "I worry about the
violence here, as I do in all Scottish prisons - particularly the staff
assaults." And politicians described the level of attacks on Addiewell officers as "unacceptable" and
"deeply disappointing". Addiewell staff
suffered 49 "minor" attacks - almost one a week - in the 12 months
to October 2010. There were also two serious assaults on officers. That
compares to just 14 "minor" attacks and two serious staff assaults
in the same period at Saughton, seven
"minor" assaults at Kilmarnock and only five "minor"
attacks at Perth. Addiewell was also worst for
attacks by cons on other prisoners. There were 16 serious assaults - more
than at Saughton (15), Perth (11) and Kilmarnock
(11). The reports also records 278 "minor" prisoner-on-prisoner
attacks at Addiewell. The figures for Saughton, Perth and Kilmarnock were 274, 195 and 154
respectively. Rioting erupted at Addiewell in
October 2009. About 20 cons ran amok and an officer needed treatment in
hospital. Just three months later, an officer was hit with a pool cue as
violence erupted again. Reacting to the inspector's report, Tory justice
spokesman John Lamont MSP said: "Addiewell
has, in a short space of time, developed a poor history of protecting staff.
It is deeply disappointing that they have not addressed this problem.
"The level of violence in this prison is unacceptable. More must be done
to ensure that better safety is provided so staff do not bear the brunt of
it."
March 3, 2011 West Lothian Courier
A PRISON officer who smuggled heroin with a potential value of £32,000 into Addiewell Prison for an inmate has joined him behind
bars. Kevin Coulter, from Bathgate, was imprisoned for 40 months after a
judge told him this week that there was no alternative to custody. The
29-year-old, who was described as “totally unsuited” for the job, took drugs
into the privately-run Addiewell Prison after his
family came under threat. Lord Woolman told Coulter when he appeared at the
High Court in Edinburgh this week: “That a prison officer should be a conduit
for the supply of drugs is a matter of great concern.” The judge pointed out
that drug use in jail was a major problem and he added: “The commission of this
offence involved the breach of an important position of trust. “You did the
very thing you were employed to detect and prevent.” Lord Woolman told him he
would have faced five years imprisonment, but for his guilty plea. The High
Court judge continued: “The supply of Class A drugs to a serving prisoner is
a most serious offence.” Lord Woolman said that he accepted that he (Coulter)
became involved in the drug smuggling because of threats against his family
and that he had expressed genuine remorse. But he added: “You should have
immediately reported the threats to your employers and police.” Coulter, of
Old Hall Knowe Court, Bathgate, earlier admitted
being concerned in the supply of the Class A drug at the prison between July
21 and 26 last year. The father-of-two was employed by Kalyx
at the controversial prison since it opened in December in 2008. Management
at the jail received intelligence that suggested drugs had been brought into
the jail by Coulter on July 26 last year when he announced he was resigning.
He was interviewed and appeared “nervous” but initially denied that he had
brought drugs into the prison, advocate depute Laura Thomson said. But he
then said his wife, mother and family had been threatened and admitted
bringing them in for a prisoner. When he was asked if he had drugs in his
possession he broke down and confessed he did and removed a bag from his
trousers that contained heroin which had a potential prison value of £32,000.
The first offender went on to explain that he had met two men at an
industrial estate who handed him a package and threw money into his car
saying “There’s your wages”. The money was still in his car and £750 was
found in the glove compartment. Coulter later admitted he had delivered one
package to an inmate at the jail and stored the remainder in his car after
being subjected to weeks of pressure and threats. The prisoner had
persistently demanded delivery of the remaining heroin and had made excuses
why he could not bring it in.
February 25, 2011 BBC
A custody officer who was caught smuggling heroin into a private prison in
Edinburgh has been jailed. Kevin Coulter, 29, who also worked as a part-time
firefighter, admitted taking the drugs into HMP Addiewell
in West Lothian in July last year. The father-of-two had claimed he was
smuggling the drug because his family was being threatened. However, Judge
Lord Woolman jailed him for three years and four months at the High Court in
Edinburgh. The court heard that Coulter was caught with four wraps of heroin
at 24% purity, weighing a total of 107g and valued at up to £32,000. During a
police interview on 26 July 2010 he admitted he had delivered the drug to an
inmate four days earlier.
February 4, 2011 The Scotsman
MORE than one in four inmates who self-harmed in a Scottish jail last year
were in the privately-run Addiewell Prison, new
figures have revealed. A total of 66 prisoners were recorded as having
self-harmed, making the West Lothian jail the worst in the country for people
deliberately injuring themselves. Sodexo Justice Services, which runs the Addiewell facility, said its staff "closely monitor
every prisoner who displays indications of self-harm" in a bid to reduce
incidents. The figures, revealed by Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill, also
showed that self-harm cases reached a six-year high at Saughton
Prison in Edinburgh last year, with 13. But the Scottish Prison Service (SPS)
said that "robust reporting" could be responsible for the higher
total in 2010. During the previous year, only one case was recorded. The
number of cases at Addiewell rose from 24 to 66
during the same period. Gavin Brown, Lothians Tory MSP, said: "We have
to get to the bottom of why this is happening. It may be mental health issues
or drink and drug problems. We also need to know why the number of incidents
is far greater here than at any other prison in Scotland." A spokeswoman
for Sodexo Justice Services said: "We recognise
that self-harming is a serious issue. At HMP Addiewell,
we do everything possible to identify cases quickly and provide help and
support to those who need it. "Unlike most other prisons, our reporting
system involves recording all cases of self-harm, including instances where
prisoners may verbally alert us of their intentions, who may not necessarily
go on to physically harming themselves."
February 3, 2011 The Scotsman
A PRISON guard has admitted smuggling heroin at the private jail where he
worked. Kevin Coulter brought drugs into HMP Addiewell
in West Lothian amid claims that his family had been threatened, the High
Court in Glasgow heard. Coulter was eventually snared by bosses and they
seized heroin with a potential value of £32,000. The shamed 29-year-old, who
also worked as a part-time firefighter, now faces being locked up himself.
Coulter was employed by private firm Kalyx, which
runs Addiewell, since the scandal-hit jail opened
in December 2008.
January 18, 2011 The Daily Record
SHAMELESS killer Brian Venuti is posting a new string of sick taunts on Facebook
- just weeks after jail bosses blocked him. Lifer Venuti, 33 - who
deliberately mowed down Scotland fan Liam Henderson outside Hampden in his
car - has had a new mobile phone smuggled into jail. It allows him to post on
the social networking site, where he calls himself "the Devil wearz Lacoste" and jokes about his crime, using the
driving caution slogan "Twenty's Plenty". The killer has set up two
Facebook pages called "Badd Bhoy" and "Snitches Gets Stitches"- a
warning to those who previously exposed his activities. In December, Venuti
had his access to Facebook stopped and his mobile seized after the Record
tipped off Addiewell prison in West Lothian. At
that time, the dad-of-two boasted he was "living the dream" behind
bars and called himself the "Devil's son" on his page, to which he
posted sexually explicit and racist and bigoted rants.
January 8, 2011 The Sun
WARDERS at a cushy jail kept 60 inmates in their cells for three days over
fears a riot was about to erupt. Bosses at Addiewell
nick ordered a lockdown after hearing rumours that
lags planned to use knives to free a pal and grab drugs. And it was believed
staff would be attacked at the private prison in West Lothian. Last night an Addiewell source revealed the panic began when warders
nabbed killer William Douglas, 29, of Greenock, who was suspected of trying
to smuggle in drugs after a visit. But after he was taken to a medical centre, fellow inmates in Forth C Hall started to bang on
their cell doors. Our source said: "The staff believed we were going to
riot because they'd jumped Willie. "They received 'intelligence' we were
going to cover CCTV cameras, threaten them with knives and force our way to
the dispensary to get him and drugs. The riot squad was sent in to round up
four 'ringleaders'. The rest of us were left to rot in our cells for three
days."
January 6, 2011 West Lothian Courier
ALMOST a third of inmates being released from Addiewell
Prison tested positive for illegal drugs. New figures showed that of 69
prisoners tested in the period covering 2009/10, 28 per cent gave a positive
result. The statistics, released by Information Services Division (ISD)
Scotland, also revealed that in the same period, of 62 prisoners tested
entering the privately-run prison, 66 per cent gave a positive result for
illegal drugs, with 39 per cent using heroin. Another study of methadone
prescriptions revealed that of around 700 Addiewell
inmates, 159 were being given the heroin substitute at the end of last year.
This is the same number recorded for Saughton
Prison in Edinburgh – which has around 770 inmates.
December 13, 2010 Daily Record
STAFF at Scotland's cushiest jail had to buy in teabags from another prison
after the cons threatened to riot when they ran out during the big freeze.
Officers at Addiewell were left to deal with raging
inmates when delivery drivers couldn't reach the West Lothian jail. The 65
million-pound facility is run by private firm Kalyx.
A prison source said: "It's set in stone in the prison rules that
inmates must have access to tea, exercise and food each day - no matter what
the conditions are like. "Each morning, little packs with teabags,
coffee, milk and whitener are handed to every inmate. "On Thursday,
staff found they had run out of teabags and it didn't go down well. "Cons
made it known that if they didn't get their daily allowance, then they would
take matters further the only way they know how - by starting a riot.
"Someone was dispatched to state-run Polmont, the nearest prison, to buy
supplies from them."
December 6, 2010 Daily Record
Crooks banged up at a private jail are looking forward to a £10 festive cash
reward - for doing nothing. Cons at Addiewell jail
will be handed two £5 bonuses, one at Christmas and one at New Year. Inmates
will also get a selection box each and will be offered hand-made cards and a
present-wrapping service. Bosses are laying on bingo games where prisoners
can win cash, extra phone credit and toiletries. And on Christmas Day, lags
including killers and rapists will tuck into a full turkey dinner with all
the trimmings. Labour justice spokesman Richard
Baker told SNP justice secretary Kenny MacAskill to "get a grip" on
the prison treats. He said: "It's time for the Scottish Prison Service
to start living in the real world. "Most law-abiding citizens won't be
getting a Christmas bonus this year and taxpayers' money certainly shouldn't
be funding bonuses for prisoners. "It's impossible to justify extra
spending on parties for convicts when their victims are facing pay freezes
and austerity." Sodexo Justice Services, who run the West Lothian jail
for the prison service, said: "We support and encourage prisoners to
take part in purposeful activities."
November 16, 2010 BBC
An inmate has died at Addiewell Prison in West
Lothian. Richard McGhie, 41, from Bothwell, was less than a month into a
three year sentence for assault to severe injury when he died. He was
convicted at Hamilton Sheriff Court on 21 October 2010. His body was
discovered on Monday at the privately run prison. Lothian and Borders Police
said there were no suspicious circumstances and a fatal accident inquiry
would be held.
July 30, 2010 STV
Eleven men have appeared in court accused of taking part in a riot at the
privately-run Addiewell jail in West Lothian. One
prison officer was seriously injured during the incident in the prison's
Lomond Wing last October 11. Twelve prisoners were accused of taking part in
the disturbance, but one was released from prison on Monday and failed to
turn up for Friday’s hearing at the High Court in Edinburgh. A warrant was
issued for his arrest. All 12 men face a charge alleging they formed part of
“a mob of evilly disposed persons conducting itself in a violent, riotous and
tumultuous manner to the terror and alarm of prison staff”. Two of them are
also accused of attempting to hide what was happening by spraying or smearing
the lenses of CCTV security cameras. The incident is said to have been
sparked by attempts to take 22-year-old John Jenkins to the jail's
segregation unit. He is accused of inciting other prisoners to help him. The
charge alleges that the mob armed themselves with brushes and pelted prison
officers with pool balls, bricks and bits of broken furniture. A total of 16
staff are said to have been assaulted, one to his severe injury and permanent
impairment after kicks and stamps to his head.
July 28, 2010 Lynn News
Private sector firms which run prisons and maintain schools and hospitals may
face closer scrutiny under Government proposals to make them more accountable
to the public. The Scottish Government is considering broadening the scope of
Freedom of Information (FOI) laws which give anyone the right to obtain
information from publicly-funded bodies such as councils and hospitals about
their activities. A 14-week Government consultation will seek views on
whether more organisations that deliver public
services should be covered by FOI legislation. Those being considered include
the private prison contractors running Addiewell
and Kilmarnock prisons and those which transport prisoners. The Government
believes there are "strong grounds" for Glasgow Housing Association
to be covered given "the level of interest that it attracts".
June 30, 2010 The Scotsman
STAFF at the private Addiewell Prison suffered more
assaults by inmates than any other jail in Scotland during the last year, new
figures revealed today. The controversial jail in West Lothian recorded 45
attacks on staff between last April and this month. The same figures showed
Edinburgh's Saughton logged just 16 attacks in the
same period, while high-security HMP Shotts reported six. Kalyx,
the company which runs Addiewell, said it was
"misleading" to compare the jail's assault figures with other
prisons because it is subject to a tighter reporting process. But the
assaults on staff were today branded "completely unacceptable" and
calls were made for violent inmates to be prosecuted to the "full extent
of the law".
May 6, 2010 West Lothian Courier
A PRISONER from Livingston is keeping in touch with life on the outside
through internet site Bebo from his Addiewell Prison cell. Graham Murray, from Dedridge, believed to have been jailed for assault to
severe injury in November 2008, has been talking to his friends for the past
month after somehow getting his hands on a smuggled mobile phone. It is
illegal for prisoners to have mobile phones in prison. Murray, who describes
himself as a “lost soul”, says he needs an “instruction manual to life” and
has learned from the “bad times” so he can appreciate “da good times”. The
28-year-old, who says he loves the Kray twins, the film Scarface and Celtic,
even updated his site yesterday (Wednesday) morning as he celebrated his
team’s victory in the Old Firm match on Tuesday. And a worried parent
contacted the Courier after coming across the site and seeing references to
Alan Hunter who was killed in Whitburn a fortnight ago. Murray, who appears
to have been a friend of the tragic 25-year-old, is kept up to date with the
latest developments in the case. One comment, purported to have come from
Alan’s father, read: “It’s Alan’s dad using Lisa’s Bebo.
Never met you but heard all about you from Alan. Police now have three
b*****ds at court on Monday. I hope they get put beside you. Do me a favour mate, cheers.” The concerned woman, who wants to
remain anonymous for fear of reprisals, said she found chilling several of
the messages left and was worried how the con had such ready access to the
internet. They said: “I don’t know how he is on my page. He must be a friend
of a friend and added me that way. “I didn’t really look at his page but I
saw a comment about him being inside and that worried me. He was bragging to
mates about when he was getting out. “It’s concerning that he is able to
access the internet and a phone from his cell to have chats with his friends.
“I contacted the police and they didn’t seem too bothered about it. They told
me it was a matter for the prison service. “If he hadn’t been inside I don’t
think I would have been bothered by it but some of the stuff is a bit
chilling and close to the knuckle.” A spokesman for the Scottish Prison
Service said: “Possession of a mobile phone is against prison rules and
information of this kind will be followed up and an investigation will be
started immediately.” Addiewell is run by private
firm Kalyx. A spokesman for the firm said: “We take
such matters seriously and as a result of the information we have received we
will be launching an investigation immediately.”
May 3, 2010 Daily Record
PRISONERS in a cushy private jail threatened to riot - over melted ice cream.
Cons in HMP Addiewell, West Lothian, went ballistic
after their desserts, dished out as a weekly treat, were allowed to melt and
were then refrozen. A jail insider said: "Every Thursday we get an ice
cream cone with our dinner. It's just like a Cornetto but it is a Smarties
one. "When we got the cones last week they had been allowed to melt and
then been frozen again. The wafer around the ice cream was all soggy and
rubbery." Our source said three inmates triggered angry scenes during
which a warden was hit on the neck with a melted cone. The unrest spread and
eight prisoners threw their cones at the walls in protest. He added:
"There were guys shouting 'This wing is going
up in the air if we don't get other cones'. "The screws were visibly
frightened and there was almost a riot. It was scary to see that something as
trivial as soggy cones could cause such aggression. "The threats and
arguments lasted just over an hour. Things calmed down but a couple of
prisoners said if the cones are the same again they'll rub them in the
screws' faces." Our source said three prisoners were reprimanded for
"threatening behaviour" as a result of
the incident, which wardens kept under wraps from management. An Addiewell spokeswoman said: "There have been no
reported incidents of this kind." Last month, we revealed prison bosses
confiscated Xbox 360s and banned inmates from playing video games. Cons at Addiewell - who enjoy flat-screen TVs, Sky Sports and en-suite bathrooms - were the only ones in the country
allowed to own the Microsoft consoles, which can access the internet. But the
Scottish Prison Service stepped in over concerns prisoners could use them to
communicate with the outside world. Last month we also told how a killer and
a sex predator were teaching fellow cons English and literacy at Addiewell. Bosses said it was part of a project designed
to help reduce reoffending but inmates claim the move is down to teacher
shortages. Addiewell, run by private firm Kalyx, opened in December 2008. Just weeks later, cons
went on the rampage when they didn't get sweets they ordered. Last summer a
warder was put in hospital by a lifer. Another officer was injured in October
after 20 inmates ran amok. Sources said staff shortages had turned the jail
into a "powderkeg". Former chief prisons
inspector Clive Fairweather claimed bosses were cutting back on guards to
save money.
April 14, 2010 Daily Record
PRISONERS at one of Scotland's most violent jails are being screened with
metal detectors to stop a spate of slashings and stabbings. The cons at
privately run Addiewell are now subject to random
searches designed to uncover any weapons, including home-made ones they
create in their cells. The jail has been hit by two full-scale riots in just
over a year of operation and its level of assaults is among the highest in
Scotland. But now bosses hope they can cut the violence with the £25,000
metal detectors. Visitors to the West Lothian prison have to walk through detectors
before they enter the high-security facility. But until the introduction of
the new detector portals, inmates were not subject to similar levels of
security. This allowed them to smuggle weapons to attack fellow cons or
guards. A source said: "People in prison will always be able to make
weapons of some sort. It's quite ingenious some of the ways guys can fashion
makeshift weapons. "This place was purpose-built. You would have thought
clamping down on contraband and weapons would have been one of the first
things the designers thought about." A memo on the prison notice board
informed inmates of the change. It stated: "This will lead to a safer
custodial environment. Prisoners will be selected for a search on a purely
random basis." Just five months after opening, it emerged Addiewell had already seen 32 prisoner-on-prisoner
assaults and 19 assaults on staff. In March, it was revealed cons there were
caught with the most illegal weapons in any Scottish prison, with many being
home-made.
February 17, 2010 The Sun
BOSSES at a scandal-hit jail paid cons NOT to riot when tempers flared
following a bungle over their phone accounts. Inmates at private Addiewell prison were each given £5 credit to make calls
after they threatened to run amok for the second time in a month. Fury
erupted when they discovered cash they'd handed over had not been added to
accounts they use to phone home. Bosses forked out a total of £3,750 to keep
them happy - and recovered the cash when the problem was fixed. An insider
said: "We were told the woman who takes cash from prisoners during the
day had forgotten to credit it into the system at night. "The cons were
going bonkers because they couldn't phone their wives and girlfriends.
"They were threatening to riot again - so the bosses called in an IT
man. He credited all the accounts with a fiver, so everyone could phone
home." Around 100 cons rioted at the nick last month after some were
denied heroin substitute methadone. Inmates armed themselves with iron bars
and ripped water mains from the walls, flooding a wing and causing thousands
of pounds-worth of damage. A warder at the West Lothian nick, which houses
around 750 lags, was injured after being battered with a pool cue. One
officer described the scenes as "carnage" after inmates trashed
furniture and daubed the walls with graffiti. Last night a spokesman for
operator Kalyx confirmed lags were given the
"temporary" phone credit. They said: "It was taken back once
the glitch had been resolved."
February 16, 2010 The Scotsman
A SHERIFF has raised concerns about the "inexperience" of staff at
the privately-run Addiewell Prison over an inmate's
suicide just weeks after the jail opened. Richard Crompton was serving a
five-year sentence for drug offences at the controversial West Lothian prison
when he was discovered hanging in his cell. The 41-year-old Livingston man
had been assessed on his arrival at jail by a staff member with just one
hour's mental health training. His death sparked a fatal accident inquiry to
determine whether the prison, run by private company Kalyx,
was at fault. Sheriff Mhari Mactaggart concluded
there was "nothing to suggest" that the level of training given to Kalyx staff contributed to the death, and ruled that
"no reasonable precautions" could have prevented him from taking
his life. But she highlighted concerns that the recruitment of
"inexperienced staff may have been part of the ethos of Kalyx". And she said many lacked any previous
experience of working with inmates. It comes after the West Lothian jail –
dubbed "Hotel Addiewell" because
prisoners enjoy en-suite facilities and flat-screen
TVs – hit the headlines last month after reports of rioting by up to 100
inmates left two guards injured. Since opening in 2008, the jail has been at
the centre of repeated reports of violence and high
levels of drug abuse among prisoners, leading to concerns over staffing
levels. Sheriff Mactaggart said Kalyx had accepted
the need to roll out extra training for staff in dealing with prisoners'
mental health issues following the suicide. Drugs courier Crompton, who was
jailed in October 2008 after police caught him with £320,000 of cocaine, was
found dead in his cell on 19 January last year. He had been transferred to
the jail ten days before, having previously been an inmate in Barlinnie where he had also been assessed as "no
apparent risk". In a report following the fatal accident inquiry,
Sheriff Mactaggart said: "There was clear evidence at the inquiry that
the majority of staff recruited by Kaylx were
inexperienced within the prison service." She added that prison custody
officer Emma Dyet, who carried out the risk
assessment on Crompton upon his arrival, "expressed concern that she had
only received one hour of mental health training" as part of the jail's
nine-week training programme. The sheriff wrote
that recruiting inexperienced staff "may have been part of the ethos of Kalyx, in an attempt to move away from the old style of
prisoner management". But she added that there were "no defects in
any system of working" which contributed to the death after reviewing
its risk assessment procedures. A Kalyx spokeswoman
said: "The report found that there was nothing to suggest that the level
of training given to Kalyx staff in any way
contributed to the death of Mr Crompton."
February 16, 2010 The Scotsman
TODAY is not the first time that the spotlight has been shone on the quality
of staffing at Addiewell Prison. Following recent
disturbances at Scotland's second private jail, questions were raised over
manning levels and the training standards required of officers who worked
there. Today, following the tragic suicide of a young prisoner a sheriff has
concluded that staff could have nothing to prevent his death. But she too has
expressed concerns that the company that runs the jail appear to have hired
inexperienced staff , some of whom have little
knowledge of mental health issues. It is to be hoped that Kaylix
take heed of this further warning and take steps to remedy the situation.
February 8, 2010 Edinburgh Evening
News
TWO inmates at Addiewell prison were taken to
hospital yesterday after an outbreak of violence. There were reports that one
had been stabbed, and a prison officer had been punched, suffering bruising
and a black eye. A police spokesman said: "We were notified yesterday at
about 2:15pm to say that two prisoners had been injured and required hospital
treatment. The incident had happened at about 11am." Private firm Kalyx, which runs the West Lothian jail, said that it was
only aware of one injured prisoner. A spokesman said: "We can confirm an
altercation took place at HMP Addiewell. One
prisoner has been treated for injuries. The situation was brought under
control quickly." The violence comes just two weeks after more than 100
inmates went on the rampage at Addiewell,
barricading themselves into wings B and C and attacking a warder with a pool
cue, leaving him in need of hospital treatment.
January 28, 2010 Edinburgh Evening
News
IT WAS hailed as a jail of the future. But just a year after opening and
rocked by a series of controversies, HMP Addiewell
has only served to reignite the debate about whether prisons should be
privately run at all. The West Lothian jail – dubbed "Hotel Addiewell" because prisoners enjoy en-suite facilities and flat-screen TVs – hit the headlines
again this week after reports of rioting by up to 100 inmates left two guards
injured. Since opening in 2008, the jail, run by private firm Kalyx, has been at the centre
of repeated reports of violence and high levels of drug abuse among prisoners.
Today, in the wake of the latest incident, concerns have been raised over
whether the problems are a result of low staffing levels. David Melrose, the
chairman of the Scottish National Committee of the Prison Officers
Association, said the POA were always "saddened and disappointed"
to hear that a member of staff has been injured. He added: "It is our
opinion that these incidents and assaults are solely attributed to the low
levels of staff operating in the private prisons. "We are afraid that
these types of incident will continue unless there is a substantial increase
to the staff complements in recognition of the dangers associated with the
category of prisoners held in custody." The £130 million prison was
opened in December 2008 and was hailed as the country's first "learning
prison", with 120 computers allowing inmates to take a huge variety of
training courses. The en-suite cells ensured there
would be no slopping out and gave prisoners privacy to shower, although the
inclusion of flat-screen TVs – some with access to satellite sports channels
– did raise more than a few eyebrows. Early teething problems included the
sacking of 12 staff last January after it emerged they had criminal records
and, just a month later, up to 40 prisoners were involved in a three-hour
riot. Just five months after opening, the prison emerged as one of the worst
in Scotland for violent attacks, with 32 prisoner-on-prisoner assaults and 19
assaults by inmates on staff recorded. In October, rioting broke out again,
with the violence this time leading to four members of staff being injured in
a five-hour stand-off that saw prisoners attack guards with mop handles. The
problems are similar to those encountered in the first few years of operation
at Scotland's first private prison, HMP Kilmarnock. Opened in 1999, it
suffered numerous riots and concerns about the number of violent attacks
among prisoners, the level of drug use and the time inmates spent in their
cells. The Chief Inspector of Prisons at the time was Sir Clive Fairweather,
who attributed many problems to low levels of inexperienced staff, with 91
per cent of staff initially employed having never worked in a prison before.
While he has never visited the West Lothian prison, he agreed that the
problems faced at Addiewell were similar to those
he saw at HMP Kilmarnock. Sir Clive, pictured left, said: "What you get
with private prisons are very good facilities and these are generally far
above what you would get in an older prison – things like medical facilities
and cells, as well as the security of the prison themselves. So there are
benefits. "Unfortunately, private prisons are run to make a profit.
Ultimately, the company in charge of them has to deliver for their
shareholders and so they have to find ways to make money. "The way to do
this is by having fewer staff, paying low wages, investing less money in
training and pensions, and this impacts on the running of the prison.
"For a prison to run properly, you need the guards and the prisoners to
understand each other and work with each other, and that requires experienced
guards. "That takes an investment in training and keeping staff, which
can be at odds with the need to deliver a profit." HMP Addiewell currently houses 701 low, medium and
high-security convicts – it has the capacity to house 796 – and while Kalyx yesterday refused to give details on how many
guards are employed, it stated before the prison opened that it would employ
350 staff, including 160 prison officers. The Scottish Government is known to
be opposed to private prisons, with justice secretary Kenny MacAskill
abandoning plans for a private firm to build and run a £100m jail at Low
Moss, near Glasgow, in 2007, saying prisons "are for public safety, not
private profit". The Scottish Prisons Service said the contract agreed
with Kalyx over the running of HMP Addiewell required it to "run the prison
effectively" but that Kalyx ultimately could
decide what the level of staffing needed to be. It also said there were
financial penalties in place for the company if it failed to comply with the
terms of the contract. "In terms of training, all guards are required to
be trained to deal effectively with situations such as the one at HMP Addiewell, and we would expect privately-run prisons to
give their staff the same level of training," a spokesman said.
"The incident at HMP Addiewell was contained
by staff, to minimise damage, and was brought under
control within five hours, which a lot of professionals within the service
would agree suggests it was handled in an extremely professional
manner." A Kalyx spokesman said: "The
staffing levels at HMP Addiewell are appropriate
for the prisoner mix and environment according to a risk assessment of each
block. "All prison officers at HMP Addiewell
are trained in control and restraint as part of a nine-week programme which they have to complete before starting
work. "The Scottish Prison Service monitors and certifies all staff and
training for HMP Addiewell and, like all other
prisons in Scotland, Kalyx invests heavily in training
staff to deal with circumstances such as Monday's incident." A turbulent
13 months 15 December, 2008: HMP Addiewell opens to
inmates. The £130 million prison boasts en-suite
cells with flat-screen TVs, prompting some criticism about the level of comfort.
-- 3 January, 2009: Twelve members of staff are sacked after disclosure
checks reveal they have criminal records. -- 10 February, 2009: Up to 40
prisoners are involved in a three-hour riot in the Douglas Hall section on
the ground floor. Claims that the riot was sparked by prisoners being denied
food are flatly denied. -- 5 May, 2009: Figures show the jail has one of the
worst records for violent attacks in Scotland, with 32 prisoner-on-prisoner
assaults and 19 assaults by inmates on staff recorded in just five months. --
12 October, 2009: Four staff are injured after
rioting again breaks out at the prison, with inmates claiming the violence
was a response to brutality towards inmates. -- 1 December, 2009: The prison
is criticised after figures show it has one of the
worst records for drug seizures in the country. Over the first 12 months of
its operation there were 206 suspected drug finds. -- 25 January, 2010:
Violence erupts once more at the prison, with reports that more than 100
inmates barricaded themselves into Douglas B and C wings.
January 26, 2010 Deadline
OFFICIALS have denied reports of a full-scale riot at what has been branded
Scotland’s plushest prison. Two prison guards were taken to hospital after
inmates went on the rampage at HMP Addiewell in
West Lothian at around 7pm on Monday night. But last night it emerged that
prison staff lost control even after their riot team charged into the
building. Ambulance crews reported that staff lost control of the situation
for a second time after their riot team had gone in. They also confirmed that
they took a 29-year-old warden to hospital with a cut to the back of his head
and a “burst mouth”. A spokesman for the Scottish Ambulance Service said: “We
had our first response car at the prison by around 8pm. Riot -- “Our crews
reported a 29-year-old male with a cut to the back of the head and a burst
mouth, who we transported to St John’s Hospital in Livingston. “The crew
advised that there was an ongoing riot and we mobilised
our special operations team, which provides care in difficult situations. “By
9.30pm the crew reported that the prison was going into lockdown. “The
prison’s own riot team went in at 9.45pm, but it seems that the trouble
flared up against at around 11pm. “Our crews stayed on the scene until
1.10am.” It is understood that a second warden was taken to hospital by
prison staff later on. However, Kalyx, the firm who
run the private jail and Lothian and Borders Police insisted that only a
small number of prisoners were involved and said that staff were in control
at all times. Damage -- A spokesman for Kalyx,
said: “We can confirm that a contained incident, involving a small number of
prisoners, took place in one of the wings at HMP Addiewell
on the evening of Monday 25th January and was brought under control. “There
has been minor damage caused, mainly as a result of burst pipes. “Two prison
officers were injured during the incident and were treated at hospital but
have now been discharged.” A police spokesman said that around 10 cons had been
involved in the disturbance, which saw police on standby outside the prison
for around five hours. He said: “Lothian and Borders Police attended at Addiewell Prison last night to assist staff following a
disturbance within. The prison staff remained in control of the prison
throughout. Violence -- “A prison officer was taken to St John’s hospital for
treatment to minor injuries and later discharged. “Enquiries are now ongoing
to identify those responsible for this incident.” Kalyx
will now have to carry out an investigation into the disturbance at the
prison, which has been rocked by violence and riots in the past year. The
report will then be reviewed by the Scottish Prison Service, who oversee all
of Scotland’s jails. A spokeswoman for the Scottish Prison Service added: “I
can confirm that there was an incident which started at 6.45pm on Monday and
was concluded before midnight. Mops -- “There is an ongoing police
investigation and we cannot comment any further.” HMP Addiewell
is a 750-prisoner facility with ensuite cells and
flat screen TVs. It opened in December 2008 and has been plagued by problems
ever since.
January 26, 2010 BBC
A prison officer was taken to hospital with head and facial injuries after a
disturbance broke out at Scotland's newest prison. Emergency services were
called to Addiewell Prison in West Lothian after up
to 10 prisoners rioted on Monday. The 29-year-old officer was taken to St
John's Hospital in Livingston at about 1950 GMT. His injuries are not thought
to have been serious. The incident was brought under control a short time
later. It is understood the disturbance was sparked by an inmate being told
his methadone was to be reduced. A spokesman for private company Kalyx, which manages HMP Addiewell
for the Scottish Prison Service, said: "We can confirm there was an
incident in one of the wings. "It was brought under control last night.
One prison officer was injured." Two ambulance special operations
response teams stood by outside the jail from 2030 GMT until 0100 GMT following
reports of an ongoing riot in the prison. Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue
Service also waited outside until shortly after midnight after a fire alarm
inside the jail was set off at about 1930 GMT. A former chief inspector of
prisons in Scotland told BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme that he believed some prisoners were taking
advantage of lower staffing levels in privately-run jails. Clive Fairweather,
who has previously inspected the private prison at Kilmarnock, said they had
to make a profit, which can put pressure on staff numbers and training. He
added: "The difference between a privately-run prison and the rest of
the prison estate is that first and foremost it's
innovative and really has cutting-edge systems, but it comes with a bit of a
problem which the governor always has to overcome, which is it's got to make
a profit. "To make a profit the only place you can cut corners is on
staffing. "Therefore you have the minimum number of staff, you have the
minimum amount of training and it's certainly my experience with Kilmarnock
that violence and the like was a problem until eventually staffing levels got
to a slightly better stage." Segregation unit -- Mr
Fairweather said prisoners in jails such as Addiewell
and Kilmarnock have "never had it so good". But he added:
"They didn't want to go anywhere else, but they are taking advantage of
the fact there aren't the same staffing levels as there are in other major
prisons. "Indeed, were there to be major riots in somewhere like Addiewell or Kilmarnock, I'm pretty certain the riot
shields and those to deal with it would actually have to come from the rest
of the SPS."
January 22, 2010 The Daily Record
A PRISON officer has been sacked for smuggling in a mobile phone for a
killer. Cara Wright was caught after prison bosses were tipped off she was
supplying banned items to pal David Allan. The 25-year-old thug - jailed for
life for the murder of Scott McNeil - had boasted to other cons what Wright
had done. Furious bosses at privately run Addiewell
prison near West Calder, West Lothian, searched Allan's cell and found the
phone hidden in a drawer. Wright was fired on the spot after she confessed to
smuggling it in. Her bosses reported the incident to the police and she could
face criminal charges. A source said last night: "The word is Allan was
close to her. She was always talking to him and sneaking into his cell.
"Smuggling prohibited items into a prison is serious enough in itself
but she got caught smuggling a prohibited article for a con, so she was in
deep trouble. "The powers made her tell them the name of the con she was
smuggling the phone in for. "Cara got her marching orders and David
Allan was taken back to the solitary confinement block. "Everyone had
been suspicious for a while something shifty was going on between the two of
them. "Allan's not too bright and the two of them were talking on Bebo and Allan was posting photos of his shower and
flat-screen telly. "Cara did seem a bit naive
and, to be honest, it was only a matter of time before some greasy snake got
their hooks into her because she was too nice to work in this place.
"Allan's turned on the charm and got her running little errands for him.
"Now it's lost her her job and could end up
with a criminal record." Allan was jailed for life with pal Shaun
McGrath, 22, for kicking dad-of-one Scott to death as he walked home from a
birthday party in Cambuslang, near Glasgow. The pair were jailed in May 2006
and ordered to serve at least 12 years. Addiewell
is run by private firm Kalyx.
January 10, 2010 Sunday Mail
PRISON chiefs have ordered a major probe after a killer was caught drunk with
bottles of vodka. John McAvoy, 49, was found paralytic by officers at
£65million private jail Addiewell in West Lothinan. Wardens were stunned to discover several empty
and full litre bottles of Smirnoff in the canteen
where he works. Furious bosses believe they must have been smuggled inside by
a staff member. A prison source said: "Litre
bottles of spirits aren't the sort of thing you can send in with a letter or
hand over at a visit. "He must be having them brought in by someone
working at the prison. "McAvoy worked in the canteen preparing food and
serving fellow inmates. "His free run of the kitchen allowed him to
plank bottles when they were given to him. "When he was caught, staff
also found empties which he hadn't been able to get rid of." McAvoy
admitted the bottles were his and was sent to the segregation block. He is
serving 15 years for murdering trainee maritime engineer Tony Blair, 23, and
attempting to murder Veronica Miller, 28. He was found guilty of starting a
fire at ex-partner Veronica's home in Airdrie. The
pregnant woman had to leap for her life from a first floor window. The 2006
blaze killed her new partner Tony. Since opening 13 months ago, Addiewell has been criticised
for pampering inmates. who have en-suite loos and
flat-screen TVs. Operators Kalyx
said: "Due to the ongoing investigation, we are unable to comment."
January 6, 2010 The Sun
JAIL bosses have been forced to raise an 18ft fence by another 10ft - to
stop drugs being hurled into the prison. Troubled Addiewell
nick has redesigned its perimeter near the exercise yard, where lags could
pick up packages from the outside. Bosses at the West Lothian facility acted
after criminals were cashing in by nabbing drugs lobbed over the fence. A
source said last night: "It was a major design flaw. "It seemed
every time cons went out for exercise a package was hurled over. Addiewell is rife with drugs and this was only making the
problem worse for everyone. "Now an extra 10ft has been added to the top
of the fence - and you would need to be a champion shot-putter to get
anything in." Last year the privately-run jail had one of Scotland's
worst records for illegal substance seizures, with 206 suspected finds. The
750-prisoner facility - which has en-suite cells
with individual flat screen TVs showing Sky Sports - was also dubbed the
country's most violent adult jail. And last February rioting lags went on the
rampage because they hadn't been fed for TWO DAYS. A spokesman for Kalyx, which runs the private prison, said: "This is
a further enhancement to what is an already secure perimeter."
January 2, 2010 Daily Record
INMATES at Scotland's cushiest jail have turned their cells into DIY
saunas. Prisoners at Addiewell are using plastic
bags to seal in the steam created by running the showers in their cells' en-suite bathrooms at full blast. The privately run jail
has been nicknamed the Addisson - after the swish
Radisson hotels. A prison source said: "There are no extractor fans or
vents in the toilet area to let the steam escape. "Once the hot water is
blasting out the shower all you have to do is sit on the toilet and enjoy the
steam opening up your pores. "Some smart guy came up with the idea one
night and by the time he had bragged about it the next day to a couple of
people, everyone ended up knowing about it and trying it out. "Soon
everyone in here will have lovely soft skin and great complexions." Each
cell at the jail has its own shower unit and toilet pan - where prisoners sit
to enjoy the steam. The loo can be sealed off from the rest of the cell by a
frosted perspex door. The plastic bags are used to
block up the gap under the toilet door - keeping the steam in. The insider
said: "Almost everyone is stripping off and getting into it." Cons
then open their cell window to let the steam out. Inmates at the £65million
complex also enjoy flatscreen TVs, computers and extra visits from relatives
and friends. They were even offered a gift-wrapping service before Christmas.
The 750-prisoner prison in West Lothian was recently hailed a success just a
year after opening, despite a catalogue of riots, brutal assaults and drug
finds. Owners Kalyx were contacted for comment
yesterday but did not give a response.
December 15, 2009 Daily Record
INMATES at Scotland's cushiest jail are being offered handmade cards, a
gift-wrapping service and cash bonuses this Christmas. Cons at Addiewell Prison will also be treated to selection boxes
and a turkey dinner with all the trimmings. And to add to the festive fun,
there will be "cash and surprise packs" handed out to winners of
games including pool, bingo, quizzes, Monopoly and Scrabble. Over the
Christmas period, inmates at the private jail will be allowed to spend £30 a
week - double their usual allowance - on tobacco, sweets and other treats in
the prison canteen. Every inmate at the 769-place jail, near Livingston, West
Lothian, will also get a £5 bonus at Christmas and again at New Year. And
there's free tea, coffee, mince pies and treats for visitors. A prison
insider said: "Nothing like this has ever been seen before. No one could
believe how generous the top brass are being. "In other prisons, you are
lucky if you get a bit of turkey roll and a shot on the pool table.
"This is to try and keep everyone happy. None of the guards want to see
a riot over the coming weeks." A spokeswoman for Kalyx,
who run the prison, said: "What we do at Christmas is very similar to
other prisons in Scotland. "It can be a difficult time for prisoners'
families and we try and make it more pleasant for everyone." Addiewell's cushy facilities have made headlines before.
Inmates have en-suite cells, with individual
flatscreen TVs, showing Sky Sports. But the luxuries haven't stopped trouble
at the jail. In October, a warder needed hospital treatment after he was
assaulted by rioting inmates. And in August the Record revealed how drugs
were being smuggled into the prison inside dead seagulls which were being
lobbed over the wall.
December 1, 2009 The Scotsman
SCOTLAND'S newest jail already has one of the worst records for drugs
seizures, new figures have revealed. Addiewell
prison in West Lothian, which opened just 12 months ago, has recorded 206
suspected drugs finds since the start of this year. Only Glasgow's Barlinnie jail and Edinburgh's Saughton
prison had a higher total. Today, one opposition politician said the failure
to stop drugs getting into Addiewell was a missed
opportunity to tackle the problem. The figures, revealed in an answer to a
parliamentary question from Tory MSP John Lamont, showed suspected drugs
finds at Scottish jails total 1,705 so far this year, including 225 at Saughton and 256 at Barlinnie. Mr Lamont said that meant there was now an average of
more than one find every five hours. He said: "The figures show the
problem of drugs in prison is even blighting our newest prison. "One
would have hoped a new prison would have systems in place better able to stop
drugs coming in. "It is disappointing the government has not taken the
opportunity to implement one of our key policies, drug-free prisons or
wings." He said the policy would allow prisoners who want to come off
drugs to be removed from the availability and the temptation. "If they
stay clean, they should be given privileges. If they test positive, then they
are removed from the drugs-free wing and the privileges are withdrawn." Addiewell, which can house up to 700 prisoners and is run
by private firm Kalyx, opened last December amid
criticism over the "luxury" facilities for inmates. Earlier this
year, figures showed Addiewell had one of the worst
levels of violence among Scotland's prisons. In February, up to 40 inmates
took part in a riot.
November 16, 2009 The Sun
FRIGHTENED warders are begging a crisis-hit jail's toughest CONS for
protection - because they are bullied. Staff at privately-run Addiewell jail are grovelling
to feared lags and handing out favours in return
for their safety. Now bosses at the £65million prison, in West Lothian, admit
they're struggling to keep guards - with up to 10 quitting last month. Last
night a source said: "Addiewell has become
such a soft touch for cons that the hardest are being asked for protection by
guards. "The warders are sick of inmates screaming abuse at them and
they're too inexperienced to deal with it." Hardened cons including Joe
Henderson - who strangled his teenage fiancée - and Paul Steadward
- who stabbed a bakery workmate through the heart in a row over tea breaks -
are said to run the prison. They make sure other lags stay in line at the
facility, which holds 700 cons, and in return their lives inside become much
easier. The source added: "One day Henderson decided he wanted a Kit Kat
Caramel, which had just gone on sale in the shops. "We couldn't pick it
up in the jail yet. He told one of the guards that he was after it and, sure
enough, the next day he had one. "That's the kind of relationship that's
built up in Addiewell now. "It's unhealthy for
anyone and the managers just don't know what to do." In its first six
months since it opened in December last year, 19 assaults on staff were
recorded at Addiewell.
October 12, 2009 Deadline Press
& Picture Agency
PRISON bosses are facing a double probe into a riot that left a jail guard in
hospital. Chiefs at HMP Addiewell in West Lothian
are piecing together just what sparked trouble there on Sunday. But they now
face a police probe into assault claims at the high security prison. And a
second internal inquiry which must be presented to Scottish Prison Service
bosses. More than 20 lags rioted at the high security prison for six hours
before on-site officers took control of the situation.Lothian
& Borders Police were called out to the West Lothian high-security
facility to support prison staff, but prison officers on-site dealt with the
riot. Damage -- A spokesman for Kalyx said: “We can
confirm that an incident took place in one area of one hall at HMP Addiewell, yesterday 11th October 2009. “The incident,
which began about 11am, was concluded at approximately 5.30 pm. “It was dealt
with by staff locally and was subject to minimal superficial damage of
property. “Incidents of this type regrettably occur in all prisons, but there
are robust procedures in place to deal with them should they arise. “This incident
is now subject to a Police investigation and so it would be inappropriate to
comment further at this time. “A member of staff was taken to hospital and
kept overnight as a precautionary measure and was released this morning.”
Luxury -- The incident is the second time this year that prisoners at the
facility have rioted. In February inmates trashed more than 60 LCD
televisions and other luxury goods that the jail is fitted with after
claiming they had not received any food for two days. The maximum-security
prison is home to many of Scotland’s worst murderers and rapists. The leader
of the rioting prisoners has claimed that they attacked staff because of bad
treatment at the hands of guards -- A spokesman for the Scottish Prison
Service said: “We’ve had an incident report from Kalyx
but any investigation would have to wait until the police have carried out
their investigation. “We have procedures with our contractors
and we have a team that monitor the contract. Contained -- “But the most
important report is the police report which is to come. “It was a concerted
peace of indiscipline and while it’s not a mild incident we shouldn’t get
carried away, it started at 11 and was resolved by 5.30 and it was all
contained within the prison. “The important thing is that staff are trained
properly to deal with this situation.” In May Addiewell
was exposed as having the second worst record for inmates attacking each
other and inmate attacks on staff. In the jail’s first six months 32 inmate
on inmate attacks occurred, with only Polmont young offenders’ institute
ranking higher, with 56 in the same time period. 19 attacks on staff were
recorded, second to Cornton Vale women’s prison,
which experienced 20 attacks on staff in six months.
October 12, 2009
Edinburgh Evening News
FOUR staff were injured and a woman guard rushed to hospital when rioting
broke out at West Lothian's Addiewell prison.
Sources claimed the incident at Scotland's newest jail had been sparked by
claims of brutality towards inmates. The female guard was taken to St John's
Hospital in Livingston with a head injury after the melee involving 20
prisoners. By the time police attended to assist at the £65 million
privately-run jail, the situation had been brought under control. Special negotiators
were also brought in to bring an end to the five-hour stand-off. It is the
second major riot there this year, following on from a similar event in
February involving 40 inmates amid claims they had not been fed for two days.
On this occasion sources said the riot was a direct result of inmates
standing against "beatings" from prison guards. Those allegations
are in contrast to the widely held view that the jail is relatively
luxurious, with en suite cells, flat-screen
televisions and satellite channels, which bosses said would help the
rehabilitation of offenders. It is understood the riot broke out in the
Lomond B Hall when prisoners barricaded themselves in and fought with staff.
One prisoner, who contacted the Press straight after the incident, said the
guards were struck with mops as part of the attack. He said: "We just
decided to fight back this time. "A short-term inmate was hit by a
member of staff and we all got involved. We attacked five of the staff with
mop poles and drove them out of the hall. "Staff are lifting their hands
to the boys who are then moved to another prison and nothing is ever done
about it. Enough is enough. "Everyone reckons the Addiewell
is cushy, but lads are getting doings in here. It's got to stop." Recent
figures have exposed Addiewell as the second worst
in Scotland for inmate-on-inmate attacks, with only the Polmont young offenders facility having more recorded flashpoints. In
its first six months of operation, it also notched 19 assaults on staff. A
spokesman for prison operators Kalyx said: "We
can confirm there has been an incident involving around 20 people which has
been brought under control and is now being managed. "This has taken
place in one area of the hall. The rest of the prison is operating normally.
At this stage however, we cannot really go into any more detail."
October 12, 2009 STV
At least 20 inmates went on a rampage at HMP Addiewell
on Sunday. Inmates at Scotland's newest prison rioted for six hours on
Sunday. At least 20 prisoners were involved in the incident, which is
reported to have left four staff members injured. The disturbance at Addiewell Prison in West Lothian began at around 11am on
Sunday. It was handled internally by staff and concluded at around 5.30pm.
Lothian and Borders Police said they had been made aware of the incident but
had not been called on to respond. A spokesman for the prison's operators, Kalyx, said: "We can confirm that an incident took
place at HMP Addiewell yesterday which was managed
by staff at the prison. We are unable to give any more details at
present." A spokesperson for the Scottish Prison Service said: “The
incident at HMP Addiewell was concluded around 1730
hours last night. It included a number of prisoners and was managed in house
by staff. "Damage has been superficial and the incident will be subject
to a police investigation. The SPS take a very dim view of people behaving in
this manner” It is the latest in a series of incidents at the privately-run
facility. In February, up to 40 inmates were involved in a riot which caused
thousands of pounds worth of damage. Opposition politicians have also hit out
at the level of comfort provided by the purpose-built facility, saying it
doesn't act as a strong enough deterrent to reoffending.
August 20, 2009 Edinburgh Evening News
A DRUG trafficker who was freed early from jail was caught throwing cannabis
over a wall into Scotland's newest private prison. Stephen Dickson was
originally jailed for 42 months in August 2006 after he was caught with
heroin worth about £52,000 on the streets. Dickson, 27, of Magdalene Gardens,
Edinburgh, was allowed early release from the sentence on licence.
But, on 29 July this year, he threw a package containing cannabis over a wall
into Addiewell Prison, West Lothian. Dickson later
admitted a contravention of Scottish prison legislation by introducing or
attempting to introduce a drug into the jail, when he appeared at Linlithgow
Sheriff Court.
August 19, 2009 Daily Record
SCOTLAND'S cushiest jail is getting Sky Sports - so pampered prisoners
can keep up with Scottish Premier League action. Inmates at Addiewell jail, West Lothian, had threatened a revolt
because they feared they wouldn't see any SPL games. But on Saturday,
hundreds of inmates enjoyed the first televised match of the new SPL season -
which saw Celtic beat Aberdeen 3-1 at Pittodrie - after bosses arranged a Sky
Sports satellite package. A prison insider said: "With the coverage
moving to Sky, everyone was facing the prospect of not seeing a single goal.
"Some of the lags were infuriated and had made noises about starting
trouble, so the decision was taken to get Sky Sports 3 in." Live matches
last season were screened in the prison through satellite firm Setanta. But the Irish broadcasters lost the rights
earlier this year, leaving the prison without football coverage.
August 18, 2009 Daily Record
A WARDEN has been brutally beaten at a "powderkeg"
private jail. Steven Johnstone needed hospital treatment after being set upon
by a lifer at HMP Addiewell. The Record told
yesterday how whistleblowers had branded the prison "unsafe" and
"drug-ridden". We have been inundated with calls from friends and
relatives of prisoners backing our story - and voicing their concern over the
lax regime at the jail. The latest incident saw warden Steven Johnstone
attacked by a convicted murderer serving a life sentence. The assault
happened around 6pm on Saturday in the jail's Forth C Hall. A source said:
"It all kicked off just after 6pm and the poor man was given a ferocious
beating. "He was punched repeatedly about the head and ended up with
injuries to his face and jaw. "He's a relatively inexperienced member of
staff and it is horrible. Bosses are trying to work out what happened.
Although the guy is a convicted prisoner, he's actually a relatively trusted
inmate in terms of the Addiewell system - which
speaks volumes for the system. "There was only one other warden there.
She's only been in the door a week and didn't see a thing." A spokesman
for Addiewell operators Kalyx
said yesterday: "Whilst we cannot comment on individual members of staff
or prisoners, we can confirm there was an altercation on Saturday evening
which resulted in a member of staff going to hospital as a precautionary
measure. "The matter is now being investigated by the police." The
Record told yesterday how whistleblowers at the jail say
"scandalous" staff shortages and a shoddy anti-drugs regime have
turned the brand new jail into a "powder keg" where cons and guards
alike were at risk. Our insiders told how drugs are being smuggled in after
they're chucked over the walls inside dead gulls and old socks. It's claimed
more drugs flood in at visiting times, with just one or two wardens sometimes
left to watch scores of inmates and their friends and families. One source
said: "The bottom line is the place is totally unsafe - for staff and
prisoners. "Addiewell has 12 wings with about
60 prisoners each and there should be several staff per wing. "The other
day, there were one or two per wing, which is scandalously low." Addiewell is a private prison and Kalyx
signed a contract with the Scottish Executive in 2006 to design, build and
manage the jail. Kalyx insisted that there were
intensive anti-drugs efforts and rejected claims of inadequate staffing and
training.
August 17, 2009 Daily Record
DEAD seagulls stuffed with drugs are being thrown over the wall to cons
at Scotland's showpiece private jail. Drugs are also being chucked over the
walls inside tennis balls and old socks. And bigoted lags at £65million Addiewell prison in West Lothian are being sent flutes
through the post so they can play The Sash in their cells. Whistleblowers at
the jail say "scandalous" staff shortages and a shoddy anti-drugs
regime have turned the brand new jail into a "powder keg" where
cons and guards alike are at risk. One source said: "There are so many
problems with drugs and staffing and so on that it would take all day to go
through them. It's shambolic. "The bottom line is the place is totally
unsafe - for staff and prisoners." Last night, the private company who
run the phone, Kalyx, insisted that there were
intensive anti-drugs efforts and rejected claims of inadequate staffing and
training. Sources at Addiewell told Record
investigators that prisoners at the jail, which opened last December, use a
bizarre range of methods to get drugs into the jail. An insider claimed:
"There are giant skylights in the roof within throwing distance of the
perimeter. "The prisoners ring in drug orders on mobiles, then tell the
staff to open the skylight because they're feeling hot. "Dead seagulls
have been launched in stuffed with drugs. The prisoners just lift them.
"Drugs are also being stuffed inside tennis balls or socks. "It's
an easy throw through the skylight - the package can land right on one of the
pool tables in the hall. "If the throw misses, the stuff will land in
the exercise hall outside, where it's picked up later easily enough. "A
builder's ladder was found the other day against the wall at the back of one
of the halls where stuff was being tossed over the wall." The source
said cons were also collecting drug shipments in their cells by getting pals
to throw packages over the wall in knotted socks and hooking them with the
cables of their PlayStation consoles. It is claimed that even more drugs
flood into Addiewell at visiting times, with just
one or two warders sometimes left to watch scores of inmates and their
friends and families. One source said drugs were passed across the counter at
the visiting room snack bar, which is staffed by prisoners instead of WRVS
volunteers. And the whistleblower claimed the CCTV system installed to
monitor visits had never been used. The "main man" in Addiewell's drug trade is said to be a well-known
"international player" who is "running the show" inside
the jail. One insider claimed: "Intelligence reports on him are flying
about. "An obvious start would be to move the guy to another prison to
at least break the chain. But he is being given free rein - he has even had
his two bodyguards moved into cells on either side of his. "The guy
walks about the prison with these goons on either side of him. "One used
to be in the French Foreign Legion and the other is a convicted Polish killer
whose speciality is biting his victims' ears
off." And drugs are not the only items which are finding their way into Addiewell. One of the whistleblowers claimed: "There
is a big sectarian culture in the prison and several prisoners have had their
flutes sent in. One guy went to collect his using a property request marked
"musical instrument". The warden couldn't believe it . "Some of the prisoners will demand no Catholics
next to them and belt out The Sash and such like on their flutes as soon as
their cell doors are shut." Illegal mobile phones are also a major
problem at Addiewell, with cons even phoning the
Record from their cells to try to sell us stories. One violent offender
called us last week to tell how he and his pals were given ice lollies when they got the "munchies" after
smoking cannabis. "This place is brilliant," he bragged. An insider
said: "The bosses are recruiting some staff straight from school."
Our source added: "Addiewell has 12 wings with
about 60 prisoners each and there should be several staff per wing. The other
day, there were one or two per wing, which is scandalously low. Another
whistleblower said prisoners are rarely drug-tested, claiming: "It costs
about £120 a pop and it's only likely to return a positive result anyway.
"It's only used on prisoners about to be moved to open jails, as they
know that a negative result is a condition of their transfer." It is
also alleged that even when Addiewell's staff find
drugs, they struggle to cope. A source said: "Last week, drugs were
posted in to a prisoner doing time for robbery.
"The warden delivering the mail opened it to check it and when the
prisoner saw his hash had been spotted, he grabbed it off the guy. "The
warden hit his alarm button, which means a guard from each of the 12 wings is
supposed to rush to his aid. Just three officers arrived. "All they could
do was get the prisoners, who were milling around watching, back in their
cells. "In Scottish Prison Service prisons, dozens of staff would have
been on the scene in seconds. The guy's cell would have been searched and he
would have been drug-tested." Addiewell is a
private prison and Kalyx signed a contract with the
Scottish Executive in 2006 to design, build and manage the jail. The
company's website calls Addiewell "an
operationally designed prison within which it will be possible to address
offending behaviour and contribute to a safer
Scotland". The website adds: "A custodial environment can have
positive outcomes. Everyone should be given a second chance." But the
inside sources claim that the majority of guards have no previous experience
in jails. A Kalyx spokesman said: "HMP Addiewell, like all other prisons, concentrates its
efforts on stopping illicit items from entering the prison. "All
officers are aware of the policies and procedures when illicit items are
discovered in the prison. "There have been no complaints about prisoners
playing sectarian tunes submitted to the director. If this is found to be
happening then appropriate action will be taken." The spokesman added:
"All new officers employed by Kalyx,
regardless of their previous experience, undergo an extensive nine-week
training course, approved by the Scottish Prison Service, before they start
work at the prison."
August 5, 2009 The Sun
A DISGUSTED mum told last night how she was robbed of more than £250 in
valuables - while visiting her partner in JAIL. Nicola Ringrose, 22, had put
her possessions into a visitors' locker at private Addiewell
nick as she went to see boyfriend Sean Higgins, 27. But when she returned,
brazen thieves had snatched £120 cash, a £130 mobile phone, her bank card,
house keys and even her two-year-old daughter Mikaela's NAPPIES. Last night
Nicola said: "I can't believe I was robbed in a prison. The place seems
to be a shambles." Nicola of Airdrie, told how
Mikaela lost the locker key in the visiting room - but guards were quickly
informed. She said: "When I got back the door was open and the key in
the lock. Everything except a receipt was gone." Plush Addiewell, in West Lothian, is dubbed the "Addieson Hotel" by lags. Last night a spokesman for
its operator Kalyx said: "The matter is being
investigated by police."
July 7, 2009 The Sun
A MONSTER serving life for the torture and murder of a 91-year-old woman is
using internet site Bebo to boast about his easy
life in jail. Patrick Docherty, 45 — who left victim Margaret Irvine with a
duster stuffed in her mouth — brags about his plush cell and his “working
day” in sickening posts. He showers praise on Addiewell
jail, dubbed Scotland’s cushiest, on the social networking site. Cons at the
West Lothian jail enjoy ensuite bathrooms and
flatscreen TVs. Docherty crows:“It’s
great being able to jump out of bed straight into a shower to freshen up
before staff even start to unlock at 8am.” He reveals he gets paid to cut
other cons’ hair, and “passes the time” drawing pictures as an art teacher.
Docherty and pal Brendan Dixon, 43, were caged for at least 25 years in 2005
for murdering Margaret at her home in Galson, Ayrshire. She was found with
her hands tied in an apparent botched robbery. But despite his comforts, dad
Docherty, who has always protested his innocence. also tells that he
contemplates suicide. He adds on the Bebo page:
“Many a night I lay awake thinking how easy it would be to take my own life.
“It may release me from this pitiful existence that is my so called life, but
it won’t get justice for Mrs Irvine if I am dead.”
Docherty wed second wife Elizabeth, 44, in Shotts jail in 2007. He has 54
convictions, 14 for violence, and has been in Addiewell
four months. In 2006 he and Dixon were given the go-ahead to challenge their
convictions, claiming there was no DNA or fingerprint evidence. But last
night Margaret’s nephew Charles Keers, 56, blasted
Docherty’s cushy life. He said: “The justice system in this country is a
joke.” Addiewell is run by private firm Kalyx. An insider claimed the lag most likely had
“someone on the outside” to use Bebo for him. Kalyx said: “Prisoners do not have access to the
internet.”
June 13, 2009 The Sun
BOSSES at Scotland’s cushiest jail splashed out on hundreds of electric
fans — after pampered cons moaned they were too hot. Addiewell
prison chiefs sent guards out to buy scores of the desk devices to keep whingeing inmates happy. Lags at the West Lothian pokey
already enjoy flat-screen tellies and en-suite showers. And last night an insider said: “It’s
getting ridiculous — the things must have cost a fortune. “The prisoners are
in there to be punished, but seem to get everything they want. “Some of them
were moaning the jail was too warm for them during the hot weather we’ve been
having. “The guards then ran out and bought fans for them to cool down. It’s
getting to the stage where the inmates are running the jail and telling the
guards what to do.” Snooze -- Tory justice spokesman Bill Aitken blasted the
easy ride inmates are getting at the country’s newest nick. He said: “Many
law-abiding people cannot afford fans. “If the cons find it too hot in jail
then they have an easy solution — stop committing crime and getting sent
there. On Thursday we told how lazy prisoners in Scotland are being allowed to
snooze through their sentences Outgoing chief prisons inspector Dr Andrew
McLellan said Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill was right to brand life in
our jails “a skoosh”. In his final report the jail watchdog said: “They spend
most of their time lying in bed.” Dr McLellan also said his seven years in
the job had seen living conditions “transformed” with cons enjoying
“first-class” prison buildings. Plush £130million Addiewell
— operated by private company Kalyx — opened in
December last year. And last month it was branded “a dangerous place for
staff and inmates” — as it was revealed to be Scotland’s most violent adult
jail. Attacks -- Kalyx’s facility has already seen
32 prisoner-on-prisoner assaults — an average of two every week — and 19
attacks on staff this year. Last night a spokeswoman for Kalyx
said: “Due to the hot weather we have been experiencing, we used the profit
generated from the prison shop to purchase fans for prisoners to use in their
cells.”
May 5, 2009 The Scotsman
SCOTLAND'S newest jail already has one of the worst records for violent
attacks, new figures have revealed. Addiewell
prison in West Lothian is second in the league tables both for assaults by
prisoners on each other and for attacks by prisoners on staff. The
700-capacity jail, which is run by private firm Kalyx,
opened last December amid criticism over the "luxury" facilities
for inmates. Prison bosses argued the conditions – including cells with en-suite toilets and TVs – would help in the
rehabilitation of offenders. But new figures show that so far this year, Addiewell has seen 32 prisoner-on-prisoner assaults –
second only to Polmont young offenders institution, where there have been 56
such incidents. The jail has also recorded 19 assaults by inmates on staff.
Only Cornton Vale women's prison is worse, with 20
prisoner-on-staff attacks. Politicians claimed at the time that the
"level of comfort" at the jail would not provide a deterrent to
re-offending. Today, Tory justice spokesman Bill Aitken said the figures were
disgraceful. He said: "The more we pander to prisoners the less well
they behave. We cannot tolerate the situation where prison staff find
themselves victims of assaults. It is essential that the most serious
possible view is taken of this type of behaviour."
A spokeswoman from Kalyx was not available for
comment. Earlier this year, a sacked prison guard claimed prisoners at Addiewell were "running the jail". Paula
Gardner, 36, from Livingston, was dismissed after prison bosses discovered
she had a minor conviction 20 years ago. She claimed prisoners were smoking
heroin and using banned mobile phones as under-trained staff struggle to keep
order. In February, up to 40 inmates took part in a riot at the jail. Inmates
in the Douglas Hall section on the ground floor of the jail barricaded
themselves into the wing and smashed up equipment during the three-hour
stand-off. It was initially reported prisoners went on the rampage as they
had not been fed for two days but Kalyx insisted it
was triggered by one inmate's personal issue.
February 22, 2009 Sunday Mail
A BLUNDERING prison guard who lost a bunch of cell keys has been promoted
- as a boss at riot-hit Addiewell jail. Ivan
Millar's mistake forced all the locks at Arbroath
Sheriff Court to be changed in case cons found his keys. Now he is a unit
manager at the private prison in West Calder, West Lothian. A spokesman there
said: "We have a stringent recruitment process." Last month five
prisoners mounted barricades, lit a fire and staged a three hour riot at the
£80million jail.
February 11, 2009 The Herald
Five prisoners at Scotland's only jail dedicated to tackling recidivism faced
the threat of new sentences yesterday after riots which are believed to have
followed a complaint about sweets. The five were among a group of around 40
inmates at Addiewell Prison in West Lothian when
trouble flared, forcing prison staff to lock down the jail while order was
restored. All five have been isolated and reported to the procurator- fiscal
over the incident on Monday night. The disturbance will be an embarrassment
given the jail's status as Scotland's first "learning prison" with
a remit to reduce repeat offending by inmates. Initial reports that prisoners
were protesting because they had not been fed for two days were flatly denied
yesterday by the Scottish Prisons Service (SPS) and Kalyx,
the private firm that runs Addiewell. But while the
SPS stressed that the matter was currently being investigated, it said it was
thought that the disturbance may have come about after an inmate complained
about a lack of sweets at the jail's canteen. A spokeswoman for the SPS said:
"It was over canteen facilities, not the kitchen. It was definitely not
about food. They had had all their meals." While it was originally
claimed that dozens of television sets were wrecked during the rioting, the
spokeswoman described the damage as "minor and superficial". She
admitted that "some" TVs may have been damaged during the incident,
which she said took place in a wing holding "about 40" prisoners.
Most were not involved, the SPS said. Kalyx issued
its own firm denial that the trouble broke out over concerns about food
shortages and said that it was caused by a single inmate. A spokesman for Kalyx said: "We can categorically confirm that there
has been no issue regarding the provision of meals and all prisoners have
been receiving their meals as normal. "On the evening of Monday February
9, one prisoner instigated a disturbance over a personal matter in one wing
of HMP Addiewell." Prison staff imposed a lockdown
at the prison between around 8.30pm and 11pm while the rioting was brought
under control. There were no injuries to staff or prisoners and both Kalyx and the SPS said proper procedures were followed.
The £130m jail on the outskirts of Addiewell, near
West Calder, only opened in December. It has a dedicated academy for
"flexible learning" to offer the 700 prisoners it is designed to
hold a greater chance to prepare themselves for getting paid work when they
are released from jail. A Kalyx spokesman added:
"The police are investigating the circumstances around the disturbance
at HMP Addiewell and therefore it is not
appropriate for us to comment any further."
February 10, 2009 Scotsman
A disturbance has taken place at Scotland's newest private prison, authorities
said today. Dozens of inmates went on the rampage at Addiewell
Prison in West Lothian last night. Up to 48 prisoners were involved in the
disturbance at the privately run jail. Trouble flared when inmates took
control of a hall in one wing of the prison, the paper said, using pool
tables and furniture to make barricades. Police, the fire service and
ambulances rushed to the scene as violence erupted, a fire service
spokeswoman said today. The disturbance is said to have gone on for several
hours until prison staff negotiated an end to the trouble. No-one is thought
to have been injured in the incident and no inmates are believed to have
escaped. An SPS spokeswoman said: "There was an incident at the jail
last night but it is over now." A spokeswoman
for Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service said: "All three
emergency services attended. "We didn't do very much,
we were just standing by." HMP Addiewell, near
Livingston, is a 700-capacity prison run by private firm Kalyx.
It opened in December.
December 4, 2007 Press Association
Taxpayers face being "ripped off" by many flagship projects funded
through the private sector, justice secretary Kenny MacAskill has told MSPs.
Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and the new private prison planned for Addiewell in West Lothian, both had their value called
into question by Mr MacAskill. He was giving
evidence to Holyrood's Justice Committee on the impact of of
next year's budget on his justice portfolio. The SNP has always opposed the used of public private partnerships to help fund the
construction of projects like schools, hospitals and prisons. The issue is
not just ideological, but also a matter for the public purse, Mr MacAskill told Labour's Paul
Martin. "I believe and this government believes, that our people have
frankly received poor value, if not been ripped off, in many instances, by
many flagship projects. "And they're as inappropriate in prisons as they
are in health." Mr MacAskill told the
committee that the new prison being built at Addiewell,
agreed by the last administration, is likely to cost about £24-25 million
annually over the next 25 years. This is more than £600 million in total.
"I have to say that 25 times 25 is significantly more than what a prison
costs in construction, something in the region of £120-140 million," he
said. "The fact of the matter is we can build a prison for significantly
less than we will end up paying in annualised
payments. I think the taxpayers of Scotland are entitled to ask why we signed
that off in the first place," he said.
May 20, 2007 Scotsman
PLANS to build two new prisons using private money are set to be scrapped
by the SNP, in the first major change of policy since it gained power at
Holyrood. Labour insiders claim the plans will cost
as much as £750m over the next 20 years, and will lead to lengthy delays in
easing the current overcrowding crisis. The move to bring two jail projects
back into public control will place the SNP in direct conflict with prison
chiefs and civil servants who have already started signing off the deals with
private firms to construct the desperately needed institutions. The row centres on two 700-capacity prisons at Low Moss near
Bishopbriggs and in Addiewell in West Lothian.
Construction work has already begun at Addiewell,
with a private consortium having been given the contract to start. A bid to
construct Low Moss in the public sector was knocked back by prison chiefs
earlier this month, paving the way for another private deal. The SNP insists
that moving the two jails into the public sector will bring an end to firms
profiteering from imprisonment and - in the long term - benefit the public
purse. The decision by the new SNP government to challenge the move is set to
be one of the first major flashpoints of its period in office.
October 1, 2006 Sunday Herald
PLANS by ministers to extend the use of private jails in Scotland have been
condemned as “mistaken” and “short-sighted” by a leading expert on penal
systems. Baroness Vivien Stern, a cross-bench peer in the House of Lords and
a senior research fellow at the International Centre for Prison Studies at
King’s College London, also revealed that when the country’s second private
jail – Addiewell – opens in 2009, Scotland will
have, proportionately, more inmates housed in private prisons than any other
country in the world. The new £65 million jail is being built on a 35-acre
site in West Lothian. It is to be run by Royal Bank Project Investments,
Sodexho Investment Services and Interserve PFI 2005 under the name Addiewell Prison Ltd. But Stern predicted that further privatising the jail system would drive down wages, waste
taxpayers’ money and hamper efforts to reduce re-offending. She said: “My
view is that this is a mistaken route. The point is that the contract ties
you in for 25 years, which means that any new ideas about penal policy that
develop in the next 25 years will come up against a contract that’s been
signed and has to run.
January 30, 2004
OBJECTIONS
to a new jail in West Lothian are more than just "nimbyism", SNP
Lothians MSP Fiona Hyslop has told the Scottish
Parliament. And she appealed for communities close to the proposed site
for the 700-inmate prison near Addiewell to be told
whether it would be privately-built and run. Ms
Hyslop said the issue of whether the new jail was
public or private was a matter of concern for locals, 300 of whom had
attended a public meeting about the plans. "The majority wanted to
express they were not just interested in nimby arguments. They are interested
in whether it’s to be a private prison. Is it right that private profits
should be made as a result of the state’s decision to incarcerate
someone?" (Scotsman)
May 30, 2003
A SITE in central Scotland has been identified as the preferred location for
a 700-inmate high security jail and could become Scotland's second
privately-run prison. Danny Russell, Addiewell
community council secretary, said: "The survey we carried out was only
just against the prison, but a lot of people didn't take part because they
thought it wouldn't materialise. Personally, I am
against it. I just can't see it bringing in as many jobs and money as they
say. I wonder what would have happened had the community known the plan was
at this stage before the election." News of the privately financed
project prompted an angry reaction from the Prison Officers Association of
Scotland (POAS), which pointed to problems experienced at Kilmarnock,
Scotland's sole privately run prison. Last year it was revealed two
inmates were released incorrectly and in another incident a prisoner went
missing inside the jail, run by Premier Prisons. A spokesman for POAS
said the union was against private funding of prisons, adding: "We are
outraged that another privately-run, privately-built prison has been given
the go-ahead, given the performance at Kilmarnock." (The Herald)
Dungavel
Immigration Centre
Group 4 (formerly run by Premier)
Feb 1, 2019 theferret.scot
Fears over safety of vulnerable people in Dungavel
after rise in crime
Human rights campaigners have expressed concern over the safety of
vulnerable people held at Dungavel Immigration
Removal Centre after a sharp rise in crime complaints over the past five
years. A reply by Police Scotland to a freedom of information request has
revealed a near trebling of alleged crimes inside Dungavel
in South Lanarkshire since 2014, prompting fears over the safety of women and
other vulnerable detainees. Police Scotland said there were 22 allegations of
crimes in 2018. These included seven involving “threatening and abusive behaviour”, five “common assaults” and two for possession
of drugs. There was one sexual crime, one incident of fire raising and one
regarding vandalism. The 2018 number matched the total in 2017 when 22 crimes
were also reported. This contrasts with 2014 when there were eight claims of
crimes in total, including five for common assault. In July 2018 The Ferret
reported that vulnerable women were at risk in Dungavel
and that more than 200 vulnerable detainees had been on watch for self harm in 2017. Labour MSP,
Pauline McNeill, said: “The rise in crimes committed at the Dungavel detention centre is
extremely alarming. I have long standing concerns about the well-being of
people being detained at the site and have been pushing for MSPs to have the
right to access the centre.” “These figures further
convince me of the need to allow members of the Scottish Parliament access to
the Dungavel detention centre
in order to satisfy ourselves of the conditions people are being held in,”
she added. “Given that women are being detained at the site we must be
allowed to make sure that safety and well-being of people being detained in
Scotland is being upheld.” Kate Alexander, director of Scottish Detainee
Visitors, also expressed concern over vulnerable detainees. “As visitors to
people in Dungavel we see every week the stress
that indefinite detention causes,” she said. “The latest inspection report
found that 41 per cent of the people detained there felt unsafe, largely
because of the uncertainty of their situations. An increase in crime at Dungavel can only add to the vulnerability people feel
when they are detained there.” Police Scotland explained in its freedom of
information response that it did not have details of any convictions. Police
investigate and submit reports to the procurator fiscal, who then decides
whether or not to prosecute, they said. “The disposal in relation to cases
reported to the procurator fiscal is not routinely passed to the police,
therefore the service does not hold the information requested in relation to
convictions.” Dungavel is run by The Geo Group UK
Limited, a subsidiary of US company Geo Group, which runs immigration
detention centres in the US. Dungavel
can hold a maximum of 249 people. In 2018 The Ferret highlighted a report by
Stephen Shaw, a former prison ombudsman for England and Wales, on the
privately run facility in South Lanarkshire. He raised a number of concerns
including the safety of women and the time staff took to section people with
serious mental health issues. Regarding female detainees, he said: “While men
and women’s accommodation were separate, women were allowed to mix with men
in communal areas if they chose to do so. Women were able to access all
services outside the times that men used them, but it was unclear how this
worked in practice.” He added: “I am concerned that there is risk of
exploitation, or of vulnerable women being left without access to services
and facilities, due to their shared use by men.” Shaw’s report also reveals
that 206 detainees were at risk of self harm in
2017 and that 10 people were returned to the detention centre
after being sectioned under mental health law. There were 42 complaints by
detainees received at Dungavel in 2017. The GEO
Group UK Limited referred us to the Home Office, which stressed that it took
detainee welfare very seriously. The government “expects the highest
standards from those who manage the detention estate on its behalf,” said a
Home Office spokesperson. “We do not tolerate any kind of criminal activity
in our immigration removal centres, and any
allegation of a criminal offence is immediately reported to the police for
investigation.”
Jan 16, 2018 dailyrecord.co.uk
Dungavel detention centre
in slave labour shame as asylum seekers paid just
£1 an hour for work
An American firm that gave hundreds of thousands of pounds to the Trump
campaign is paying asylum seekers in Scotland just £1 an hour in wages. The
GEO Group is one of America’s top private prison companies and saw its share
prices soar when Trump became President. In Scotland, GEO runs the Dungavel immigration removal centre
in South Lanarkshire where 249 men and women are detained while the Home
Office decides their asylum cases. Asylum seekers in detention are allowed to
work for a fraction of the minimum wage. There are 64 detainees working up to
30 hours a week in Dungavel. The jobs include
cleaning, hairdressing and gardening - much of it vital for the running of
the detention centre. New figures reveal that the
detainees received just £130,919 for 128,742 hours worked between November
2014 and April last year. Paying detainees the minimum wage, which rose from
£6.50 to £7.05 for over 21s, would have cost an estimated £727,607 extra. Now
lawyers acting for the detainees are preparing a legal challenge against the
low-paid work scheme. Labour peer Lord Rosser, a
shadow home affairs spokesperson, said: “These numbers are a shocking
admission of the continued use of under-paid detainees instead of paid staff
in Immigration Centres. Who pockets the millions
from this use of under-paid labour? Is it the
Government itself, or is it a year round gift to the companies who run these
detention centres?” The asylum seekers’ lawyers
claim the work is mundane and exploitative - and if the refugees are working
they should receive the minimum wage. Lawyer Toufique
Hossain, of law firm Duncan Lewis, said: “Our clients and other detainees are
doing work essential to the management of the immigration removal centres like Dungavel, much of
it banal and tiring. They are working as cleaners, barbers, laundry workers,
litter-pickers and food servers. This work would otherwise need to done by
workers paid at least the minimum wage.” “Men and women deprived of their
liberty, in a position of powerlessness, are forced to carry out unedifying
jobs for next to nothing by the circumstances which have been imposed on
them. If this isn’t slavery, I don’t know what is.” GEO defended the scheme,
which is endorsed by the Home Office, telling the Daily Record that
“Detainees do not have to pay for their living costs, as do people earning
minimum wage in the community.” The company added: “We usually have a waiting
list of detainees wanting to take work opportunities, which shows that the
scheme is popular with them.” There are eight other detention centres across Britain, run by private companies G4S,
Serco and Mitie. Overall, detainees were short changed by almost £13 million
in wages according to etimates. The Home Office
said: “The opportunity for detainees to engage in this scheme is entirely
voluntary and provides constructive and purposeful activity. Paid activities is not a substitute for the work of trained staff.” A
spokesman for GEO said: “We are paid to employ an agreed staffing complement
to operate the centre. The voluntary paid work
scheme for detainees is paid for at the equivalent of the Home Office rate
for the work within the fixed fee contract for operating the centre.” In the US, where GEO detains thousands of
immigrants, the company is also under fire for its treatment of detainees.
Washington State’s attorney general is suing GEO for paying immigration
detainees $1 in wages, instead of the $11 a day minimum wage. The suit
alleges GEO uses immigration detainees to run “virtually all non-security
functions” at its Northwest Detention Center (NWDC) in Tacoma, Washington.
The site can hold over 1,500 people, making it America’s forth
largest detention centre. “A multi-billion dollar
corporation is trying to get away with paying its workers $1 per day,”
Washington’s Attorney General Bob Ferguson said. “That shouldn’t happen in
America, and I will not tolerate it happening in Washington.” GEO said it
“strongly refutes the claim as baseless and meritless” and that its scheme
complied with standards set by the Federal Government. It has filed for the
case to be dismissed. GEO runs 140 custody facilities across the US. The
company’s shares sunk when the Obama administration announced a plan to close
private prisons. The company donated hundreds of thousands of pounds to parts
of the Trump campaign and its shares soared when he was elected. Since
Trump’s victory, GEO has won a contract worth $110-million to build a 1,000
bed detention facility in Texas – however the company stressed that the bid
was evaluated under the Obama Administration and that it was a
“long-standing, competitive, and transparent procurement process”. This week
it also emerged that GEO was paying out half a million dollars to a group of
16 women to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit concerning male staff at two
prisons in Arizona. The suit alleged that male officers asked female officers
for sex, made sexually explicit comments to female officers and that a male
manager grabbed the breasts and crotch of a female prison officer, according
to local reports. GEO said the company has “zero tolerance towards all forms
of sexual harassment in all its facilities,” and that the allegations were
from several years ago. As a result of the settlement, it has now implemented
new measures.
September 11, 2011 Scotland on
Sunday
HUNDREDS of thousands of pounds of taxpayers' money is being spent holding
asylum-seekers at Dungavel detention centre for months at a time. Scotland on Sunday has
learned that almost £500,000 has been spent housing 13 long-term detainees,
several of whom have been at the former prison in South Lanarkshire for more
than a year. Asylum-seekers are supposed to stay at so-called pre-departure centres for no more than a week. But in a number of
cases, delays in the deportation system mean the UK Border Agency is holding
people for an unspecified period. For the duration of detention, the Home
Office pays security firm G4S £110 a day for each asylum-seeker. At Dungavel, two men have been held for two years and four
months, while others have been held for more than a year, at a cost to
taxpayers of about £480,000. Detaining Christian Likenge,
27, a former law student from the Democratic Republic of Congo, who has been
held for 28 months, has cost £100,000 to date. Likenge,
a Christian preacher, is being held after the UK rejected his application for
asylum but officials in his native country refused to give him the necessary
identification to return home. "It's very difficult and frustrating
being here this long," he said. "It's mental torture. I feel
depressed. You miss your people, you miss your friends. You feel
half-dead."
May 19, 2010 Morning Star
Concrete evidence of the Con-Dem government's contempt for the most
vulnerable was already surfacing on Wednesday after one of their headline
pledges was shown to be a farce. Anger erupted among human rights campaigners
after it emerged that the coalition's announcement that it was committed to
ending child detention for immigration purposes had already been severely
undermined. Immigration Minister Damian Green boasted on Wednesday of the new
government's quick progress that, "with immediate effect, children will
no longer be detained overnight at Dungavel
Immigration Removal Centre. "This is something which many groups in
Scotland have been calling for and we are now delivering this positive
outcome." But it emerged that the detention of those children and their
mothers would continue, as they are instead being transferred to the
notorious Yarl's Wood Immigration Centre in
Bedfordshire. And Scottish Education Secretary Mike Russell wrote to new Home
Secretary Theresa May on Wednesday detailing his "strong concerns"
when he found out that, on Monday, Pakistani woman Sehar
Shebaz and her eight-month-old daughter Wanya were
taken into Dungavel. The two are due to be moved to
Yarl's Wood. Glasgow MSP Anne McLaughlin said:
"The House of Commons has been highly critical of child detention in Yarl's Wood and we must see this practice brought to an
end across the UK as soon as possible." Yarl's
Wood made the headlines earlier this year after women, many of whom are rape
and torture survivors, went on hunger strike against the alleged inhumane
treatment they were suffering at the hands of the centre's
staff, who are employed by security giant Serco. Black Women's Rape Action
Project co-ordinator Cristel
Amiss said the pledge to end child detention should be extended to mothers,
pointing out that the trauma of a mother and child being separated causes
suicidal feelings in mothers and symptoms such as nightmares and bed-wetting
in children. She said there was no evidence that detention of mothers and
children was necessary as the UK Border Agency itself has admitted that there
is no risk of absconding. "No mother wants to rip her child out of
school and put them through lying low somewhere - it doesn't happen." Ms Amiss also highlighted that Britain was a signatory to
the UN Convention for Refugees, but "successive governments have
dismantled that to the point where Britain does not give protection and safety,
particularly for those who are the most vulnerable. "Women have told us
they had to seek asylum and had to come to Britain because Britain has been
involved in promoting wars they have fled and providing arms for rebel
forces." The Home Office insisted that detention would continue while a
review was carried out into alternatives. End Child Detention Now spokeswoman
Esme Madil said: "We see absolutely no reason
to delay this while the review is taking place. "Immigration detention
should have ended immediately."
May 18, 2005 BBC
Chief Inspector of Prisons Anne Owers said
provision for children at the Dungavel immigration
detention centre in Lanarkshire was
"inadequate". Ms Owers
also attacked the "seriously deficient" protection of children at
Tinsley House near Gatwick. Home Office Minister Tony McNulty said detention
must be carried out with humanity and dignity. Ms Owers said the Dungavel centre, which holds failed asylum seekers before
deportation, had failed to implement recommendations made during a visit two
years earlier. She said she was "extremely concerned" about
children at the centre, and in all the immigration
removal centres she had inspected. "Obviously
the detention of children is a very sensitive matter which should be
exceptional and only for a very short period," she told BBC News.
"The problem was that in neither of those centres
were there proper independent procedures in place so that the welfare needs
of those children could be properly identified and met, and so that any
serious concerns could be raised quickly." Dungavel
House is Scotland's only immigration removal centre.
On Tinsley House, Ms Owers
said there was no dedicated child protection officer, and inadequate criminal
record checks on staff. The privately-run centre
was also attacked for weak complaints and race relations procedures. Linda Fabiani, deputy convener of the Scottish Parliament's
cross-party group on refugees, condemned the "disgraceful"
provision of care for children at Dungavel.
"This report is a damning indictment of the centre
and the Scottish Executive's policy on the handling of asylum seekers,"
the Scottish National Party MSP said. "The executive must now tell the
Home Office that it is not acceptable that these children are being failed on
Scottish soil and demand action now." The Scottish Socialist Party MSP,
Rosie Kane, said: "Dungavel detention centre is Scotland's national disgrace. "The
detention of innocent men, women and children on Scottish soil is an abuse of
human rights, of the right under international law to seek asylum. "The detention
of children is absolutely barbaric."
July 25, 2004
An investigation has been launched after a man was found dead at the Dungavel immigration centre.
The Home Office confirmed that there was a death on Friday night, but refused
to give any further details. It is understood that the death at the
Lanarkshire centre is not being treated as
suspicious. Human rights lawyer Aamer Anwar
claimed that the man had committed suicide after he was moved from a centre in west London following a riot. There was a
disturbance at Harmondsworth earlier this month after a 31-year-old detainee
was found hanged. (BBC)
Edinburgh Court of Appeal
Edinburgh
Reliance
November 24, 2004 BBC
A man is due to appear in court after a security guard was allegedly
stabbed inside the Court of Appeal building in Edinburgh on Tuesday
afternoon. The
man was arrested after the incident in which the guard, who is in his 50s,
was injured. A Reliance spokesman said: "We
are investigating the situation and co-operating fully with the police and
the Scottish Prison Service in their investigations." The security firm
only started operating services in the capital last month after it
successfully completed a shadowing operation in the Lothian and Borders force
area.
Executive
July 28, 2010 Lynn News
Private sector firms which run prisons and maintain schools and hospitals may
face closer scrutiny under Government proposals to make them more accountable
to the public. The Scottish Government is considering broadening the scope of
Freedom of Information (FOI) laws which give anyone the right to obtain
information from publicly-funded bodies such as councils and hospitals about
their activities. A 14-week Government consultation will seek views on
whether more organisations that deliver public
services should be covered by FOI legislation. Those being considered include
the private prison contractors running Addiewell
and Kilmarnock prisons and those which transport prisoners. The Government
believes there are "strong grounds" for Glasgow Housing Association
to be covered given "the level of interest that it attracts".
December
8, 2009 UK Press Association
Private prison operators and contractors who build schools and hospitals may
become subject to freedom of information laws. The Scottish Government is to
formally consult on extending the legislation, which already applies to
public authorities. Organisations that would be
affected are the firms running Addiewell and
Kilmarnock prisons and those which build and maintain schools and hospitals.
May 20,
2008 Scotland on Sunday
PLANS to build two new prisons using private money are set to be scrapped
by the SNP, in the first major change of policy since it gained power at
Holyrood. Labour insiders claim the plans will cost
as much as £750m over the next 20 years, and will lead to lengthy delays in
easing the current overcrowding crisis. The move to bring two jail projects
back into public control will place the SNP in direct conflict with prison
chiefs and civil servants who have already started signing off the deals with
private firms to construct the desperately needed institutions. The row centres on two 700-capacity prisons at Low Moss near
Bishopbriggs and in Addiewell in West Lothian.
Construction work has already begun at Addiewell,
with a private consortium having been given the contract to start. A bid to
construct Low Moss in the public sector was knocked back by prison chiefs
earlier this month, paving the way for another private deal. The SNP insists
that moving the two jails into the public sector will bring an end to firms
profiteering from imprisonment and - in the long term - benefit the public
purse. The decision by the new SNP government to challenge the move is set to
be one of the first major flashpoints of its period in office. New Cabinet
Secretary for Justice, Kenny MacAskill, is expected to meet chiefs from the
Scottish Prison Service this week. The new SNP administration has made the
matter an "urgent priority" as they seek to prevent more
private-public partnerships being introduced. The two new jails were first
backed by ministers in 2002 to house 1,400 inmates. An SNP source said:
"We are committed to our position. There is no contract signed at Low
Moss so it is simply a matter for ministers to decide over. We will look at Addiewell as well." The SNP has said previously it
may consider building the new jails through not-for-profit trusts. It argues
that, over the long term, such deals would be far cheaper because the
government would not have to pay out hefty fees to the private firms who run
them. But Labour insiders insist that bringing Low
Moss into the public sector would increase costs from £750m over the next 20
years to more than £1.5bn.
December
4, 2007 Press Association
Taxpayers face being "ripped off" by many flagship projects funded
through the private sector, justice secretary Kenny MacAskill has told MSPs.
Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and the new private prison planned for Addiewell in West Lothian, both had their value called
into question by Mr MacAskill. He was giving
evidence to Holyrood's Justice Committee on the impact of of
next year's budget on his justice portfolio. The SNP has always opposed the used of public private partnerships to help fund the
construction of projects like schools, hospitals and prisons. The issue is
not just ideological, but also a matter for the public purse, Mr MacAskill told Labour's Paul
Martin. "I believe and this government believes, that our people have
frankly received poor value, if not been ripped off, in many instances, by
many flagship projects. "And they're as inappropriate in prisons as they
are in health." Mr MacAskill told the
committee that the new prison being built at Addiewell,
agreed by the last administration, is likely to cost about £24-25 million
annually over the next 25 years. This is more than £600 million in total.
"I have to say that 25 times 25 is significantly more than what a prison
costs in construction, something in the region of £120-140 million," he
said. "The fact of the matter is we can build a prison for significantly
less than we will end up paying in annualised
payments. I think the taxpayers of Scotland are entitled to ask why we signed
that off in the first place," he said.
September
5, 2007 The Herald
Low-paid prison officers employed in the private sector are more vulnerable
to the temptation of corruption, according to Kenny MacAskill. The Justice
Secretary told MSPs yesterday that is one of the reasons why he does not want
to see private companies running prisons. He said the only way corporations
can run prisons more cheaply than the public sector is by having lower wages
for staff, compromising security and morale. Appearing before Holyrood's
Justice Committee, the Justice Minister disclosed the wide gulf in prisoner-warder
ratios between the public sector and Kilmarnock Prison, with 4500 staff for a
prison population of more than 7000, while the Ayrshire prison has 200 staff
for 550 inmates. Mr MacAskill said some of that was
because of the design of old prisons, and that the only saving from the
private sector provision of prisons is in the wage bill: "I believe the
prison officers in Scotland do an excellent job in very difficult
circumstance, and I think we have to reward and treat them fairly. "I
believe any strategy seeking to reduce what they are paid would not only
damage them, it would damage security in our prisons." His appearance
before the committee came days after the minister promised a radical shift in
prison policy.
August
23, 2007 BBC
Plans for a £100m prison to be run by the private sector have been scrapped,
Scottish ministers have said. The 700-cell jail, to replace Low Moss near
Bishopbriggs, which closed in May, will instead be run by the Scottish Prison
Service. Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said prisons should be owned and
operated by the public sector. Labour leader-elect
Wendy Alexander said it was right to proceed with a privately built but
publicly run jail. The closure of Low Moss, which held 200 inmates, came
after a prison review in 2002, under the previous Labour/Lib
Dem government. The review resulted in a decision to build a private prison
at Addiewell in West Lothian and a second prison at
Low Moss for which the public and private sector would compete. However, Mr MacAskill said the Addiewell
jail, along with the current private prison at Kilmarnock, could not be
brought under public control. "Prisons are sadly required in our society
- we don't live in a Utopia," he told BBC Scotland. "But they
should be owned and operated by the public sector." Wider strategy --
The justice secretary added: "Prisons are for public safety, not for
private profit. So we are drawing a line in the
sand." "Had we not made this change at Bishopbriggs, Scotland would
have veered towards a situation where a quarter of our prisoners would have
been in private prisons. "That would be the highest in the developed
world - greater than in the United States, and even in Arnold
Schwarzenegger's California." The procurement process for the Low Moss replacement
is to be suspended and bids will instead be invited from the private sector
to design a prison that will be operated publicly.
May 26,
2007 The Scotsman
THE new Nationalist government is studying radical plans to nationalise Scotland's only privately-run prison, The
Scotsman can reveal. Kenny MacAskill, the cabinet secretary for justice, has
asked Executive civil servants urgently to tell him what it would cost to
bring the controversial jail into the public ownership. The plan, which has
been confirmed by John Swinney, the cabinet secretary for finance, comes
after moves by the new government to stop the building of two new private
prisons in Scotland. Mr MacAskill is looking at
ways of preventing the proposed 700-capacity prison on the site of the
existing Low Moss jail, near Bishopbriggs, from being run by the private
sector. He has asked officials how much it would cost to buy out the contract
for the Addiewell jail being built in West Lothian.
Now he and his colleagues have gone a step further, asking civil servants if
they can abolish private jails altogether - a longstanding policy of the SNP.
The confirmation of the policy came from Mr
Swinney. When asked by The Scotsman whether the SNP would try to take
Kilmarnock into the Scottish Prison Service, he replied: "We have to
look at what options are available to us and that's what we will do."
Asked whether they would reverse the policy of the previous Labour/Lib Dem administration which supported the use of
Kilmarnock as value for money, he added: "That's where I get into the
ground where I would have to unpick existing arrangements." Mr MacAskill was unavailable to comment. An Executive
spokeswoman confirmed that the new ministers were against private prisons.
She said: "The new government has set out its commitment to a
publicly-owned and run prison service." Derek Turner, the assistant
secretary of the Prison Officers' Association, said: "We welcome any
attempt by the SNP government to bring private prisons into the public
sector." Last night, Labour, which had backed
private prisons when in government, refused to reiterate its support for the
policy. Margaret Curran, Labour's justice
spokeswoman, said only: "Any SNP plans to bring these services back
under direct public control will be scrutinised in
depth by Scottish Labour. "What will be vital
is that they are delivering the best possible value for the public pound,
without compromising standards of delivery."
May 20,
2007 Scotsman
PLANS to build two new prisons using private money are set to be scrapped
by the SNP, in the first major change of policy since it gained power at
Holyrood. Labour insiders claim the plans will cost
as much as £750m over the next 20 years, and will lead to lengthy delays in
easing the current overcrowding crisis. The move to bring two jail projects
back into public control will place the SNP in direct conflict with prison
chiefs and civil servants who have already started signing off the deals with
private firms to construct the desperately needed institutions. The row centres on two 700-capacity prisons at Low Moss near
Bishopbriggs and in Addiewell in West Lothian.
Construction work has already begun at Addiewell,
with a private consortium having been given the contract to start. A bid to
construct Low Moss in the public sector was knocked back by prison chiefs
earlier this month, paving the way for another private deal. The SNP insists
that moving the two jails into the public sector will bring an end to firms
profiteering from imprisonment and - in the long term - benefit the public
purse. The decision by the new SNP government to challenge the move is set to
be one of the first major flashpoints of its period in office.
May 24,
2002
The Scottish Executive's plans for three new privately-built, owned and
operated prisons in Scotland seem in serious trouble. Jim Wallace, the
justice minister who has to defend the proposals, had a bruising encounter
before the Scottish Parliament Justice 1 committee yesterday. Other
than Mr.Wallace and Tony Cameron, chief executive of
the Scottish Prison service, no-one seemed to have a good word for extending
private prisons employing their own guards on the scale envisaged (it would
mean more than one-third of Scotland's prisoners in the private sector, one
of the highest proportions in the world. Elaine Bailey, managing
director of the company that owns Scotland's only private jail, at
Kilmarnock, was this week publicly reprimanded by Christie Grahame, convener
of the justice committee, for taking eight months to provide parliament with
information about the contract. That is not good enough. Prison
officers need a sense of vocation, something the public sector is best placed
to promote. Schools and hospitals are built by the private sector but
publicly run. There is no reason why prisoners should be nay different. (The Herald)
May 23,
2002
Justice Minister Jim Wallace has defended plans to build three new private
prisons in Scotland. Appearing before the Scottish Parliament's Justice
1 committee on Thursday, Mr. Wallace said it was the best way to modernize
the prison system. But one committee member queried the need for extra
prisons, and said non-custodial sentences could ease the prison
population. Following the Prison Estates Review, the Scottish Executive
announced controversial plans to build three private prisons and close those
at Low Moss and Peterhead. (BBC News)
April
20, 2002
Justice
Minister Jim Wallace has delivered his keynote speech at the Liberal Democrat
party's Scottish conference in Perth. Mr Wallace
was pressured by delegates over contentious plans for three new private
prisons in Scotland. Delegates at the conference overwhelmingly passed a
motion that expressed concern over proposals to build and run jails for
profit. One speaker described the proposals as "abhorrent".
George Lyon MSP said the party's rank and file were unhappy with the private
prisons' plan and should make their feelings known. He said: "No one in
the party, from ministers down, are comfortable with the contents of the Prison
Estates' Review. "It is up to everyone in the party to make their views
known." (BBC News)
April
18, 2002
The
Liberal Democrat leader has gone to the defense of Scotland's justice
minister over plans for private prisons. Charles Kennedy said the proposals
by the party's Scottish leader Jim Wallace were not the "preferred
option" but the issues needed to be examined. Mr
Kennedy conceded that he did not envy the "dilemma" Mr Wallace has been confronted by when there was no
enthusiasm for private prisons within the party. Conference managers
will consider a call for an emergency debate on the prisons issue. The motion
expresses regret for the executive's proposals and calls for an alternative
solution which would preserve the pay and conditions of prison staff. (BBC
News)
April
16, 2002
Trades
unionists have renewed their opposition to plans for three new private jails
in Scotland. An emergency motion condemning profit-making from incarceration
has been passed at the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) annual meeting
in Perth. A high-profile campaign is now being planned against the Scottish
Executive's strategy. A review of the Prisons Estate earlier this year by
leading accountancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers said the private jails could
save the executive some £700m. But this figure has been branded
"fundamentally flawed" by a report from two Scottish academics.
STUC delegates said the concept of private prisons was "morally
repugnant" and was a clear attempt to drive down the terms and conditions
of public sector workers. As well as the three new private jails, there are
plans to close Peterhead jail and Low Moss prison,
near Bishopbriggs in Dunbartonshire. Prison officers say the move would mean
a third of prisoners in Scotland being housed by the private sector - a higher
proportion than almost anywhere else in the world. Meanwhile, wives of
prisoners at Peterhead are planning to march
through the town in protest against plans to close the jail. There have been
warnings of industrial action if the executive presses ahead with the policy.
(BBC News)
April
15, 2002
Plans
to open three new private prisons in Scotland have been strongly criticised in an independent report. Academics at
Strathclyde and Stirling universities have described as "fundamentally
flawed" the figures used to justify the decision to create the new
jails. The costs were drawn up by the leading accountancy firm
PricewaterhouseCoopers, which said the private option could save the Scottish
Executive £700m. It based its figures on a projection that the prison
population would rise by 1,000 over the next 10 years to 7,200. But the
universities' report, compiled by Professor Christine Cooper and senior
lecturer Phil Taylor, says the firm has "hugely inflated" the cost
of new prisons being funded solely by the taxpayer. It argues that if prison
populations fall - as ministers insist will be the case - the private option
is likely to be very costly. "Making a profit from what society has
deemed to be criminal behaviour requiring
incarceration is seen as ethically wrong," it goes on. Officers also
point to the sometimes troubled history of Kilmarnock, Scotland's only
private jail in operation so far. (BBC News)
March
29, 2002
Justice Minister Jim Wallace announced his plans for the construction of
three new private prisons in Scotland last week - with one expected to be
built in Rutherglen. Despite leaked information from the Scottish Prison
Service indicating that Farme Cross in Rutherglen
is in the frame for a new-build private prison the Deputy First Minister refused
to comment on or even admit Rutherglen was on the Scottish Executive's short
list. (The Reformer)
January
13, 2002
The prisons watchdog has been sacked by the Scottish Executive after he
published a string of damning reports identifying a growing culture of crisis
within the country's penal system. Sources say Clive Fairweather - who
last year branded conditions in Scotland's biggest jail as "vile" -
was only told his £50,000 post would be advertised the day before it appeared
in the national press. His sacking has sparked accusations that the
Executive has removed him to make way for its controversial plan to further privatise the prison system. Fairwether,
a former SAS colonel, has consistently railed against more private jails for
Scotland, arguing that it would be too expensive and erode public sector
morale. (Scotland on Sunday)
April 11, 2001
The Scottish Trade Union Congress was today expected to accuse Justice
Minister Jim Wallace of encouraging "modern day slavery" by
allowing the proliferation of private prisons in Scotland. A motion, in
the name of the Prison Officers' Association (Scotland), condemns privately
run jails as "morally repugnant". The motion, which has the
support of the STUC leadership, reads: "This congress condemns any
further proliferation of private prisons in Scotland. "In doing
so, congress recognises that it is morally
repugnant to lock someone up and remove their freedom for the sake of
profit. "Congress further recognises
that such a practice is the 21st century equivalent of modern-day slavery,
where a person is sold to someone profit." (Evening News-Edinburgh)
Group 4
9
November 2013 heraldscotland.com
A
PRISONER has escaped from custody while on an escorted visit to a relative.
Police have warned Sean McGregor, 31, may be a danger to the public and
should not be approached. He escaped from G4S custody at about 1.45pm on
Thursday while on escorted leave to visit a relative in Patna, East Ayrshire.
McGregor was imprisoned for four years for assault and robbery in September
2011. At the time he was serving 16 months for possession of a weapon,
imposed in February 2011. The Ayrshire area is being searched and officers
are appealing for information about his whereabouts. Detective Chief
Inspector John Hogg, of Ayrshire CID, said: "I would advise that Mr McGregor may present a danger to the public and people
are advised not to approach him if seen but to contact police. Officers are
continuing with a search of the area, making contact with known associates
and checking CCTV in an effort to trace Mr
McGregor. "I would appeal to Mr McGregor to
give himself up and make contact with Police Scotland with a view to handing
himself in. I would also like to reassure people that Police Scotland will
have an increased high-profile police presence in the Ayrshire area until Mr McGregor is traced and arrested." McGregor
admitted assaulting a shop assistant and snatching hundreds of pounds from
her till after brandishing a knife at her on January 18, 2011. When he was
sentenced, the High Court in Edinburgh heard he had panicked when challenged
by a customer, dropping cash and his knife as he tried to flee. Lord Bannatyne said at the time that his record was
"wholly dreadful". A G4S spokesman said yesterday: "The
prisoner was granted this special leave on licence
which means he was authorised to be out of prison
custody but subject to certain conditions. "On-licence
leave is a privilege that is earned. Therefore, it is disappointing the
prisoner made the decision to undermine the trust placed in him. "As is
the normal procedure, a full report into the circumstances of the incident
will be submitted to the Scottish Prison Service."
August 16, 2009 Sunday Mail
A SECURITY guard took a day off... so he could steal £40,000 from a shop
where he usually delivered cash. John Liddell used his own motor as the
getaway car and was caught when it was spotted speeding away from the scene
on CCTV. He later claimed he had been paid £1000 for information which he
used to pay off drug debts. Liddell, 33, sat in the car with an unnamed
getaway driver while a third gang member Gary Owen pounced on his Group 4
Securicor colleagues. Owen, 21, snatched the cash from guards Ann McIntosh
and Roderick O'Donnell, who were delivering money to fill the cash machine at
a Spar store in Barrhead, East Renfrewshire. The
female guard was barged to the ground before being punched and kicked on the
head. Prosecutor Andrew Miller told the High Court in Glasgow: "The shop
would normally have been covered by Liddell. "However, he and his usual
partner were on leave with the result McIntosh and O'Donnell dealt with the
delivery." Shamed dad-of-one Liddell, of Carmyle,
Glasgow, was identified as being the front passenger in the car. His home was
searched and £8580 from the raid was seized. The remaining £31,420 was never
recovered. Liddell admitted the Ford Mondeo getaway car was his but denied
knowing who committed the robbery. He claimed he had been "afraid"
of the people behind the raid and had been paid £5000 from the stolen money. Mr Miller added: "He stated that he told 'them'
where the security van with the money would be and that he provided this
information to repay a drug debt of £1000." Liddell and Owen, of Shettleston, Glasgow, face jail when they are sentenced
next month after admitting assault and robbery. The pair were also accused of
stealing a security box holding £40,000 at a shop in Castlemilk
last March. Owen faced further allegations that he was involved in two other
security raids, stealing a total of £35,300. However, not guilty pleas to
those charges were accepted. G4S Cash Services said: "This employee was
immediately dismissed upon being charged."
May 2, 2008 Edinburgh Evening News
TWO security guards who stole £10,000 of bank notes while on a collection
run have been jailed for six months. Group 4 Security workers Gary Docherty,
41, and Hugh Drummond, 47, each helped themselves to a £5000 bundle of £20
notes when a bag burst in their van. Staff at the Royal Bank of Scotland in
Edinburgh immediately realised there was something
wrong when the pair delivered a case which should have contained £50,000 with
only £40,000 in it. Police were called in after they found notes in
Drummond's rucksack and the officers recovered the rest from Docherty. They
previously pleaded guilty to stealing £10,000 on March 28 this year –
Docherty's birthday – and were sentenced today. The pair had been collecting
cash in plastic cases from branches of the bank when one of the cases burst
at Bruntsfield Place. They continued with their
run, arriving at the RBS cash collection centre in
The Gyle, where the theft was discovered. Solicitor
Andy Gilbertson said Docherty, of Clermiston Drive,
had worked for the firm for 14 years before he carried out the
"spontaneous" crime and had lost his job as a result. He said
Docherty had been suffering stress. "It wasn't a matter of if this crime
would be detected but a matter of when," Mr
Gilbertson added, appealing for a community service order instead of custody.
Solicitor Nigel Bruce said Drummond, of Victoria Road, Harthill, Lanarkshire,
had spent seven years with the firm, before the "moment of
madness".
Kilmarnock Prison (Bowhouse)
Serco (bought Premier, formerly run by Wackenhut)
Nov
17, 2019 dailyrecord.co.uk
Crisis-hit
private prisons to return to public ownership in Scotland
The
Scottish Government move comes amid concerns over the £1.4billion contract
costs for HMP Kilmarnock and Addiewell.
Controversial private Scottish prisons are to be brought back into public
ownership when their contracts end. The Scottish Government move comes amid
concerns over the cost to the taxpayer of HMP Kilmarnock and HMP Addiewell. We can reveal the final bill will be just
under £1.4billion by the end of the contracts. The £368million contract for Kilmarnock , run by Serco, was awarded in 1997 and is due
to expire in 2024. Addiewell’s contract began in
2006 and expires in 2034. The West Lothian jail is operated by Sodexo Justice
Services. Union officials want the deal terminated early despite the
Scottish Government being liable for a financial penalty. Kilmarnock and Addiewell were built under the Private Finance Initiative
(PFI). Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf revealed the plans at a meeting with
the Prison Officers Association (POA) Scotland in the Borders. Welcoming
Yousaf’s plan, Andy Hogg, assistant general secretary of POA Scotland, said:
“The cost of bringing in Addiewell earlier would be
expensive. “However that needs to be balanced with
the incredible payments that have been left as an absurd legacy of the failed
PFI schemes.” A Sodexo spokesman said: “Sodexo are proud to hold the 25-year
contract to operate HMP Addiewell and will work
with the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to deliver the best service we can.
“We look forward to Kilmarnock transferring to the control of the SPS in
2024. Serco declined to comment. The Scottish Government said: “We have
always maintained that prisons should be managed by the public sector and
not run for profit by private companies. “That is why private prisons will
come into public ownership after their contracts expire.” There have been
problems at both jails in recent months. Addiewell
has been hit by staff shortages leading to a prisoner revolt in which several
cell were set on fire. Director of Addiewell Ian Whitehead left his job while a female
officer resigned after failing a drugs test this
month. In August, about 60 prisoners in Kilmarnock were involved in disturbance
following a drugs crackdown.
Nov 13, 2016 mirror.co.uk
Kickboxing guard on prison drugs rap after cannabis is 'smuggled into
private jail'
Scottish heavyweight boxing contender Ian Gibson allegedly brought in
cannabis after being threatened by a jail kingpin lifer. A kickboxing prison
guard has been charged with smuggling drugs into a private jail. Ian Gibson,
35, was held by police at HMP Kilmarnock in East Ayrshire then spent the
weekend in custody. The heavyweight boxer has been charged with dealing
cannabis at the privately run prison. Gibson allegedly brought in the drugs
after being threatened by a notorious inmate inside for murder. The prison
guard's solicitor Simon Brown said: “A positive line of defence
is being pursued.” Gibson is a well-known kickboxer, boxer and strongman
athlete. Earlier this year, he lost a fight for the Scottish heavyweight
boxing title. He was arrested on November 4 after he was searched at the
jail, known locally as Bowhouse. Drugs were
allegedly found stashed at a toilet and drug-related items taken from
Gibson’s car. Gibson, of Irvine, appeared in private at Kilmarnock Sheriff
Court last Monday. He faced a single charge of possessing cannabis with
intent to supply. Gibson made no plea. The case was continued and he was
released on bail. Prosecutors have a year to bring him to trial. He has not
been charged in relation to the other items found in his vehicle. Gibson and
his lawyers are due to discuss the case with detectives this week. It’s
alleged a high-profile prisoner, currently serving life at the jail for
murder, threatened Gibson. A source told the Daily Record
: “The claim is effectively he was blackmailed. It’s alleged the
drugs were then brought into the jail after this. “There’s now this
allegation that cannabis was taken into Bowhouse,
where he is a prison officer. “It’s possible that any charges in this case
may eventually become part of a bigger conspiracy investigation.” During the
commentary for one of Gibson’s fights available online, he is described as a
“no-nonsense heavyweight”. He lost his title fight after being knocked out by
Eric Majda at Strathclyde Country Park Hotel in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire, on July 2. But he scored a
first-round win against Manchester fighter Liam Crawley. More than 300 fans
were at the kickboxing and boxing night in Irvine. Gibson states on his
Facebook page that he was a mechanical engineer before getting his job at the
prison. He said last week: “I am not able to say anything about this at the
moment.” His solicitor added: “We’re co-operating with police and I’m unable
to comment further.” The Scottish Prison Service said staffing issues at the
jail were a matter for Serco, who operate HMP Kilmarnock. Serco confirmed
Gibson is no longer employed by them. Michael Guy, Serco contract director at
the prison, said: “We work very hard to prevent contraband being smuggled
into HMP Kilmarnock and we take a zero-tolerance attitude towards any such activity.
“Recently, working closely with the police, we undertook a search and we’re
pleased that as a result an individual was arrested and charged.” Police
confirmed a report had gone to the procurator fiscal.
Jun 4, 2016 dailyrecord.co.uk
Warders at private prison cleared by sheriff over brutal jail murder
A COURT has ruled that staff at Kilmarnock Prison could not have foreseen
the murder of an accused rapist by a fellow inmate. A SHERIFF has cleared
prison staff of blame for the brutal murder of a prisoner in a private jail.
Rape accused Michael Cameron, 21, was on remand at HMP Kilmarnock when he was
battered by inmate David Martin in June 2006. Martin, on remand for another
killing, was caught on camera kicking, stamping and pouring boiling water on
Cameron. Following a fatal accident inquiry, Sheriff Susan Sinclair ruled
that staff at the Serco-run jail could not have foreseen the murder. The
inquiry heard claims the prisoners should not have been put together in the
same ward in a health care wing. It was also alleged two staff failed to
intervene when Cameron was first attacked. But Sheriff Sinclair said: “There
can be absolutely no criticism of either for their actions on that evening.
They did everything that could possibly safely be done.” Martin was jailed
for a minimum of 18 years for the killing while co-accused Andrew Kiltie, 28,
was deemed insane and unfit to stand trial. The sheriff said there had only
been staff failings in relation to filling out paperwork.
Jan 12, 2016 holyrood.com
Scottish Government ministers have confirmed plans to broaden the scope of
freedom of information laws later this year. Contractors who run Scotland's
two private prisons at Addiewell and Kilmarnock
will be subject to FOI requests from September, as will providers of secure
accommodation for children, grant-aided schools and independent special
schools. The announcement comes almost a year to the day since Scottish
Information Commissioner Rosemary Agnew claimed powers to extend FOI to
non-public sector bodies delivering public services as a result of
outsourcing had been “woefully underused”. The government also looks set to
give into pressure to include housing associations after acknowledging there
are “persuasive arguments favouring extension” to
registered social landlords (RSLs). A full consultation on the proposal will
take place this year. Ministers have the power to extend FOI to third parties
providing public services under Section 5 of the Freedom of Information
(Scotland) Act 2002, though have only done so once to encompass bodies
providing culture and leisure services on behalf of local authorities. A
consultation was launched in June last year on extending coverage to four
separate types of organisation. Implementation will
now go ahead five months after originally planned due to concerns about
rushed timescales. Ministers also intend to relax a requirement to respond to
requests within 20 working days for “certain bodies in certain
circumstances”. Agnew said: “We are pleased about the further extension of
FOI, and hope this current order is simply the next in a series. “Extension
to these organisations will give the public a right
to information about performance, standards and how public money is
spent. It will also place a duty on organisations to publish information proactively. “Over
the coming months we’ll be working with the organisations
to help them prepare for their new responsibilities, to ensure that they are
ready by the September deadline.” Though ministers initially said they were
not “persuaded of the merits” of extending coverage to housing associations,
views were sought on which other bodies should be brought under FOI as part
of the recent consultation. A “considerable number” of responses backed a
petition currently before Holyrood requesting that housing associations fall
under the Act, while the Scottish Information Commissioner has pressed for
the move to be made. “Given this combination of factors we are now of the
view that there are persuasive arguments favouring
extension of coverage of FOISA to registered social landlords and that the
sector should be formally consulted in order to fully explore the issues
involved and consider which of their functions should be subject to FOISA,”
said the Scottish Government in its response. “We therefore propose to
consult the RSL sector in tandem with this year’s review of the Scottish
Social Housing Charter.” Since the FOI Act came into force in 2005, over
15,000 Scottish households have lost FOI rights following the transfer of
local authority housing stock to housing associations, according to the
Scottish Information Commissioner.
Jan 12, 2016
holyrood.com
Government confirms plans to extend freedom of information reach
Scottish Government ministers have confirmed plans to broaden the scope
of freedom of information laws later this year. Contractors who run
Scotland's two private prisons at Addiewell and
Kilmarnock will be subject to FOI requests from September, as will providers
of secure accommodation for children, grant-aided schools and independent
special schools. The announcement comes almost a year to the day since
Scottish Information Commissioner Rosemary Agnew claimed powers to extend FOI
to non-public sector bodies delivering public services as a result of
outsourcing had been “woefully underused”. The government also looks set to
give into pressure to include housing associations after acknowledging there
are “persuasive arguments favouring extension” to
registered social landlords (RSLs). A full consultation on the proposal will
take place this year. Ministers have the power to extend FOI to third parties
providing public services under Section 5 of the Freedom of Information
(Scotland) Act 2002, though have only done so once to encompass bodies
providing culture and leisure services on behalf of local authorities. A
consultation was launched in June last year on extending coverage to four
separate types of organisation. Implementation will
now go ahead five months after originally planned due to concerns about
rushed timescales. Ministers also intend to relax a requirement to respond to
requests within 20 working days for “certain bodies in certain
circumstances”. Agnew said: “We are pleased about the further extension of
FOI, and hope this current order is simply the next in a series. “Extension
to these organisations will give the public a right
to information about performance, standards and how public money is spent. It will also place a duty on organisations to publish information proactively. “Over
the coming months we’ll be working with the organisations
to help them prepare for their new responsibilities, to ensure that they are
ready by the September deadline.” Though ministers initially said they were
not “persuaded of the merits” of extending coverage to housing associations,
views were sought on which other bodies should be brought under FOI as part
of the recent consultation. A “considerable number” of responses backed a
petition currently before Holyrood requesting that housing associations fall
under the Act, while the Scottish Information Commissioner has pressed for
the move to be made. “Given this combination of factors we are now of the
view that there are persuasive arguments favouring
extension of coverage of FOISA to registered social landlords and that the
sector should be formally consulted in order to fully explore the issues
involved and consider which of their functions should be subject to FOISA,”
said the Scottish Government in its response. “We therefore propose to
consult the RSL sector in tandem with this year’s review of the Scottish
Social Housing Charter.” Since the FOI Act came into force in 2005, over
15,000 Scottish households have lost FOI rights following the transfer of
local authority housing stock to housing associations, according to the
Scottish Information Commissioner.
March 1, 2012 STV
Scotland's first private prison has been criticised
by inspectors for the "limited" activities provided for inmates.HM
Chief Inspector of Prisons Brigadier Hugh Monro has
now called for improvements in the work and education programmes
at HMP Kilmarnock. He also called for the overall standard of healthcare at
the facility to be reviewed. The latest inspection report claimed out-of-cell
activities at the jail were "limited and lack stimulation". It said
"too few prisoners" attended the workshops, and that "too few
prisoners also attend education and the educational facility is under-utilised". The report complained that
"large numbers of prisoners are not engaged in purposeful
activity". It also stated that access to activities was not good enough,
with only 40% of prisoners out of the house blocks during the day. Just 200
prisoners were taking part in work during the latest inspection, and Brig Monro said: "I was not satisfied that the quality of
work was sufficiently good. In some workshops some prisoners have no work to
do and spend much of the time drinking tea or watching other prisoners who do
have work allocated to them." Brig Monro
recommended that access to work, vocational training and education at the
jail is improved, and the quality of education and work should also be
better. The report described the education programme
as "limited and under-developed". It added: "Low numbers of
prisoners access education programmes. A total of
139 prisoners out of a prison population of approximately 640 regularly
attend education classes. This represents only 22% of the prison
population." Brig Monro accepted there were
"good points in the prison's healthcare provision, not least the mental
health area, smoking cessation, dental treatment and alcohol programme".
July 3, 2011 Scotland on Sunday
A PRIVATE prison has been confirmed as the "softest" in Scotland
with one in three inmates who break the rules escaping punishment. Kilmarnock
prisoners committed more than 17,500 offences in the past five years, the
highest of any adult prison in Scotland. The figures include almost 2,000
cases of assault, drug abuse and destruction of prison property. But
statistics for punishments handed out show that a third escaped with a
caution, no action or had their case dismissed. The same figures reveal
Shotts has the toughest discipline. Despite having fewer cases of drugs and
assaults than Kilmarnock, it only lets off 7 per cent of prisoners. Critics
of Kilmarnock have claimed that, to save cash, it operates with fewer staff
per prisoner, meaning inmates are effectively in control. Details of how
Kilmarnock operates are difficult to extract because of strict
confidentiality surrounding the private deal, which will cost taxpayers £130
million over 25 years. But the statistics on offences and punishments suggest
staff are struggling to control its 550 inmates.
December 3, 2010 Kilmarnock Standard
A NURSE claimed he was ‘outed’ as gay by prison bosses during an
investigation into homophobic bullying at HMP Kilmarnock. Steven Ross, from Coatbridge, has been at a tribunal this week. He lodged a
grievance in December, 2008 against colleagues at the jail who he said made
homophobic remarks. Mr Ross was sent on gardening
leave in January, 2009 while the investigation was carried out. At an
employment tribunal in Glasgow, before judge Shona MacLean, Mr Ross has lodged a claim against Serco, who run the
Kilmarnock prison, claiming he was discriminated against on the grounds of
his sexual orientation. Mr Ross told the tribunal
that he was subjected to bullying and harassment by colleagues who made
comments such as he took “fag breaks” and about him “eating fairy cakes”. Mr Ross, who worked as a mental health nurse at the
prison, told the hearing someone asked if he could be trusted on the
nightshift alone because he was gay. Mr Ross,
represented by lawyer Louise Bain, also said he was asked if he was a ‘giver
or a taker’. He described feeling isolated and said he could not sleep and
had poor concentration. The tribunal heard that afterwards Mr Ross gave Iain Donnelly, the deputy director of
custodial health at the prison, names of those who allegedly made the
comments and also witnesses. However, in February, during a conversation with
Mr Donnelly, Mr Ross was
shocked to learn 38 people had been interviewed. Mr
Ross, who appeared upset and close to tears, said: “I couldn’t believe Iain Donnelly
had outed me to so many people in the prison. I could not believe he had done
this, I was devastated.” He added: “I felt that my human rights had been
violated by this man.”
August 5, 2010 STV
A prisoner who died in a privately-run jail after complaining of chest pains
was told he had indigestion, an inquiry has heard. William Scott, 58, told
other inmates at Kilmarnock prison that he had been feeling increasingly
unwell before his death in September 2009. His son Darren, 33, who was also
an inmate at the Serco-operated prison, said his father was looking grey and
had reported chest pains shortly before his body was discovered in his cell.
But Mr Scott said his father was informed he
probably had indigestion, a fatal accident inquiry heard at Kilmarnock
Sheriff Court. Prison nurse Karen Smith, 50, said Mr
Scott was "relaxed and cheerful" when he saw her on the evening
before his death. Ms Smith said: "He told me
he'd had indigestion and could he have something for it. I asked him how he
knew it could be indigestion as it could have been other things." Mr Scott, of Ayr, told her he had a burning pain, the
inquiry heard. Ms Smith added: "I dispensed
Gaviscon and said if it didn't help to let me know." A prison officer
suggested that Mr Scott might have asked when a
doctor would be available, but Ms Smith said that
she had “no recollection” of such a request. Ms
Smith, a nurse for 30 years, admitted that she forgot to record details of
the consultation on Mr Scott's medical records. She
said she wrote on a Post-it note that Gaviscon had been dispensed but forgot
to transfer it to his notes because of a later emergency at the prison. Lorna
Grierson, 30, a prison custody officer, said she had looked in on Mr Scott when it was time to wake the prisoners but he
was in his bed so she left him there. But later that morning Mr Scott's cell mate asked her to go and check on him. Ms Grierson said: "He appeared not to be breathing
so I called the medical response." Other prison custody officers tried
to revive Mr Scott without success. Ms Grierson admitted prison rules stated officers should
get a verbal response from prisoners when waking them up in the morning. The
inquiry has now ended and Sheriff Elizabeth McFarlane will issue a formal
determination at a later date.
July 28, 2010 Lynn News
Private sector firms which run prisons and maintain schools and hospitals may
face closer scrutiny under Government proposals to make them more accountable
to the public. The Scottish Government is considering broadening the scope of
Freedom of Information (FOI) laws which give anyone the right to obtain
information from publicly-funded bodies such as councils and hospitals about
their activities. A 14-week Government consultation will seek views on
whether more organisations that deliver public
services should be covered by FOI legislation. Those being considered include
the private prison contractors running Addiewell
and Kilmarnock prisons and those which transport prisoners. The Government
believes there are "strong grounds" for Glasgow Housing Association
to be covered given "the level of interest that it attracts".
May 10, 2010 BBC
A man has died while on remand in Kilmarnock Prison, the Scottish Prison
Service (SPS) has said. Paul Murdoch, who was 24, had been awaiting trial on
an attempted murder charge after appearing at Ayr Sheriff Court in February.
He died in the privately-run jail on Saturday. The SPS said his family had
been informed. A fatal accident inquiry into the death of Mr
Murdoch will be held at a later date.
February 10, 2010 Evening Times
Two inmates at Scotland’s first private jail were involved in a late-night
disturbance causing damage to a prison wing. Emergency services were put on
stand-by at HMP Kilmarnock in Ayrshire after trouble flared around 8.30pm and
lasted several hours. Police were alerted and an ambulance team were standing
by at the privately run facility. Two inmates were said to be unhappy about
being in Kilmarnock and sparked a disturbance. Damage was cause to Bravo wing
and at one stage prison officers were forced to withdraw. The inmates tried
to encourage others to get involved but their attempts failed. An
investigation into the incident is expected to get under way later today. A
prison source said: “Two prisoners tried to get a bit heavy with the staff
and caused a disturbance which went on for several hours. “Staff had
temporarily to withdraw but the situation was then dealt with and the prison
returned to normal within a few hours.” Although emergency services were on
the scene, no one is believed to have been injured.
September 9, 2009 BBC
Scotland's Information Commissioner has ordered the release of key
financial data from a £50m PFI contract for Kilmarnock jail. The Scottish
Prison Service (SPS) and the private jail's operator had resisted giving the
information to the union Unison. They argued it would substantially prejudice
the contractor's commercial interests. Unison said it was "a major
victory for the public's right to know". The prison is operated by Serco
on behalf of the Scottish Prison Service. The SPS said it was "currently
considering its response". Information Commissioner Kevin Dunion said the significance of the financial model data
had diminished substantially since the 25-year contract was signed in
November 1997. Unison's Scottish organiser Dave
Watson said the union had long argued there was too much secrecy around PFI
and Public Private Partnership (PPP) contracts. "Too often the public is
denied information about the costs of hospital, school and prison contracts
on the grounds of commercial prejudice or commercial confidentiality,"
he said. "This decision is extremely important and should help pave the
way for greater access to information about all PFI/PPP contracts."
Unison had also requested the Full Business Case (FBC) for the Kilmarnock
Prison, but Mr Dunion
accepted this was not held. Mr Watson added:
"The fact that there is no Full Business Case for the prison speaks
volumes about the way public funding has been wasted on PFI/PPP. "The
public was always told these projects would deliver value for money but has
seen these claims unravel spectacularly over the years. "The figures
have frequently been manipulated, or withheld, or in this case, were not even
calculated beforehand in any meaningful way."
May 24, 2009 Sunday Mail
A ROOKIE guard has been awarded almost £120,000 for stress she suffered
in a prison riot. Ann Hinshelwood says prisoners battled with warders when
they did not get milk and cornflakes for breakfast. The 40-year-old was
trapped behind a glass partition and forced to watch the riot unfold, which she
claims caused her post-traumatic stress disorder. She said: "A lot of
prisoners didn't get the milk and breakfast they were entitled to and they
were bawling and shouting." Hinshelwood also says her training was so
bad she had to ask inmates how to lock their cells. Once she even locked
prisoners out of their cells by mistake because she did not know how to use
the keys properly. Hinshelwood added: "I didn't know what I was doing
and didn't have anyone to help me. I didn't have a clue. "I felt
inadequate and stupid because I didn't know the routine and prisoners were
trying to tell me what to do." Hinshelwood joined HMP Bowhouse in Kilmarnock as a guard having been a prison
office clerk. She was trained from textbooks and, during the sevenweek course, had no practical experience. The riot
escalated after fellow custody officer Mark Ritchie challenged an inmate to a
fight. The riot was finally brought under control by a response team.
Hinshelwood has been on sick leave for the last eight years since she was caught
in the middle of the riot in 2001. She launched the claim against private
prison operators Premier Custodial Group for post-traumatic stress disorder,
depression and stress. Hinshelwood, of Strathaven, Lanarkshire, was awarded
£116,210 last week at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court after a four-year legal
battle. The award was based on her past and future loss of earnings. The
court was told that Hinshelwood had been singled out for promotion and would
have been earning upwards of £30,000 a year by now. She has also launched a
separate claim for legal costs and, if successful, Premier may be forced to
pay out a further £50,000. In his judgment, Sheriff Colin Mackay blamed
Ritchie and his bosses for the events which led to her suffering the trauma.
He said: "It was the duty of Mark Ritchie to take reasonable care for
the safety of fellow members of staff. It was his duty not to get involved in
fights with prisoners. In each and all of these duties he failed. "His
employers at the time are liable for his fault and negligence." The
Kilmarnock prison is regarded as a soft option by many hardened cons. It has
been dubbed the "Killie Hilton" because it has facilities such as a
recording studio and sports hall. All cells have central heating and inmates
are allowed DVD players and TVs. A spokesman for HMP Bowhouse
said yesterday: "We are studying the judgment and will decide what
further legal action to take."
May 22, 2009 Irvine Herald
AN Irvine recycling firm has been ordered to halt using PRISONERS to sort
rubbish from homes across North Ayrshire. The order comes from the local
authority after it emerged a load of waste – including confidential letters
and bank statements – had been handed over to the jail in Kilmarnock to be
sorted by cons. The move sparked fears the prisoners could steal people’s
identities as they sorted through bags of waste paper. It was feared the work
– at the private prison’s industries unit – would leave the public open to
fraud or intimidation because many people fail to shred their waste paper.
This week the council said they were not aware of the deal between Irvine
based Lowmac Alloys and the nick. A spokesman said
only one load had gone to the jail and it had been recovered. He added: “Lowmac have been instructed not to do this again. “This
is a joint contract between the company, ourselves
and South Ayrshire Council.”
May 21, 2009 Ardrossan Herald
The AUTHORITIES are investigating the prison death of a Saltcoats man.
Steven Gibb, of Auchenharvie Road, was found dead
in his cell on Saturday. The 27-year-old was seven months into a
four-and-a-half-year sentence at HM Prison Kilmarnock. The Scottish Prison
Service released a brief statement indicating that next of kin had been
informed and that a fatal accident inquiry would be held. The cause of death
has not yet been established but members of his family told the Herald they
suspect he may have suffered a heart attack. Mr
Gibb, who was serving his first prison sentence, had been taking medicine for
anxiety.
April 20, 2009 BBC
Workers at Scotland's first private jail have called on ministers to hold
an independent inquiry into the prison. The design, construction, financing
and managing of Kilmarnock needs to be urgently looked into,
according to a petition being discussed by MSPs. Holyrood's petitions
committee is discussing a call by William Buntain
"on behalf of staff at HMP Kilmarnock". Kilmarnock, which opened in
1999, is operated by Serco on behalf of the Scottish Prison Service. Mr Buntain raised health and
safety concerns, including that Kilmarnock Prison employees did not have the
same level of access to Pava spray, which he
described as "pepper spray", in the event of a major incident.
Shortly after coming to power, the SNP scrapped plans for a private £100m
prison to replace Low Moss near Bishopbriggs, instead saying it would be run
by the Scottish Prison Service. Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said at the
time prisons should be owned and operated by the public sector.
April 5, 2009 Sunday Mail
THREE wardens at a private jail have been suspended after an inmate's cell
was left unlocked overnight. The incident at Kilmarnock's Bowhouse
Prison is being treated as a major security breach although no prisoners
escaped. Derek Turner, of the Prison Officers Association, said: "This
is a very serious offence. If a prisoner had left his cell in the night he
could have taken a member of staff hostage, got access to keys and opened up
the whole jail . "But when a prisoner has been
left compromised during the night, that is a more serious issue. People could
lose their jobs over this." Two officers who finished their shift at
10pm on Monday are said to have failed to lock the cell when they shut down
the rest of the prisoners for the night. And a guard who was on nightshift
was accused of failing to spot the door was open when he was doing his
rounds. All three have been told to stay at home while an investigation is
carried out. The blunder wasn't discovered until Tuesday morning when the
dayshift came in. The inmate whose cell was left unlocked was also told by
prison bosses that if he had stepped outside his cell he would have been
charged with trying to escape. A source at Bowhouse,
run by service firm Serco, said: "It was fortunate the lad whose cell
was left unlocked was nearing his parole hearing or there could have been
chaos. "A lifer wouldn't have thought twice about leaving his cell and
there could have been real problems." The Scottish Prison Service said:
"Disciplinary matters at HMP Kilmarnock are a matter for the contractor.
But we will be interested in any outcome." Hmp
Kilmarnock said: "Three members of staff are suspended. An investigation
is underway."
January 25, 2009 Sunday Mail
A PRISON doctor fired over claims he caused an inmate to fail a drugs
test has been offered his job back. Dr Hamid Kopal
won an apology from bosses at Scotland's only private jail after an internal
inquest found he was wrongly dismissed. But the doctor could refuse to go
back and sue Bowhouse Prison for more than
£100,000. A prison insider said: "This is a major own goal for the jail.
They've had to admit they were wrong and do a U-turn. "Dr Kopal could decide they've made his position impossible
and sue them. "He is a doctor with a professional reputation to protect
so it would be for a lot of money." Dr Kopal
was booted out as prison medic at the Kilmarnock prison, which is run by
private firm Serco. A con had failed a drugs test and blamed pills prescribed
by Dr Kopal. No record of the prescription for
high-strength painkillers could be found. When it turned up later,
Italian-born Dr Kopal, 52, was accused of trying to
cover up the mistake and fired. But he claimed bosses wanted him out because
he criticised medical care standards at the prison.
He said he was not called immediately when inmate Andrew Sorley complained of
being ill. Sorley died in hospital of meningitis last year. The doctor also
clashed with bosses over attempts to cut costs by reducing medication
prescribed to prisoners. The insider said: "He's a good doctor and
inmates even launched a petition to get him back." Dr Kopal, of Stewarton, Ayrshire,
said: "I have been reinstated and I'm not prepared to say anything
else." Serco said: "This is an ongoing staff issue so we cannot
comment."
November 30, 2008 Sunday Mail
A PRISON doctor has been sacked over claims he caused a con to fail a
drugs test. Hamid Kopal is accused of failing to
record high-strength painkillers he prescribed - then trying to cover it up.
He insists he is the innocent victim of a witch-hunt because he complained
about the standard of medical care. Kopal, 52,
claimed he was not called immediately when prisoner Andrew Sorley complained
of being ill. He died of meningitis in June. The medic has now launched an
appeal against Serco, who run Kilmarnock's Bowhouse
Prison. A friend said: "He's a good doctor and cares about his patients
but the prison authorities just want to run the place as cheaply as
possible." Serco bosses claim Italian-born Kopal
did not record prescribing painkillers to an inmate, who later failed a drugs
test. The doctor insisted records were up to date but a note of the
prescription was later found in the prisoner's file. A jail source said:
"The doctor made a mistake but it's covering up the mistake that is the
problem." Bowhouse said: "This issue is
under investigation." Kopal, of Stewarton, Ayrshire, said: "I can't say anything
because I have to have a meeting with the prison authorities."
July 18, 2008 Sunday Herald
A PRISONER died from suspected meningitis after pleas for
medical help from his cell were overlooked by warders at Kilmarnock Prison, a
Fatal Accident Inquiry is likely to hear. Andrew Sorley had previously fallen
into a coma with the disease and it will be claimed he knew the symptoms. As
he begged to be taken to hospital, it is alleged that staff at Scotland's
only private jail dismissed his claims, saying he was "at it".
Medics did not attend to Sorley until 13 hours after his initial calls for
help and he later died at the Southern General Hospital in Glasgow on June
20. The death, which will be the subject of a Fatal Accident Inquiry (FAI),
raises questions about public health issues and contagion in prisons. Fellow
inmates say Sorley, serving two years for carrying two knives in public, was
heard banging on the door of his cell pleading for help. Prisoners later
tried to revive him after he had collapsed on the floor of his cell. Prisoner
Peter Simpson told the Sunday Herald that warders checked on Sorley three
times during the night but he did not receive medical help until 9am.
Simpson, serving six years for stabbing a man who had shot him in an earlier
attack, said he desperately tried to help Sorley in his cell the next
morning. Sorley's medical records were not sent with the patient to Crosshouse Hospital in Kilmarnock, and as a result diagnosis
was delayed, Simpson claims. Figures from the Scottish Prison Service reveal
that HMP Kilmarnock has a higher than average number of deaths in custody in
Scotland, the Sunday Herald can exclusively reveal. The UK has the highest
level of deaths in custody in Europe. Prisoners are entitled to prompt
medical attention and care under prison rule 33 and the European Convention
on Human Rights. Simpson said Sorley had complained of feeling unwell as
early as 8pm on the evening of Monday, June 16. He claims: "It is also
known that prison staff were aware of Drew's medical status as a head-injured
person and that he had previously been in a coma as a result of meningitis.
"Drew appeared in some distress. He appeared completely disorientated and
needed to lean on the walls to steady himself. It was as if he was drunk.
"Drew was by this time lying on the floor of his cell and a prisoner was
present when Drew told an officer that he knew what was wrong with him. He
told the officer that he had suffered from meningitis in the past and said
the last time he had experienced symptoms like this, his family called an
ambulance and Drew fell into a coma for three days. Simpson claimed staff
said they would see what they could do, but as the officer walked back to the
D wing with the prisoner, it is alleged that the second prisoner was told
Drew was "at it", and "he was probably suffering from the flu
and was only looking for tablets". A month before he died, it is alleged
Sorley complained to prison authorities and submitted a formal medical
complaint claiming he was being denied access to proper medical care. A
Scottish government spokesman said: "The justice secretary Kenny McAskill has repeatedly said that we will put public
safety, not private profit, at the heart of our coherent prisons
policy." The Crown Office declined to disclose how many FAIs had been
held from deaths at Kilmarnock prison, or the total number of FAIs for all
prisons in Scotland. Serco, the private company that runs HMP Kilmarnock,
confirmed there is a nurse or qualified paramedic on each night shift. A
spokeswoman said: "We are not in a position to comment on the cause of
death. We are waiting for the post mortem results. "We can confirm that
our prison officers have first aid training, but cannot confirm that all the
officers working that night had first aid training. A trained nurse was on
duty that night. We are running our own internal inquiry into the death of
Andrew Sorley." She refused to confirm or deny any of the details of the
incident.
June 8, 2008 Sunday Mail
BOSSES at Scotland's only private jail are being taken to court after a
con lost his thumb in the jail's workshop. Barry O'Pray
claims they are to blame for his finger being severed by a circular saw.
Serco - who run Bowhouse jail near Kilmarnock -
have been charged with failing to provide adequate training and supervision
for inmates. It is the first time a jail has been taken to court by the
Health and Safety Executive for putting prisoners at risk. If the criminal
action is successful, it is likely O'Pray will sue
the jail. Serco said: "We will be defending the charges
vigorously." It is thought Serco will argue O'Pray
deliberately injured himself to get compensation and took painkillers before
his thumb was sliced off in January 2007. They will claim he was heard on the
phone after the incident saying: "It's sorted out." O'Pray - who has a string of convictions for various
offences, including dishonesty - was taken to hospital but surgeons could not
save his thumb. The trial will take place at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court in
September. Last night, O'Pray, who is in his 40s,
could not be contacted for comment. A woman who now lives in his former
council flat in Crosshouse, Kilmarnock, said:
"The police are never away from the door looking for him. I had to write
to them to say he no longer lives here." Bowhouse
opened nine years ago and has been hit by a string of security and safety
breaches. Remand prisoner David Martin, 20, was jailed in March for at least
24 years for killing another inmate in the jail's hospital wing last year.
Prison wardens were slammed for not helping the victim while he was attacked.
Last year, two senior officers were suspended - one for a relationship with a
con and the other for allegedly taking bets on when an inmate with cancer
would die. Two years ago, the prison was sued for £200,000 by former guard
Ann Hinshelwood, who claimed she was so badly trained she locked inmates out
of their cells by mistake. Seven men also committed suicide in the prison
between 1999 and 2005. But an inspector recently praised Bowhouse
for its accommodation and prisoners' treatment. The Government pay
£130million over 25 years to have the prison run privately. It has been
dubbed the Killie Hilton due to facilities such as a recording studio, gym,
sports hall and football pitches. All cells have central heating and inmates
are allowed their own DVD players and TVs.
April 27, 2008 Sunday Mail
A PRISONER was caught hiding a contraband mobile phone up his backside -
when warders dialled the number. The cheeky inmate
had no option but to surrender the handset when staff heard his ring tone. A
jail insider said: "They had long suspected he had a phone but couldn't
work out where he kept it. "They somehow got hold of the number and
decided there was only one way of establishing if it was his. "When it
rang he was bouncing off the walls and confessed." The incident at
Kilmarnock jail last week comes amid revelations that Scotland's jails are
flooded with illicit mobiles. Last year, 748 were found - up from 568 in 2006
and just 26 in 2002. Mobiles allow inmates to conduct crime unchecked from
behind bars.
March 20, 2008 BBC
A man who murdered a fellow inmate in a "horrific" prison
attack has been sentenced to at least 24 years in jail. David Martin was
captured on CCTV in June 2007 as he kicked and stamped on Michael Cameron at
Kilmarnock Prison. The judge said questions would be asked about why prison
staff had failed to intervene, but Serco - which runs the private jail -
defended its procedures. The sentence at the High Court in Edinburgh also
covered Martin's killing of Gilbert Grierson in March 2006. Martin was
sentenced to life after admitting murdering Mr
Cameron and was told he would have to serve a minimum of 24 years before he
could apply for parole. That sentence also encompasses his period of
punishment for killing Mr Grierson. The 20-year-old
had previously admitted culpable homicide by killing Mr
Grierson, 46, with knives, scissors, a frying pan and a bottle and setting
his home in Irvine on fire. His attack on Mr
Cameron happened three months after Martin was remanded for killing Mr Grierson, who was his mother's former boyfriend. The
incident, in Kilmarnock Prison's health wing, also saw Martin pour boiling
water over his victim. Mr Cameron was on remand at
the time, accused of rape. A prison officer witnessed the murder but did not
intervene until re-enforcements arrived. Under prison protocol a total of
three custody officers should restrain any one prisoner. Martin's lawyer, Bill
McVicar, described his client as a damaged individual who had a life of
breathtaking deprivation. But the judge, Lord Matthews, said Martin's
background was not an excuse for his actions. "You are no stranger to
violence and it will be difficult to forget the CCTV images showing what you
did to Mr Cameron," he said. "I do not
know what kind of warped morality made you think it was appropriate to act in
that manner. "No doubt questions will be asked
and I know they are already being asked about the fact that this happened in
prison while staff were watching." 'Tragic occurrence' -- Serco
spokesman Michael Clarke said: "There were four prisoners in the
healthcare unit in a ward and there was one prison officer and one nurse in
the immediate area when this horrific attack erupted. "He quite rightly
called for re-enforcements before entering the ward to stop the incident and
within a couple of minutes extra staff had arrived." Figures released
last month by the Scottish Government showed a total of 225 prisoners had
been assaulted at HMP Kilmarnock in the past seven years. Last year, 49
assaults took place - a record number.
February 22, 2008 BBC
The company running Scotland's only private jail will review the case of an
inmate murdered by a fellow prisoner, but said there was no staff shortage.
David Martin, 20, kicked and stamped on Michael Cameron and poured boiling
water over his head, in an attack captured on CCTV. A prison officer and a
nurse witnessed the attack, but the warder could not intervene until reinforcements
arrived. Prison operator Serco told BBC Scotland that staff took the correct
action. At the High Court in Glasgow on Thursday, Martin, on remand for
murder at the time of the prison incident, admitted murdering Cameron.
Another prisoner, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was involved on the
attack on Cameron on 16 June, 2006. The victim was on remand at the time of
the attack, which took place in a four-bed cell in Kilmarnock Prison's health
care wing. Serco spokesman Michael Clarke told the BBC's Good Morning
Scotland programme that Kilmarnock was a
"safe" prison. "It is, however, holding some violent and
unpredictable men," he said. Lessons learned -- "Although we do as
much as we possibly can to minimise the chances of
violence in the prison, given the nature of the people we are looking after
there, we cannot guarantee that there will never be any violent
incidents." Mr Clarke added: "You
wouldn't have enough staff everywhere in the prison to deal with anything
breaking out anywhere, because the prison is quiet at night and there was an
unprovoked, unforeseeable attack in the health care unit. "Staff were
called from other parts of the prison and arrived very quickly." The
incident, he added, would be looked at again and assessment procedures on the
supply of kettles to prisoners reviewed, to see if lessons could be learned.
February 21,
2008 BBC
A killer has admitted murdering a fellow inmate in a prison cell while on
remand at HMP Kilmarnock. David Martin, 20, kicked and stamped on Michael
Cameron and poured boiling water over his head, in an attack captured on
CCTV. A prison officer and a nurse witnessed the attack. The warder could not
intervene until reinforcements arrived. Martin was on remand for murder at
the time but the Crown accepted his plea to a reduced charge of culpable
homicide. Another prisoner, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was
involved on the attack on Mr Cameron on 16 June,
2006 in a four-bed cell in HMP Kilmarnock's health wing. Mr
Cameron was on remand at the time. Prison protocol -- Paul McBride QC said
prison officer Craig Brennan wanted to stop the attack but was ordered by a
superior not to enter the cell until reinforcements arrived. Mr Brennan's boss was concerned for the safety of his
staff. Prison protocol dictates three custody officers should restrain any
one prisoner. Mr McBride said after Martin had been
restrained he attacked Mr Cameron again. He said
the accident and emergency doctor who attended to Mr
Cameron at Crosshouse Hospital had rarely seen
injuries of such severity. HMP Kilmarnock is Scotland's only private prison.
Serco, which runs the prison, said: "Our condolences go to Mr Cameron's family for their tragic loss. "We pay
tribute to the bravery of our staff who showed real courage in restraining
Martin and providing medical assistance to Mr
Cameron." Figures released on Wednesday by the Scottish government
showed a total of 225 prisoners had been assaulted at HMP Kilmarnock in the
past seven years. Last year, 49 assaults took place - a record number.
January 6, 2008 Scotland on Sunday
SCOTLAND’S flagship private jail has emerged as the most violent in the
country in a damning report by the chief inspector of prisons. Kilmarnock -
which has been vaunted by the government as a blueprint for modern prisons -
had the highest number of attacks on warders and the most fireraising
incidents of any jail in Scotland. The report by Clive Fairweather - which
has been seen by Scotland on Sunday - also reveals that Kilmarnock has the
worst staff turnover in the prison service, and that a culture of fear exists
among warders. Fairweather’s safety and crime prevention report reveals that
in 12 months up to March 1 this year, 21 fires had been started at Kilmarnock
and there were 29 assaults on staff - the highest for both categories in the
prison service. It shows that prisoner discipline is the worst in any
Scottish jail and that violence among inmates is rife. The report, says:
"The prison was operating 13 staff under complement at the time of inspection,
which was adding considerable pressure to an already difficult staffing
situation." Fairweather added: "Custody officers claimed that
staffing levels could at times be dangerously low, especially in ‘A’ wing and
at weekends. They said that two members of staff had been assaulted over the
past year, while there had also been a large number of less serious
incidents. "We sensed generally that staff seemed to be even more
concerned about safety than they had been a year ago (and being under
complement could also have contributed to this). Examples were cited where it
was impossible to arrange relief cover for toilet breaks, meaning that
prisoners were left unsupervised, except by CCTV, during these periods."
The findings of last month’s two-day inspection - the third since Kilmarnock
opened in 1999 - are certain to embarrass ministers, who three weeks ago
announced controversial plans to build a further three private jails in
Scotland. Two anonymous letters, written by concerned staff at the jail and
passed to Scotland on Sunday, will also add pressure on the Scottish
Executive to scrap the strategy. Critics of the programme
say privately operated prisons are most likely to try to save money by
cutting back on staff, despite the risk that poses to warders and prisoners
alike. Commercial confidentiality means the operators of private jails do not
have to reveal their staffing levels. One prison officer claims
in his letter that "the only reason that staff have not been seriously
injured is because of the goodwill of the prisoners". It goes on:
"When staff object or refuse to open wings [containing 60-80 prisoners]
alone, they are pressurised by management. There
are quite a lot of staff relatively new to the prison and they feel that
their jobs are under threat if they do not comply. "I know for a fact
that there is not enough staff to monitor all the cameras. There are two
members of staff in this area to answer two telephones, operate electronic
doors, communicate with radio users and deal with all alarms. It is not
surprising that staff have no time to monitor wings or worksheds.
"Staff feel that there have never been enough staff in the prison but this has become worse than ever and we feel
that urgent action has to be taken." The other prison officer writes:
"Staff shortages occur on a day-to-day basis throughout the prison.
Staff regularly phone in sick due to stress. Everything the prisoners request
they receive - televisions, DVDs, Game Boys, guitars, music centres, ghetto blasters. The phrase ‘inmates taking over
the asylum’ comes to mind. It is about time an investigation into Kilmarnock
was carried out." The revelations have angered opposition politicians
and the prison officers’ union, who have branded Kilmarnock an
"explosion waiting to happen". Derek Turner, assistant secretary of
the Prison Officers Association Scotland, said: "A lot of things
mentioned as being of concern in last year’s report have not been addressed.
When you look at the number of custody officers it is no wonder that there
are so many assaults against them." Michael Matheson, the SNP’s deputy
justice spokesman, said: "What is extremely concerning is that the
situation at Kilmarnock, which was bad last year in terms of assaults among
prisoners and against staff, appears to have deteriorated further.
"Given the extremely serious nature of a number of these findings, [the
jail’s operators] Premier Prisons have got a lot of explaining to do. I want
to have answers quickly as to what they propose to do to address the problem.
It appears to be a prison that is going from bad to worse." A spokesman
for Premier Prisons said: "Clive Fairweather’s report makes it clear
that Kilmarnock continues to excel in many areas. There have been major
reductions in staff turnover. People will use Kilmarnock as a stick to beat
the Scottish Executive over the head with regards to privatisation.
But they are adopting this policy so someone at the top must think that it is
a good idea."
December 13, 2007 BBC
A prisoner has been found dead in his cell at Scotland's private prison, the
Scottish Prison Service (SPS) has said. Stewart McBlain,
67, was remanded in custody on Monday and taken to HM Prison Kilmarnock while
awaiting trial. Prison officers found him dead in his cell on Wednesday. It
is understood he hanged himself. A spokesman for the SPS said: "Police
and next of kin have now been informed and a fatal accident inquiry will be
held in due course."
September 5, 2007 The Herald
Low-paid prison officers employed in the private sector are more vulnerable
to the temptation of corruption, according to Kenny MacAskill. The Justice
Secretary told MSPs yesterday that is one of the reasons why he does not want
to see private companies running prisons. He said the only way corporations
can run prisons more cheaply than the public sector is by having lower wages
for staff, compromising security and morale. Appearing before Holyrood's
Justice Committee, the Justice Minister disclosed the wide gulf in
prisoner-warder ratios between the public sector and Kilmarnock Prison, with
4500 staff for a prison population of more than 7000, while the Ayrshire
prison has 200 staff for 550 inmates. Mr MacAskill
said some of that was because of the design of old prisons, and that the only
saving from the private sector provision of prisons is in the wage bill:
"I believe the prison officers in Scotland do an excellent job in very
difficult circumstance, and I think we have to reward and treat them fairly.
"I believe any strategy seeking to reduce what they are paid would not only
damage them, it would damage security in our prisons." His appearance
before the committee came days after the minister promised a radical shift in
prison policy.
August 19, 2007 Sunday Mail
TWO senior prison officers have been suspended - one over her relationship
with a con and another for allegedly taking bets on when an inmate with
cancer would die. HMP Bowhouse in Kilmarnock -
Scotland's only private prison - has been rocked by investigations into Wendy
Hopkins and colleague Robert Crawford. Hopkins was suspended amid claims of
an "inappropriate relationship" with prisoner David Goldie after
she allegedly secured a job at the jail to be close to him. Crawford was sent
home after being accused of running a book on when an alleged sex offender
with cancer would die. Both officers deny the claims. Jail bosses told
Hopkins, 28, to leave last Friday following an anonymous tip-off about her
alleged closeness to Goldie before gathering their own
"intelligence". Claims include she smuggled a mobile phone into his
cell. But the probe will centre round a tip-off she
applied for the job to be close to Goldie after he was sent there to serve a
sentence for assault. An insider said: "They were said to have been in a
relationship before he was banged up. "It's really bizarre - nobody has
ever heard of anything like it before. "The gossip is that they were an
item and when he got banged up she got herself a job
here so they could be together. "There is CCTV everywhere in here so it
isn't exactly the sort of thing that could be kept hidden. "She has been
accused of smuggling stuff into him but bosses are staying really
tight-lipped about it." At her home near Lesmahagow
in Lanarkshire, the prison officer admitted she knew Goldie but denied they
were in a relationship. She said: "I have been suspended but I don't
even know why. "All they said was that they have received intelligence
about me. Some people in the prison don't like me. I don't know what I'm
supposed to have done. I am waiting for an interview. I'm gobsmacked
by this." Last night a spokesman for Serco, the private firm which
operates the prison, said: "As soon as this came to our attention we took action. "If there was an
inappropriate relationship then that cannot be tolerated and now the
disciplinary process must run its course." Goldie was transferred from Bowhouse to Greenock Prison the day before Hopkins was
suspended. Insiders claim the move was linked to the probe but Hopkins said:
"He was transferred because he was fighting." Prison chiefs are
also investigating claims that Hopkins' colleague Crawford ran a sick
sweepstake on when a terminally ill inmate would die. The prisoner is a
cancer sufferer on remand as he waits to be charged with sex offences.
Crawford faces disciplinary action. A prison insider said: "As in every
prison, all suspected sex offenders are reviled but this bloke is on his way
out and it is being taken very seriously. "Crawford was told to leave a
week past Friday. He's a popular guy and everyone was shocked. But if he was
caught doing this it has to go down as a bit of a stupid error. "This
does the profession no good at all." At his home in a converted stable
block near Kilmarnock, Crawford declined to comment. A spokesman for HM
Prison Kilmarnock Bowhouse said: "An employee
has been suspended pending a disciplinary investigation. It is very
disappointing." The prison is dubbed the "Killie Hilton"
because of soft conditions. Inmates have been given Setanta
SPL football games for free and there are DVD players, TVs and videos in
every cell. There are also personal trainers, gyms and officers bring inmates
papers and milk in the morning.
May 26, 2007 The Scotsman
THE new Nationalist government is studying radical plans to nationalise Scotland's only privately-run prison, The
Scotsman can reveal. Kenny MacAskill, the cabinet secretary for justice, has
asked Executive civil servants urgently to tell him what it would cost to
bring the controversial jail into the public ownership. The plan, which has
been confirmed by John Swinney, the cabinet secretary for finance, comes
after moves by the new government to stop the building of two new private
prisons in Scotland. Mr MacAskill is looking at
ways of preventing the proposed 700-capacity prison on the site of the
existing Low Moss jail, near Bishopbriggs, from being run by the private
sector. He has asked officials how much it would cost to buy out the contract
for the Addiewell jail being built in West Lothian.
Now he and his colleagues have gone a step further, asking civil servants if
they can abolish private jails altogether - a longstanding policy of the SNP.
The confirmation of the policy came from Mr
Swinney. When asked by The Scotsman whether the SNP would try to take
Kilmarnock into the Scottish Prison Service, he replied: "We have to
look at what options are available to us and that's what we will do."
Asked whether they would reverse the policy of the previous Labour/Lib Dem administration which supported the use of
Kilmarnock as value for money, he added: "That's where I get into the
ground where I would have to unpick existing arrangements." Mr MacAskill was unavailable to comment. An Executive
spokeswoman confirmed that the new ministers were against private prisons.
She said: "The new government has set out its commitment to a
publicly-owned and run prison service." Derek Turner, the assistant
secretary of the Prison Officers' Association, said: "We welcome any
attempt by the SNP government to bring private prisons into the public
sector." Last night, Labour, which had backed
private prisons when in government, refused to reiterate its support for the
policy. Margaret Curran, Labour's justice
spokeswoman, said only: "Any SNP plans to bring these services back
under direct public control will be scrutinised in
depth by Scottish Labour. "What will be vital
is that they are delivering the best possible value for the public pound,
without compromising standards of delivery."
October 30, 2006 BBC
An inmate at Scotland's only private prison has died. Jason Ritchie, 30, was
found dead by prison staff in his cell at HMP Kilmarnock in East Ayrshire. He
was convicted at Glasgow High Court on 8 November 2005 of assault to severe
injury and permanent disfigurement. An investigation is under way. A
spokesman for the Scottish Prison Service said: "Police and next of kin
have been informed and a fatal accident inquiry will be held in due
course."
September 22, 2006 Scotsman
The governor of Scotland's only private prison appeared in court
yesterday to explain why an inmate was set free. An agent for Bowhouse jail's Wendy Sinclair said the Kilmarnock prison
had not received the man's arrest warrant.
September 18, 2006 The Scotsman
A PRISON officer at Scotland's only private jail has resigned after
failing a drugs test. The 32-year-old was tested after being suspected of
taking the prescription tranquiliser Benzodiazepine
at Kilmarnock prison. A spokesman for Serco, the jail's operator, said he
resigned before action was taken against him.
June 30, 2006 The Scotsman
TWO teenage prisoners have been sent for trial charged with murdering an
inmate at Scotland's only private jail. David Martin, 19, and Andrew Kiltie,
18, are accused of punching, kicking and stamping Michael Cameron, 21, to
death at Kilmarnock prison on 16 June.
June 18, 2006 BBC
A 21-year-old prisoner has died following a disturbance at the privately-run
Kilmarnock prison. Michael Cameron from North Ayrshire was taken to Crosshouse Hospital with serious injuries at about 2330
BST on Friday but died on Saturday morning. Two other prisoners, aged 18 and
19, have been arrested in connection with the death and are due to appear at
Kilmarnock Sheriff Court on Monday. A report will be sent to the procurator
fiscal's office.
June 18, 2006 Sunday Mail
A MURDER investigation was launched yesterday after a prisoner was beaten
to death in Kilmarnock jail. The 21-year-old victim, a remand prisoner, was
attacked in the hospital wing of the maximum security private prison late on
Friday night. He was taken to Crosshouse Hospital,
Kilmarnock, where he later died from multiple injuries. Two teenage prisoners
were arrested yesterday and charged with his murder. Both are expected to
appear at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court tomorrow on the murder charge. A police
spokeswoman confirmed last night: "A 21-year-old man has died following
an incident within HM Prison Kilmarnock. The prisoner sustained serious
injuries following a disturbance at around 11.20pm on Friday. "A report
has been sent to the Procurator Fiscal. "Two men aged 18 and 19 have
been arrested and are presently detained in custody in connection with the
death." Police said that the dead man would not be identified until
relatives had been informed.
September 14, 2005 The Herald
RELIANCE, the private security firm criticised over
a series of prisoner escapes, has lost the multi-million pound contract for
tagging offenders in Scotland. The initial £14m deal was awarded to Reliance
Monitoring in January 2002 before being extended for a further 12 months,
worth £8m, earlier this year. However, Serco, the com-pany
which runs Scotland's only private prison, has now been awarded preferred
bidder status for the tender to operate electronic monitoring on teenage and
adult offenders from next April until 2011. The Scottish Executive is
expected to make an official announcement next month. Critics believe the
monitoring firm lost favour after its sister
company, Reliance Custodial Services, took over prisoner escort
responsibilities in April 2004. Just days into the seven-year £126m
contract's roll-out, the firm allowed a number of prisoners to escape,
including James McCormick, a convicted killer who was aged 17. The decision
to award the contract to Serco is also expected to prove controversial. Serco
owns Premier Custodial Services, the firm which runs Kilmarnock prison, and
was rebuked earlier this year following claims of staff shortages and
negligence. A BBC reporter found evidence that warders failed to carry out
suicide checks, despite six suicides at the jail in a five-year period. The programme also claimed that officers failed to report
offences, including heroin use, which would attract a fine, to protect the
income of the jail's operator. The screening of Prison Undercover: The Real
Story led to three staff being removed from their duties and an internal
investigation by Premier. A fatal accident inquiry earlier this year into the
suicide of an inmate at the prison in 2002 was highly critical of failures to
monitor him. Premier said a number of improvements had already been
introduced.
August 11, 2005 BBC
Nationalist MSP Alex Neil has called on the Scottish Executive to come clean
over the cost of running Scotland's only privately operated prison. The
executive has always refused to give information about the cost of Kilmarnock
Prison, saying that it was commercially confidential. The Scottish National
Party MSP's own research suggested it costs £17,602 per prisoner per year at
Kilmarnock. But that cost did not include mortgage costs for the prison
building, he said. Mr Neil said: "I am writing
to the auditor general for Scotland to ask him to carry out a truly
independent inquiry into the costs of Kilmarnock Prison and to compare these
on a like-for-like basis with the costs of running our publicly-run prisons
in Scotland. He added: "Furthermore the secrecy surrounding the contract
to run Kilmarnock Prison needs to be ended. "This is public money
which is being wasted on a private prison, which as well as being costly to
run has one of the worst performing records of any prison in Scotland."
August 6, 2005 Daily Record
A PRISON officer who claimed he was forced out of his job by smokers has lost
his unfair dismissal case. Barry Cochrane said he had to resign after
Kilmarnock Prison bosses failed to stop staff and inmates smoking in
designated fume-free areas. The 34-year-old said prisoners and officers
regularly ignored the no-smoking policy - and chiefs at the private jail
turned a blind eye. The tribunal heard 97 per cent of the prison population
smoke but are only allowed to light up in certain areas Cochrane, from
Irvine, Ayrshire, said when he caught a prisoner smoking in the library with
a woman warden, she told him: 'There are worse things a prisoner could do
than smoking a cigarette.' Premier Prisons said they planned to put in an
extractor system and ensure the no-smoking policy was more strictly enforced
but Cochrane left before the grievance procedure ended.
July 21, 2005 Daily Record
A PRISON officer claims he was forced to quit his job because he was
constantly subjected to passive smoking. Barry Cochrane, 34, said
bosses at Kilmarnock Prison failed to enforce their smoking policy, leaving
him exposed to tobacco fumes.
He claimed his health suffered and he had no option but to walk out. Mr Cochrane is now suing Scotland's only private prison,
claiming constructive and unfair dismissal. A tribunal in Glasgow
yesterday heard that 97 per cent of inmates smoked, but it was only allowed
in certain parts of the Ayrshire jail. Mr
Cochrane, from Irvine, claimed prisoners often lit up elsewhere, with staff turning
a blind eye. He also said other officers defied the rules. Mr Cochrane added: 'I got headaches, sore eyes, stress
due to grief from prisoners.
May 21, 2005 BBC
A prison guard suspended over allegations that he disguised himself as an
inmate to try to get methadone has resigned. The 22-year-old was working at
Kilmarnock Prison in Ayrshire, Scotland's only private jail. He is alleged to
have gone with a group of prisoners who were due to receive the heroin
substitute. Jail operators Premier Custodial Services said inquiries into the
incident would continue. It is understood the officer was stopped by a nurse
before he reached the head of the queue and claimed his actions had been
intended as a joke. He was immediately suspended from duty. Kilmarnock Prison
was embroiled in controversy earlier this year when three members of staff
were removed from normal duties after an undercover BBC investigation claimed
that staff ignored heroin abuse and failed to monitor vulnerable inmates.
May 20, 2005 BBC
A guard has been suspended after claims that he disguised himself as a
prisoner and joined a queue for methadone at Scotland's private prison. He is
alleged to have gone with a group of prisoners who were due to receive the
heroin substitute at Kilmarnock Prison in Ayrshire. The 22-year-old was
stopped before he reached the head of the queue. He claimed his actions had
been intended as a joke but was immediately suspended from duty. A spokesman
for the operators, Premier Custodial Services, confirmed that a member of
staff had been suspended following "allegations of a breach of
disciplinary procedure". Kilmarnock Prison was embroiled in controversy
earlier this year when three members of staff were removed from normal duties
after claims of malpractice in an undercover BBC investigation. Prison chiefs
launched an inquiry into allegations that staff ignored heroin abuse and
failed to monitor vulnerable inmates despite six suicides at the jail in the
past five years.
May 1, 2005 Sunday Mail
A PRISONER has won £1500 compensation from jail bosses - for slicing his
thumb in a prison workshop. Now Andrew Halliday, 48, is suing them again -
for letting him fall out of his bunk bed. Halliday, 48, who is blind in one
eye, is complaining that they made him sleep in a top bunk. Controversial £130million Kilmarnock Prison
came under fire after a BBC documentary led to three staff being removed from
duty. The report said prison officers missed suicide checks on vulnerable
inmates. Seven men have killed themselves at the prison since 1999.
April 26, 2005 Evening Times
CHILDREN are regularly held in Scotland's only private jail, a report
revealed today. Last year five youngsters aged 15 spent up to a week in
Kilmarnock Prison, although not at the same time. Andrew McLellan, Chief
Inspector of Prisons, who published the report, said there were good reasons
to believe children should not be kept in adult jails. He added:
"Whenever I find children under 16 in a prison
I condemn it. "There is no reason to believe they are not treated properly,
but there are very good reasons to believe children should not be in prison.
Prison is no place for a child." Last year Justice Minister Cathy
Jamieson commissioned research to investigate the problem and the Executive
has vowed to increase the number of secure unit places by 40. The report also
found that Kilmarnock, which is run by Premier Prisons and has had a
controversial history since it opened in 1999, had lower staffing levels and
a higher turnover of officers than Scottish Prison Service jails. It also
noted educational opportunities were "impoverished" and criticised the standard of food. The lack of proper
provision for basic education for adult inmates was very serious, said Mr McLellan and, despite a budget considerably greater
than that in SPS prisons, the food was not good. Staffing at the jail was
"considerably less than at other large jails". The report said:
"Kilmarnock has a total number of staff which is 80 to 120 less than the
total number of staff at Edinburgh or Perth prisons, which are frequently
compared to Kilmarnock in terms of size and function."
April 26, 2005 BBC
Management at Kilmarnock Prison should take "urgent steps" to
provide better numeracy and literacy courses for inmates, a report has
said. The chief inspector of prisons, Dr Andrew McLellan, also said
that staffing at Scotland's only private jail remained a matter of
concern. Last month three members of
staff at the Ayrshire prison, which is run by Premier Custodial Services,
were removed from normal duties after claims of malpractice in an undercover
BBC investigation. Prison chiefs launched an inquiry into allegations that
staff turned a blind eye to heroin abuse and failed to monitor vulnerable
inmates despite six suicides at the jail in the past five years. Premier
Prison Services also hit the headlines recently after it was blamed at a
fatal accident inquiry for the suicide of a vulnerable prisoner in the
jail. Dr McLellan also expressed
concern about the "high proportion" of inexperienced employees. On
the issue of educating offenders, Dr McLellan said: "The provision of
learning is impoverished - the lack of proper provision for basic education
in reading, writing and counting is very serious." The current failure
to deliver basic skills of numeracy and literacy during the day should be
addressed as a "matter of urgency". The BBC documentary filmed
officers turning a blind eye to drugs and alcohol use. It also found some
prisoners on suicide watch were not checked regularly. The Prison Officers Association
Scotland, which is not recognised at Kilmarnock,
said the BBC's Real Story documentary "appeared to uncover significant
failings" at the jail. Last month a sheriff ruled that James Barclay,
30, was able to hang himself at Kilmarnock Prison because of the failure of
guards to keep watch on the "at risk" inmate. The remand prisoner
died on 11 January, 2002, at Crosshouse Hospital,
Kilmarnock, after he was found hanging in his cell the previous day.
April 24, 2005 Sunday Herald
CALLS for Scotland’s chief inspector of prisons to resign have been made
ahead of the long-awaited publication of a report into Kilmarnock jail.
Senior prison sources have told the Sunday Herald that the inspection report
by Dr Andrew McLellan will “largely praise” HMP Bowhouse,
the country’s only private prison, despite allegations that staff have been
falsifying documents to show that suicide watches had been carried out when
they had not. The allegations were raised in an undercover BBC documentary
last month that led to three staff being removed from duty and prompted an
investigation by the jail’s operator, Premier Custodial Services. In addition
to the claims that warders failed to carry out suicide checks, despite six
suicides at the jail in five years, the programme
alleged that staff refused to report offences which would attract a fine for
Premier. McLellan, a former moderator of the Church of Scotland, inspected
the prison in October last year, the week before the BBC began filming . But despite growing pressure on him to re-inspect
the prison and investigate the allegations, McLellan refused to do so. Alex
Neil, the nationalist MSP for Central Scotland, who called for a police
investigation after the BBC programme was screened,
condemned McLellan’s refusal to go back into the jail and the decision to
release the report inside Kilmarnock prison. He said: “The chief inspector of
prisons is in danger of becoming a cheerleader for Premier, rather than an
independent entity. “If this report is glowing, it will give evidence of a
co- ordinated conspiracy to hide the facts about Kilmarnock prison. McLellan
has already shown that he is not up to the job. He sat on this report for
weeks and should resign.”
March 24, 2005 Scotsman
A CONVICTED murderer claimed to a court yesterday that the carrying of
knives by inmates of Scotland’s only private jail was
"commonplace". James O’Rourke, 34, made the allegation as he was
jailed for eight years for stabbing a senior manager at Kilmarnock Prison
and, in a separate incident, wounding a Reliance security guard in a court.
Gary Allan, O’Rourke’s counsel, told the judge, Lady Paton, that severe
criticisms had been levelled recently at Kilmarnock Prison’s management,
adding: "The instructions I have is that the place is a shambles and
that the carrying of knives among prisoners is commonplace." The High
Court in Edinburgh heard yesterday that in June last year, when O’Rourke was
being held in Kilmarnock Prison, he assaulted Michael Guy, the assistant
prison director, and stabbed him with a piece of metal. It was said that
O’Rourke had blamed Mr Guy for the withdrawal of
privileges and for being kept in solitary confinement. The attack on Allan
Dickson, a Reliance officer, took place on 23 November in Parliament House,
Edinburgh, where the Court of Criminal Appeal was hearing an appeal by
O’Rourke against his murder conviction. It was ultimately rejected. Judge
Paton said she took into account that O’Rourke had pleaded guilty to the two
assaults, but added: "Officers carrying out duties in connection with the
administration of justice are entitled to the protection of the courts."
On Tuesday, the management of Kilmarnock Prison was criticised
by a sheriff at an inquiry into the death of an inmate who hanged himself in
his cell. Earlier this month, a BBC documentary alleged that staff at the
prison ignored drug abuse and failed to monitor vulnerable inmates.
March 23, 2005 Daily Record
A SHERIFF yesterday slammed Scotland's only private prison after an
inmate hanged himself while on suicide watch. James Barclay, 30, was found
dying in his cell at Kilmarnock Prison in January 2002. Kilmarnock sheriff
Colin McKay's fatal accident inquiry report blamed the death on the officers
who were on duty - and owners Premier Prison Services. He said rules for
prisoners on suicide watch were 'routinely ignored' and 'there were no
systems in place to alert senior management to these failures'. Sheriff McKay
added: 'When the failures were patent, management ignored them. 'The prison
guards simply failed to comply with a specific requirement of their shift.'
The two guards blamed, Kevin Beck and Gordon Kelso, have since been sacked.
Last night, SNP MSP Alex Neil said: 'The Scottish Prison Service should
immediately bring the jail under direct control.'
March 20, 2005 Sunday Herald
THE crisis surrounding Kilmarnock Prison deepened last night after demands
were made for a police investigation into the running of Scotland’s only
private jail. Nationalist MSP Alex Neil, a fierce critic of the prison since
it opened in 1999, called for the chief constable of Strathclyde police,
Willie Rae, to order an investigation into allegations raised earlier this
month in an undercover BBC documentary. The allegations included drug
trafficking, drug abuse and the falsifying of information relating to suicide
watches. Neil has written to Rae demanding to know what action will be taken
“with a view to bringing the perpetrators of any crime within Kilmarnock
Prison to justice”. He is also to submit a parliamentary question this week
to Lord Advocate Colin Boyd, Scotland’s senior law officer, to request his
assistance in launching a criminal investigation into claims that prison
staff tampered with jail records showing they had been carrying out suicide
watches when they had not. Neil, SNP MSP for Central Scotland, said:
“Falsifying records on suicide watch is a criminal offence. I want the police
to investigate that and bring those responsible of wrongdoing to justice.
Whoever authorised the falsifying of records has
committed a criminal offence in my view.” A BBC reporter found evidence that
warders failed to carry out suicide checks , despite
six suicides at the jail in five years. The programme
also claimed that officers failed to report offences – including heroin use –
which would attract a fine, to protect the income of the jail’s operator,
Premier Custodial Services.
March 16, 2005 Scotsman
CALLS for the immediate suspension of a private firm’s contract to run
Kilmarnock prison were rejected by Cathy Jamieson, the justice minister,
yesterday. Three members of staff have been removed from normal duties after
allegations of malpractice in an undercover BBC report. Prison chiefs have
launched an inquiry into claims that staff at Scotland’s only private jail
turned a blind eye to heroin abuse and failed to monitor vulnerable inmates -
despite six suicides there in the past five years. Alex Neil, an SNP MSP for
Central Scotland, called for the immediate suspension of Premier Custodial
Services’ contract to run the jail. "The BBC documentary totally
vindicates all the allegations I have been making for six years that the
management of this prison is disastrous," he said. Kenny MacAskill, the
SNP’s justice spokesman, said the documentary dealt a serious blow to
Executive plans for at least one more private prison. "They should bring
all of our prison service back into public control," he said. The BBC
journalist Steve Allen, who worked as a prison officer at the jail, said he
filmed evidence of officers falsifying paperwork to show suicide watches had
been undertaken when they had not. Last night Phil Edwards, the chief
operating officer for Premier Custodial Group, admitted the footage was
"disturbing" and showed "unacceptable behaviour"
by prison guards. But speaking on BBC Scotland’s Newsnight Scotland he
insisted the company encourages all prison guards to report drug use.
March 14, 2005 Scotsman
LOTHIANS MSP Fiona Hyslop today called for
plans to create a privately built and run prison in West Lothian to be
scrapped following the shocking revelations of a TV documentary. Ms Hyslop said the Scottish
Executive should abandon proposals for the controversial prison near Addiewell after a BBC programme
last week highlighted a series of failures at a private Ayrshire facility.
The 700-cell prison in the Lothians is expected to be completed by 2007 at a
cost of £65 million. An undercover reporter for Real Story filmed officers at
Kilmarnock allegedly turning a blind eye to the use of drugs and alcohol. The
programme also claimed that warders failed to carry
out suicide checks and cell searches - despite six suicides in the past five
years. Scottish Prison Service spokesman Tom Fox voiced "real
concerns" about the allegations, while the Prison Officers’ Association
said it had been making similar accusations since Scotland’s only
privately-run jail opened. Ms Hyslop
said: "Private prisons fail the public, fail the officers and fail the
prisoners who are at risk of self harm. "I hope the Executive
takes on board the revelations and takes steps to rule out the private sector
managing at the prison in Addiewell."
March 13, 2005 Scotsman
THE former chief inspector of prisons has launched a blistering attack on
ministers, accusing them of failing to take action to prevent suicides in
Scotland’s only private jail. Clive Fairweather said he was
"shocked" the Scottish Executive had not ordered inspectors into
Kilmarnock Prison after a BBC documentary alleged that staff failed to carry
out suicide watches. Two years ago, as a direct result of a television programme which revealed young offenders taking drugs on
the controversial Airborne Initiative, the Executive sent a social work
inspection team into the boot camp immediately. A year later it closed Airborne
down. Premier Custodial Group, which runs Kilmarnock Prison, has launched an
internal investigation but Fairweather said that was insufficient.
Fairweather, who lost his job as HM Chief Inspector of Prisons in Scotland
after criticising the country’s jails, said: "
If a documentary like this indicates that suicide watches are being
falsified, there must surely be immediate action by the authorities, or do
ministers not feel that there’s any urgency because it’s only prisoners’
lives?" Fairweather singled out justice minister Cathy Jamieson and her
deputy, Hugh Henry, for criticism. An Executive spokeswoman said the current
prisons inspector, Dr Andrew McLellan, carried out an inspection at
Kilmarnock just days before the BBC investigation began. She added: "He
takes the allegations seriously but he thinks the right thing to do is
complete and publish his report in the spring."
March 10, 2005 IRR News
Campaign groups calling for a public inquiry into the treatment of
immigration detainees have revealed that thirty-five cases of alleged assault
have been referred to solicitors. The National Coalition of Anti-Deportation
Campaigns (NCADC), the Campaign Against Racism and Fascism (CARF), and the
Campaign To Stop Arbitrary Detentions at Yarl's
Wood (SADY) have revealed details of over thirty-five cases referred to four
solicitors' firms (Birnberg Peirce & Co,
Hickman & Rose, Christian Khan, Harrison Bundey).
Most of the cases involve allegations of abuse at the airport or in transit
to the airport. In at least six of the thirty-five cases, the detainee was
eventually removed. Two female victims of these 'successful' removals say
they needed hospital treatment in their country of origin, as a result of
injuries sustained in the deportation process. At a press conference held
outside the Home Office on the day after the BBC broadcast Asylum Undercover
(a disturbing television programme showing
detention custody officers abusing detainees and boasting about assaults)
NCADC, CARF and SADY called for a full public inquiry into the conditions of
immigration detention in the UK. The Asylum Undercover investigation centred on Oakington Reception
Centre and 'in-country escorting' of detainees, exposing the abuse of asylum
seekers behind the closed doors of the immigration 'detention estate'. In one
of the most shocking parts of the programme, a
custody officer described 'taping up' the skirt of an obviously scared female
asylum seeker who was defecating through fear during her deportation. (The
European Court of Human Rights has ruled that refusal to allow a detainee who
has soiled herself to change her clothes is inhuman and degrading treatment)
Global Solutions Ltd (GSL), formerly Group 4, which runs Oakington
Reception Centre, commented in a press release after the programme
that there was 'shock and dismay throughout our company at the scenes of
racist and abusive language and behaviour by some
staff at Oakington detention centre
and in-country escorting'. The company said it was now carrying out a full
investigation with the assistance of a team of former senior police officers.
It was also conducting a review of management and supervisory systems,
recruitment, vetting, training and monitoring. 'If there are systemic or
individual failings, they will be addressed,' it stated. 'Furthermore, if
these investigations reveal that any offence has been committed by any of our
staff, the police will be notified.' GSL and Group 4 have come under the
spot-light before. In 1998, during the trial of nine men following a
disturbance, detention officers at Campsfield (then
run by Group 4) were found to have lied and destroyed property at the centre and then blamed detainees. Group 4 also ran Yarl's Wood Removal Centre, Bedford, which, in February
2002, was burnt down during a disturbance triggered by the restraint of a
Nigerian female detainee. And, in December 2003, Yarl's
Wood was the subject of a Daily Mirror report which exposed racism and abuse
at the centre. In the subsequent inquiry into the
Daily Mirror allegations, Prisons Ombudsman Stephen Shaw said 'these were
startling and hugely worrying allegations. If true, they would have called
into question not just the management of Yarl's
Wood ... but the fitness of the contractor (GSL) to run any removal centre ... in this country'. He found that most of the
things alleged in the article had happened, but decided that there was 'not a
culture of abuse, racism and violence'. However he did recommend that the
Home Office investigate the allegations about mistreatment of detainees. Emma Ginn, of NCADC,
told IRR News: 'Stephen Shaw is now conducting a third inquiry into a GSL run
removal/reception centre. When will the government
learn? GSL appears to have retained its contracts to run Yarl's
Wood, Tinsley House, Campsfield House, and Oakington. It was awarded a huge contract, of undisclosed
value, to design, build and manage a 750-bed Accommodation Centre at
Bicester, just thirty days after publication of the inquiry into the Mirror
allegations. GSL was also a partner in the design and build of Yarl's Wood, which was described in the Prison Ombudsman
inquiry into the fire, as "astonishingly flimsy" and "not fit
for the purpose". This does not fill us with great confidence.'
March 10, 2005 The Herald
MINISTERS were urged last night to ban the private sector from staffing
Scottish prisons after a BBC documentary claimed that the Premier group's
running of Kilmarnock jail amounted to a catalogue of neglect. Premier, which
has managed Scotland's only private prison to date since 1999, confirmed
yesterday that it also wanted to build and run a new 700-cell jail at Low
Moss, near Kirkintilloch. However, after secret filming at Kilmarnock
suggested over-stretched staff were ignoring heroin use and failing to carry
out suicide watches, the SNP said Premier's 25-year deal there should be
terminated and future work kept in the public sector. Kenny MacAskill, SNP
justice spokesman, said: "Rather than follow a failed Tory policy, the
Scottish Executive should bring all of our prison service back into public
control now. Public safety is too important an issue to be at the whim of
private profit." Premier's per capita spending on prisoners is less than
half that of the public sector, mainly because of the heavy use of electronic
security. The row renewed the pressure on Cathy Jamieson, justice minister,
who was under attack for much of last year over Reliance's botched start to
the privatised prisoner escort service. According
to the documentary, Prison Undercover – the Real Story, staff at Kilmarnock
were put in charge of large numbers of violent prisoners with little training
or back-up. They were also said to have ignored offences which meant fines
for Premier and could have jeopardised pay rises;
turned a blind eye to drug abuse to curry favour
with inmates; and failed to conduct suicide watches, despite six suicides in
five years. The prison's director also failed to ask for details when told
that staff had falsified suicide watch logs.
March 9, 2005 Scotsman
THREE prison officers have been suspended from normal duties at Scotland’s
only private prison amid allegations that staff failed to carry out suicide
watches despite seven deaths in the last six years , it emerged last night. A
BBC investigation, Prison Undercover: The Real Story, into Kilmarnock prison
also claimed officers turned a blind eye to drug taking, and allowed
prisoners wide screen satellite televisions and Playstations
in their cells. The programme to be aired tonight
shows staff allegedly falsifying suicide watch forms in the prison when
checks have been missed. The staff claim checks are skipped because of
staffing shortages. Relatives of those who died were said to be
"horrified" at the evidence. Myra Mulholland, the sister of one
inmate who has died there in the last six years, told the BBC: "It is
not just a record you are falsifying, it is people’s lives you are playing
with, people who could die as a result of this." Since opening six years
ago seven prisoners have killed themselves. Two Premier officers were sacked
in 2002 after checks were missed and a prisoner found hanged. Premier
Custodial Group, the company running the prison, was unavailable for comment
last night. In a statement issued to the BBC, the firm said Kilmarnock was a
"well run and safe" prison where staff and prisoner relations were
good. "Premier treats any alleged breach of procedure very
seriously," the statement said.
March 5, 2005 Sunday Mail
A BBC reporter posing as a prison officer ended up battling convicts in a
jail riot. Using the name Steve Allen and false references he landed a job at
Scotland's only private prison at Kilmarnock. The reporter from BBC's Real
Story worked at the jail for three months and gathered hundreds of hours of
film from secret cameras. Prison officers are allegedly heard making brutal
comments about prisoners who have killed themselves and those on suicide
watch. The prison has been repeatedly rapped at
recent fatal accident inquiries into suicides. In the film, warders are
allegedly heard encouraging violence and falsifying logs. The one-hour
documentary, to be shown on BBC1 at 9pm on Wednesday, is expected to reveal
huge security breaches and poor conditions for staff and inmates. A BBC
spokeswoman said: 'We can confirm that our reporter was involved in a riot
and he fulfilled his duties as a prison officer.' SNP shadow justice minister
Kenny McAskill demanded a full public inquiry into
the £130million privatised prison run by Premier
Security. And Derek Turner, of the Scottish Prison Officers Association,
said: 'A public inquiry into this place is long overdue.' Premier said: 'We
have commenced an investigation based on some of allegations already raised
by the BBC.'
January 14, 2005 Ayrshire.co.uk
A 40-year-old man has been reported to the procurator fiscal in
connection with an alleged indecent assault on a teenager inside Kilmarnock
Prison. It’s understood that the 17-year-old ‘victim’, who has learning
difficulties, was allegedly attacked in the private prison’s medical wing.
January 9, 2005 Sunday Mail
CLAIMS that a teenager with learning difficulties was raped in Scotland's
private prison are being investigated. The 17-year-old was allegedly grabbed,
gagged and attacked in the medical wing of Kilmarnock Prison last month. A
police spokeswoman said: 'A 40-year-old man is the subject of a report to the
procurator fiscal in connection with an alleged indecent assault on a
17-year-old at Kilmarnock Prison.' Insiders say prisoner rape is rife among
drug dealers in the jail, where murderers, rapists and paedophiles
have CD players and colour TVs in their cells.
There have been other attacks at the jail. Two warders were charged last
month for sexually assaulting a female member of staff. Last year two
managers were sacked - one for sexual harassment of a female member of staff,
the other for theft. And a female tutor was sacked for allegedly having an
'inappropriate relationship' with a prisoner.
December
12, 2004 Sunday Mail
TWO warders at Scotland's only private prison have been suspended after being
accused of sex offences against a female colleague. Stephen Blake, 35, and
Jim Hume, 43, who were in charge of the jail workshop, were escorted from
Kilmarnock Prison. It is alleged that the pair were involved in an incident
on November 24 at the controversial £130million PFI prison run by Premier
Security Services. It is understood a distressed female staff member made a
complaint and called police. It is the latest controversy at the jail, where
cons get a number of controversial 'perks'. There have also been a number of
dismissals.
December 10, 2004 Evening Times
PRISON chiefs were today probing a riot at Scotland's only private jail last
night when up to 40 inmates went on the rampage. Several small fires
were lit, a communal room was destroyed and attempts were made to flood the
prison in Kilmarnock during the incident. Thousands of pounds of damage is thought to have been caused after electrical equipment,
including televisions, were smashed. Rebel prisoners only failed to flood the
jail after frantic staff switched off water supplies. The riot happened when
prisoners refused to return to their cells in E wing, which houses short-term
inmates who are serving less than four years for repeat offences such as
theft and minor assaults. The riot
happened six months after five prisoners appeared in court charged with
causing a major disturbance during which an officer was injured.
November 28, 2004 Sunday Mail
A PROBE is underway at Scotland's only private prison after two staff were
suspended. Two Kilmarnock jail workshop employees are being investigated by
police and prison chiefs following an incident of 'inappropriate behaviour'. A spokesman for Premier Prison Services
confirmed two staff were suspended on Friday afternoon following a 'one-off
incident' but denied claims it was drugs-related.
November 19, 2004 IC Ayshire
A SHERIFF has condemned Scotland's only private jail for breaches of
rules and staff shortages after the suicide of a vulnerable prisoner. Sheriff
Thomas Croan said it was the “good fortune” of an
assistant director at Kilmarnock Prison that she has escaped personal
responsibility for Gordon Mulholland's death. He also criticised
the failure to keep Mr Mulholland’s personal
records with him, which would have alerted staff that he was on suicide
watch. He had already vowed to kill himself, saying it “only took a couple of
minutes”. Ironically, the only individual to be praised by Sheriff Croan was a prisoner who cut down his fellow inmate’s
hanging body and tried to revive him, as the warder who falsely claimed to
have checked on him stood by in hysterics. Erica Prueffer,
who was then assistant director of health care at Kilmarnock Prison, sent him
to the prison wing instead of returning him to the health centre
where he had been kept under observation, despite rules stating a case
conference should have been held first. Prison officer Donna McNeill admitted
falsifying a log by claiming she made a half-hourly check on Mr Mulholland at around the time he hanged himself after
being left alone for about an hour. Ms McNeil, who underwent refresher training two weeks
before the death, was in hysterics and made no attempt to revive Mr Mulholland. She was eventually asked to leave while
others, including prisoner Brian Rees, took over.
October 4, 2004 Daily Record
VITAL security doors at Scotland's only private prison don't shut properly,
the Record can reveal. Sliding doors used to seal wings at Kilmarnock jail
have had to be filed down after wardens had trouble locking them. Bosses have
called in engineers to fix the problem, but work won't start until next year.
A jail insider said yesterday: 'To think we can't lock security doors
properly is ridiculous. We've got some of the worst criminals in Scotland
here.' The
source blamed subsidence at the £130million prison for making some wing doors
jam instead of closing fully. Stevenson claimed: 'This is a botched job from
when the prison was built - as with so many PFI-funded projects.' The
American company who run the jail, Premier Prison Services, have hired
structural engineers to find away to repair the
damage and prevent more problems. Two
years ago, it emerged that the prison had received£700,000 in subsidies from
the taxpayer while Premier Prison Services were making huge profits.
Kilmarnock also has the worst discipline record of all Scots jails. There
were 3634 recorded offences and serious rule infringements at the prison in
2001.The next worst jail, Perth, had 1475.
October 3, 2004 Sunday Mail
A GREEDY prison warder has been forced to quit after being caught nicking
dozens of chocolate bars from the cons' subsidised
tuck shop. Chocoholic Colin Duff, 55, was rumbled after being captured on
CCTV cameras installed after bosses launched a probe into missing treats such
as Mars Bars.
Shamed Duff resigned after being called in by bosses at troubled Kilmarnock
Prison. An insider at the jail - dubbed the Killie Hilton because of the
cushy lifestyle led by prisoners - said: 'We
knew the prison was full of thieves but we thought they were behind bars.'
Last night, at his home in Crosshouse, Ayrshire,
Duff said: 'I don't want to talk about it. I have nothing to say.' Two weeks
ago, the Sunday Mail revealed two warders were under investigation over
prisoners' jewellery that had gone missing. A probe
is under way over an alleged £20,000 theft of prisoners' effects.
September
24, 2004 IC
Ayrshire
AN INMATE at Kilmarnock Prison told Bowhouse staff
he knew that he was going to die, an inquiry heard last week. Stuart
Williams, 44, was already under medical supervision when he was found
unconscious in his cell just three days into a five month sentence. He was
taken by ambulance to Crosshouse Hospital where
doctors were unable to save him. He died from fluid in the lungs and toxic
effects of the drug dihydrocodeine, although it emerged he already had a
heart condition.
September 18, 2004 Sunday Mail
SCOTLAND'S only private jail is fined £17,000 every time a prisoner is
violent or is caught with drugs. The discovery of a mobile phone attracts an
£8000 fine. But critics fear the penalties imposed on Premier Security
Services, who manage Kilmarnock Jail, may stop them exposing rule-breaking.
Last week, the Sunday Mail revealed the prison has been dubbed the 'Killie
Hilton' as prisoners get pay-per-view Setanta TV
and newspapers and milk is delivered to cells. West of Scotland MSP Bruce
McFee warned: 'The operators may be discouraged from being zealous over drugs
and weapons because of restrictions in their contract.' Premier, who make
£1million a year from the jail, said: 'We have a requirement to report a
multitude of activities and are diligent in ensuring this is done.'
September 12, 2004 Sunday Mail
Inmates at Scotland's only private prison have been given free Setanta TV.
Ordinary punters who want to watch live Scottish Premier League
football on the satellite channel pay £450 a year. But at cushy Kilmarnock
Prison - dubbed the Killie Hilton - inmates can watch for free in one of
eight viewing suites. The deal was thrashed out at a meeting of the Prisoner
Information and Activities Committee between managers and inmates. Cons were told they could get free milk and
a free paper delivered to their cells by warders each morning. A senior
officer told the Sunday Mail: 'If people knew what goes on in here they would
be queuing up to get in. What goes on in here really is an insult to
law-abiding Scots. We're supposed to quietly place the milk and papers at the
sink areas for when they get up for their breakfast and we're not allowed to
wake them up.' The prison pays around
£1000 a month for Setanta. The senior officer said: 'It's sickening to
think hardened criminals are treated better than war heroes and pensioners
who can't even afford to properly heat their homes, never mind subscribe to Setanta. 'There
aren't many warders who can afford Setanta in their
own homes either.' Managers from Premier Prison Services, who run the jail,
hold meetings with inmates about conditions every week. Critics believe Premier have given too many
rights to prisoners because they want to avoid the huge Government fines
imposed on them if there are riots.
According to insiders, an internal investigation is underway over the
alleged disappearance of £30,000 worth of prisoners' jewellery
and personal effects following the sacking of two warders.
August 11, 2004
KILMARNOCK'S private prison - the only one in Scotland - has had a
troubled and violent history since it opened in 1999. In the last two
years alone there has been a constant stream of reports of turmoil at the
jail. July 2004 - Raymond Talent, 47, of Rutherglen, near Glasgow,
choked to death on his vomit in the prison. June 2004 - Killer James
O'Rourke stabbed a prison boss in the stomach. February 2004 - Claims
are made that sex offenders in the jail's H-block are swapping child porn on
CDs. January 2004 - Inmates go berserk and smash up their cells,
forcing warders to call in negotiators to restore calm. January 2003 -
Prisoners set fire to a pool table and refuse to return to their cells during
a protest. January 2003 - Four warders are hospitalised
after an attack by a convict. March 2002 - Prisoner David Ballantyne,
22, attacks another inmate with a hammer in a vicious assault. (The
Mirror)
August 10, 2004
Two ex-prison officers from Scotland's only private jail have been sentenced
for planting heroin on an inmate. David Allen, 44, of East Kilbride, a former supervisor at Kilmarnock Prison, was
jailed for two years for attempting to pervert the course of justice.
He was sentenced alongside John Robertson, 26, of Auhinleck,
Ayrshire, who received 300 hours' community service for helping to plant the
drugs. (BBC)
July 19,
2004
A SHERIFF has condemned Scotland's only private prison over gaps in the
medical records of a prisoner found dead in his cell. In his written
report following a fatal accident inquiry in Kilmarnock, Sheriff Seith Ireland said there should be a system to ensure the
accuracy of records was audited so that errors could be identified.
Raymond Talent, 47,of Rutherglen, near Glasgow,
choked to death on his vomit at Kilmarnock prison. Talent, who was
taking medication for epilepsy, had not been examined by a medical officer
after his transfer to Kilmarnock from Barlinnie. He
had also been givem methadone but this had not been
entered on his medical records. Sheriff Ireland said the Scottish
Executive and Premier Prison Services, who run the jail, should ensure staff
are 'advised of the importance of meticulous record-keeping'. (Daily
Record)
July 14,
2004
AN East Kilbride prison officer could find himself
behind bars after being convicted by a High Court jury of attempting to
pervert the course of justice. St Leonards
man David Allen, 44, was accused, along with Ayrshire colleague John
Robertson, of hiding heroin in the belongings of Steven Little at
Kilmarnock's Bowhouse Prison -- which is Scotland's
only private jail -- and putting the prisoner at risk of prosecution.
Allen denied the charge but on Tuesday 26-year-old Robertson, of Auchinleck, dramatically changed his plea to guilty,
claiming 'Dai' Allen, who was his supervising officer, had ordered him to
stash the drug in a bag of medication belonging to Little. A short time later
the jury at the High Court in Kilmarnock retired to consider the evidence and
returned with a verdict on Allen of guilty. (Court Reporter)
July 8,
2004
PRISON officers at Scotland's only private jail planted drugs on an inmate, a
court heard yesterday. Warder James Callaghan claimed that his boss
told him to hand over a suspected heroin wrap found on a prisoner at
Kilmarnock's Bowhouse jail. Supervisor Dai
Allen said it "could be used to get another inmate or con with",
the High Court at Kilmarnock heard. A package found later during a cell
search looked "very similar" to the wrap seized by Allen, said Mr Callaghan. When asked if it had been planted,
another warder, John Robertson, "grinned ear to ear", he claimed.
Allen, 44, and Robertson, 26, are accused of hiding heroin in prisoner Steven
Little's belongings, then ordering a search of his cell at the jail in
September 2002. (The Mirror)
July 1, 2004
FIVE prisoners at Scotland's only private jail have appeared in court charged
with causing a major disturbance in which an officer was injured. Derek
Thomson, 41, James Cowan, 27, Kenneth Duffield, 24, Craig Scoular, 23, and
George Ralph, 21, deny throwing chairs and TV sets at staff at Kilmarnock
Prison on January 9. They also deny wrecking property, including
setting fire to rubbish bins, and Cowan denies throwing a TV set and injuring
prison officer Paul Kennedy. All five face trial at a later date.
(Evening Times)
March 8,
2004
A PRISON officer was jabbed deliberately with a dirty needle as he searched
an inmate's cell for drugs. Billy Donnelly, a married father of two,
faces an agonising three month wait for test
results to discover if he has been infected with hepatitis or HIV. It
is the second time in a year Donnelly, 35, has been jabbed by cons inside HMP
Kilmarnock. He had just been given the all-clear from the first attack.
Fellow officers at Scotland's only private prison are furious bosses are
demanding he returns to work. But he has told friends he feels unable to go
back until he gets the test results. Donnelly, of Drumchapel, Glasgow,
refused to comment but a colleague said: 'The guy forms part of the drugs
security team. 'If an inmate has a weapon or drugs, he is one of the
guys who has to get it off them. They wear black combat gear and are hated
because, if they come into your cell, it's not for a wee chat. 'His
life has been threatened too many times to count and then, when he gets
jabbed, all the bosses can do is ask when he is returning to work. It makes
you sick. 'This jail is a shambles and is awash with needles.' A
Premier Prisons spokesman said: 'We do not discuss internal staffing matters.
Our employees are offered all the support and counselling they need.' (SundayMail)
March 1,
2004
PRISON drug barons are raking in more than £5000 a month selling heroin to
fellow inmates. A Sunday Mail investigation uncovered a supply ring at Bowhouse jail in Kilmarnock. More than 100 inmates
at Scotland's only private prison are hooked on heroin and spend over half
their £30-a-week wages on drugs. The behind-bars drugs ring is
controlled by four inmates in the jail's D Wing Ð convicted killers John
"Wudge" Dougherty and Stephen "Zed"
Dempsey and drug smugglers William "Fat Boy" McLaughlin and
Christian Ekkebus. One guard, too scared to
be named, said: "These four control all the
drugs in Kilmarnock prison and they are building up a very profitable
business. Prisoners' wages average £30 to £40 a week and loads of them
are giving most of it to these four low- lifes.
"Senior management know who they are but fail time and time again to do
anything about it. The drugs problem inside the jail is out of
control." Another officer added: "The cons think they run the
place and the staff are unwilling to challenge them." Prison
insiders say that because of the jail's relatively relaxed regime, visitors
are able to smuggle in thousands of pounds worth of drugs to the behind- bars
barons. Kilmarnock's D Wing is seen as the cushiest in the jail and
houses the prisoners who cause the least trouble. Stabbing
Random tests fail to pick up the extent of the problem because addicts
force drug- free cons to give them "clean" urine. Dempsey and
Glasgow man Dougherty are both serving life at Bowhouse
for murder. Dempsey, 32, of Mossblown,
Ayrshire, was jailed, along with another man, in 2002 for punching, kicking
and stabbing dad-of-two Charles McIntosh to death. Ekkebus,
31, a Dutch sailor, was caged for 14 years after he was caught with
£43million worth of cannabis en route from Morocco
to the Netherlands. To avoid patrols in the English Channel his ship
detoured round the north of Scotland but he is campaigning to be moved to a
jail in Holland, claiming the drugs were never intended to reach
Scotland. McLaughlin, 39, of Port Glasgow, Renfrewshire, was part of a
drugs gang jailed in November 2002 after he was caught with a kilo of heroin.
He got eight and a half years. Judge Lord Dawson told them the drugs
could have caused "untold misery and death". In January, cons
went on the rampage at Kilmarnock after three people were arrested and
charged with trying to smuggle in heroin. And last year the Ayrshire
jail was reported to have the worst crime record of any Scots prison after
offences behind bars climbed almost 50 per cent since 1999. In the year
1999-2000, there were 65 cases of convicts taking, injecting, ingesting or
concealing drugs in jail. By last year, that had risen by 155 per cent
to 166. Last night a spokesman for Premier Prisons, which runs the
jail, said: ÒHMP Kilmarnock takes all allegations of security and drug-
taking seriously. "We would be happy to act on any information
supplied to us by the Sunday Mail." (Sunday mail)
February
9, 2004
A JAIL guard who groped a female colleague after pinning her to the floor has
been suspended. Warder Gordon Shearer was sent home in mid January after making sexual advances towards a woman
warder at Scotland's only private prison, HMP Kilmarnock. Shearer, 38,
of Hurl ford, Ayrshire, appealed his suspension and is now a regular visitor
to the jail in repeated attempts to plead his case to bosses. A jail
insider said: ''He and the female guard were both on duty at the jail when he
p inned her to the floor, lay on top of her and
groped her. ''He thought it was a laugh but she went and complained to
the bosses. (Sundaymail.com)
February
1, 2004
A WARDER at Scotland's only private jail has been sacked after allegedly
stealing classified documents and prison plans. Matt Martin was
arrested at HMP Kilmarnock when he turned up for work after claims he took
documents classified under the Official Secrets Act. A spokesman for
Premier Prisons, which owns the jail, confirmed Martin, 42, had been arrested
at the jail and that his home and car were searched after a complaint was
lodged by senior colleagues. Bosses feared it was a case of industrial
espionage, as Martin is about to start a new job with a private security
firm. (Sundaymail)
January
30, 2004
A fatal accident inquiry has been ordered following the death of a Kilmarnock
Prison inmate. Stewart Williams, 37, was taken to Crosshouse
Hospital on Friday morning and was pronounced dead a short time later. Mr Williams, who was from Ayrshire, was convicted at
Kilmarnock Sheriff Court earlier this week. ((BBC)
October
20, 2003
'PRISON BOSSES at Kilmarnock took a swipe at the SNP this week as the
Nationalists launched another attack on the private jail. The SNP
leader John Swinney labeled Bowhouse 'the worst
jail in Scotland' when fresh Government statistics were released showing
crime and drug use in Scottish jails has rocketed by almost 50 per
cent. The new figures highlight Kilmarnock's position at the top of a
so-called national league of shame for prisons. HMP Kilmarnock houses
eight per cent of the prison population, but its inmates commit almost one in
five offences in Scottish jails, according to the latest figures. And
prisoners at Kilmarnock are also responsible for one in every seven drug
crimes committed in jail.
September
29, 2003
SCOTLAND'S only private prison has been branded "a boot camp" after
cons were hammered for thousands of disciplinary offences. Screws at
US-owned HMP Kilmarnock Bowhouse, in Ayrshire,
dished out a staggering 7,595 punishments to prisoners in the last 12 months.
The figure is DOUBLE the total punishments dished out at Glasgow's Barlinnie Jail - which houses Scotland's most dangerous
prisoners. Now fears are growing that the prison, run by Premier Prison
Services, a US security firm owned by former CIA hardman George Wackenhut, is
more in line with notorious American jails than Scottish nicks. Last
year 3,412 Kilmarnock lags were stripped of their privileges, compared to
only 1,531 at HMP Edinburgh. Over 500 cons were confined to their
cells, compared to only 196 at Saughton, 136 at Barlinnie and 72 at Glenochil.
And almost 2,500 inmates had their wages docked. The Scottish Executive
was forced to reveal the figures after being quizzed by the Scottish Nationalist
Party. Last night SNP leader John Swinney blasted the prison's
record. Now he is calling for plans to build another private prison in
West Lothian to be scrapped. Mr Swinney said:
"It sounds like this prison is being run like a boot camp. These
figures prove that privatisation doesn't
work." But a spokesman for billionaire Wackenhut's company,
Premier, hit back saying: "We are not the worst, we are the best in
Scotland because we register more offences." And a spokesman for
First Minister Jack McConnell said: "I fear John Swinney 's rantings
have more to do with his leadership troubles than a concern for the running
of Scottish prisons." (The Mirror)
September 14, 2003
A BOSS at Scotland's only private jail has quit after four years in the
job. Stewart Yates, left, resigned from his job as assistant director
of Kilmarnock Prison. The 42-year-old handed in his resignation and walked
out two weeks ago, telling friend she was planning to pursue a career in
health care. Prison chiefs have changed the locks to his office. Yates
was an award-winning psychiatric nurse before becoming assistant director
when the privately-run jail opened. One source said: ``Yates just
disappeared. It came as a bolt out of the blue.'' In 1999, Yates appeared in
court charged with threatening wife Carol during a bust-up at their home in
Kirkintilloch, near Glasgow. He was unavailable for comment
yesterday. (Sunday Mail)
February
12, 2003
A PRISONER launched a vicious attack on the boss of a private jail. Former Marine
Nick Cameron, 38, was punched and kicked as he talked to an inmate on a
routine tour of Kilmarnock Prison. As they talked, a second inmate punched Mr Cameron in the back of the head, knocking him to the
ground, and kicked him several times. A prison officer dragged the man away.
A spokesman for Premier Prison Services, who run the jail, last confirmed:
"The director was struck on the back of the head by a fist and fell to
the ground, where he was kicked before he broke free." The Ayrshire jail,
which opened in 1999, has been criticised in the
past for poor performance, understaffing and low pay. The attack is the
latest in a string of violent incidents and problems at Kilmarnock
. On Sunday, a pool table was set on fire after some inmates refused
to return to their cells. Insiders said it was in response to allegations
that a prisoner was beaten up by two officers. In November, two prison
officers who planted heroin on an inmate were sacked. In September, a report
branded it the worst jail in Scotland with more inmates found to have drugs
and knives than at any other jail. In September, a prisoner stabbed three
others during a fight. An inmate was beaten with a claw hammer at a carpentry
class in March. And a series of riots hit the jail in September 1999. (Daily
Record)
December 4, 2002
PRISONERS have been living in overcrowded squalor while private jail cells
lay empty, it was claimed yesterday. Shadow justice minister Roseanna
Cunningham said the situation around Kilmarnock jail, Scotland's only private
prison, was "a scandal." Figures showed the Executive paid
105,000 to the operators between 1999 and 2001 for empty places. "Labour keep telling us privatization delivers best value.
The truth is that it delivers money into private pockets while prisoners are
dumped in overcrowded public jails." (Daily Record)
October
6, 2002
Scotland's controversial private prison lost almost 200 brand-new television
sets in its first six months as rampaging inmates smashed them up on a
nightly basis. A former manager of Kilmarnock Prison has revealed that
critically low staffing levels at the jail forced prison officers to bow to
the demands of inmates just to keep it running. He claimed that
stressed-out prison officers went off sick regularly as they struggled to cope
with constant verbal and physical abuse from prisoners. "If any
prisoner felt they had a complaint that was not being dealt with, they would
just pick up the nearest television and launch it. It was almost like
an Olympic sport in there," the source said. "You would often
be running a shift with 526 prisoners and something like 20 staff. We
were so short-staffed at points that senior management were often doing the
duties of junior prison officers." The SNP last night attacked the
Executive's record on private prisons and said that any plans for further privatisation should be shelved in the wake of the latest
revelations. Shadow Justice Minister Roseanna Cunningham said:
"This must be the final nail in the coffin for the privatisation
of prisons." Premier Prisons, which runs the jail, last night
denied there had been staff shortages or breaches of security. (AP)
September
29, 2002
An investigation was under way last night into an alleged stabbing incident
at Scotland's controversial Kilmarnock private prison which left three
inmates in hospital. Opposition politicians claimed the incident was
further evidence that the jail- which has been criticized over its staffing
levels- is out of control. Three men, aged 36,28 and 26, were taken to
the hospital following the incident in the recreation area of Kilmarnock just
before 9 pm on Friday. The Prison Officers Association said the
Scottish Executive would have to look seriously at the contract given to
Premier Custodial Services to run Kilmarnock if violent incidents
continued. Earlier this year, it was revealed Kilmarnock had more
incidents of vandalism and fire-raising than any other jail in
Scotland. In April, Scotland on Sunday revealed Kilmarnock was the most
violent prison in Scotland with 29 assaults on prison staff. The SNP's
shadow deputy justice minister Michael Matheson said: "We have known for
some time that staffing levels at Kilmarnock have been dangerously low.
Sadly incidents such as this are an indication of how dangerous Kilmarnock
Prison now is.
September
28, 2002
Three prisoners were taken to the hospital following a disturbance at
Kilmarnock Prison. The men, who are aged 36, 27, and 26, were taken to Crosshouse Hospital on Friday night for treatment.
Critics of the Kilmarnock jail - Scotland's
only private prisons - have renewed calls for an inquiry into the way that
the facility is run. Scottish National Party MSP Alex Neil said:
"I've predicted for long enough that the way in which Kilmarnock prison
is run, which is for profit, is going to lead to a disaster in terms of
prisoner safety and public safety. '''What we need now is an urgent
inquiry. "I think the time has come for the Scottish Executive to
review the contract with Premier Prison Services to see if it is at all
possible to legally terminate it and bring the prison back into public
ownership." (BBC News)
September 5, 2002
Kilmarnock is Scotland's only private jail . A
political war of words has erupted over the performance and viability of
Scotland's only private prison. Scottish National Party Leader John Swinney
said that levels of vandalism, arson and possession of unauthorised
substances made Kilmarnock the worst jail north of the border. He said
statistics collated from a series of Scottish Executive parliamentary answers
illustrated that the prison was underperforming. Mr
Swinney said he intends to write to Scotland's chief inspector of prisons and
urge him to conduct an emergency inspection at the jail. He said the private
jail had 3,634 disciplinary offences in 2001-2 compared to 1,262 offences at
HMP Edinburgh and 1,738 at HMP Barlinnie.
"These figures reveal a picture of Kilmarnock that makes it easily the
worst prison in Scotland," Mr Swinney said.
Claim dismissed "It has a disciplinary record that is staggeringly poor,
with prisoners wandering through its halls apparently without a care in the
world." He added: "It is little wonder that it has the worst arson
and vandalism record in Scotland as a result. "Despite this, ministers
remain intent on going ahead with their plan to build yet more private
prisons. "Their own statistics tell them that private prisons don't work
yet they are so obsessed with privatisation that
they cannot accept that it is time to dump their crazy plan." The SNP in
July said parliamentary answers suggested that the executive had tried to
cover up subsidies to the prison. Mr Swinney said
at the time the subsidies amounted to £690,698, which was almost 70% of the
estimated £1m profit made by Kilmarnock Prison Services in the past two
years. (Go Memphis.com)
September 2, 2002
Scotland's only private prison has the worst disciplinary record of any jail
in the country, according to official figures which reveal that hundreds of
inmates wander unauthorised around the facility.
With Justice Minister Jim Wallace due to outline his blueprint for the future
of the prison system this week, the revelation is seen by those against the
establishment of more 'prisons for pounds' as proof that they do not work.
Wallace had been expected to authorise the
construction of at least two new private jails in the Central Belt. The
report, based on figures supplied by the Scottish Prison Service, which
exposed Kilmarnock's poor record, examined the disciplinary records of all
local prisons and showed the Ayrshire jail, run by Premier Prisons, had a
massive 3,634 disciplinary offences in 2001-02 compared with 1,262 at
Edinburgh and 1,738 at Barlinnie, which has almost
twice as many inmates as Kilmarnock. An even starker picture of life inside
Kilmarnock is drawn by the number of unauthorised
absences and appearances around the jail. Over the past year 1,545 prisoners
were found in sections of the prison they were not supposed to be in or
failed to report to areas where and when they were expected. In Barlinnie, there were only 13 cases of this offence in
2001-2002. Prisoners in Perth were the second-worst offenders and that prison
reported just 108 absentees or wanderers. The records stretch back to 1999
and show that Kilmarnock has consistently had poorer discipline than the
public-sector prisons. Its prisoners also possess more unauthorised
material than any others in Scotland, start more fires and damage or destroy
more property than inmates elsewhere. SNP leader John Swinney, an opponent of
the private system, said: 'Next week the Justice Minister will tell the
Scottish Parliament his vision for the Prison Service. These figures offer
him a stark choice: he can either choose a well-run public system with
dedicated and professional staff or can choose the model of organised chaos represented by HMP Kilmarnock. 'It is
quite staggering that prisons such as Barlinnie,
where staff are forced to work in Victorian conditions, can outperform
Kilmarnock, the newest prison in Scotland. Across the board from vandalism
and arson to possession of unauthorised substances,
HMP Kilmarnock is the worse jail in Scotland 'Private prisons don't work.
Kilmarnock proves that. The Justice Minister must now see sense and stop this
local problem becoming a national disaster.' (The Observer)
July 31,
2002
Proposals for three private jails and the closure of Peterhead
prison have been criticised by the wife of
Scotland's most senior judge. Lady Cullen, the wife of the Lord Justice
General, Lord Cullen, also called for a fresh approach from judges on the
issue f sentencing. She said private prisons plans
resulted from the "defeatist attitude" of those who said the prison
population was set to rise and failed to see the need for alternatives to
custody. (BBC News)
July 29, 2002
Justice Minister Jim Wallace has described as "absurd" claims that
the Scottish Executive has sought to cover up payments to the company running
Scotland's only private prison. He was responding to calls for
ministers to "pull the plug" on proposals to build more private
jails after the Scottish National Party claimed they would be subsidised by almost £35m. His comments arrived as the
controversy surrounding the issue of private prisons gathered pace. SNP
leader John Swinney has written to First Minister Jack McConnell urging him
to "recognise that he has lost the
argument" over privatisation. But Mr Wallace intervened and The SNP's call followed
revelations that the Scottish Executive has been footing the bill for some of
the running costs of the Kilmarnock jail. The SNP said "hidden"
government subsidies for the only private prison north of the border amounted
to £690,698 over a two-year period. "The Scottish Executive has
been caught feathering the nest of private prison operators at the taxpayers'
expense," he said. (BBC News)
July 28, 2002
Prison officers have called for a public inquiry into the accounts of
Scotland's only private jail after allegations about government subsidies.
They said the National Audit Office should look into the funding of Kilmarnock
Prison after the Scottish Executive was accused of trying to cover up the
subsidies. Scottish National Party leader John Swinney said the subsidies
amounted to £690,698, which was almost 70% of the estimated £1m profit made
by Kilmarnock Prison Services in the past two years. "Kilmarnock is the
executive's flagship private prison and is the model for their plans to privatise more of our jails," said Mr.Swinney. "They are so obsessed with privatisation that they are subsidising
a private company's profits to the tune of nearly three-quarters of a million
pounds simply to make it look more economic. (BBC News)
July 23, 2002
AN outspoken attack on the Scottish Executive's plans for more privatised jails was made yesterday by the new chief
inspector of prisons on the day he was appointed. The Very Rev Dr Andrew
McLellan, former moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland,
will take over from Clive Fairweather, who had also become an ardent opponent
of bringing the private sector into the penal system. Dr McLellan has also criticised the proposal to close Peterhead
and said yesterday that he "remained to be convinced" by the
argument for private prisons. Citing the examples of schools and hospitals,
Dr McLellan questioned their cost effectiveness and morality on the grounds
that only the state can imprison, so only the state should take
responsibility. During his year as moderator, Dr McLellan visited every
prison in Scotland and wrote a report critical of the principle of privatisation. (The Herald)
July 23, 2002
A watchdog should have teeth. Andrew McLelland
bared his yesterday when he was introduced as Scotland's chief inspector of
prisons, replacing the equally forthright Clive Fairweather. Dr McLelland's views on prison privatisation
and the closure of Peterhead jail, including its
sex offenders unit, are well known. He opposes both. Lest anyone was still in
doubt yesterday, he made his position absolutely clear when he said he had
not been persuaded by the economic arguments for prison privatisation.
He doubted if it was in the interests of prisoners and said it should remain
the state's responsibility to look after those whose liberty it removed.
Perhaps Dr McClelland's appointment is a signal that the private sector will
not build, maintain, and operate new prisons, and that the sex offenders unit
will stay in Peterhead. (The Herald)
July 22, 2002
Andrew
McLellan takes up the post in October Scotland's new Chief Inspector of
Prisons has vowed to court controversy when he takes over the watchdog role.
Andrew McLellan, a former Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of
Scotland, will replace Clive Fairweather in October. Mr
Fairweather has been a critic of private sector involvement in the prison
service during Mr McLellan was critical over the
issue while moderator and convener of the Kirk's influential church and
nation committee. Following the announcement of his appointment on Monday, he
said he had not been convinced that such a move was the best way forward.
"I have yet to be persuaded of the efficiency argument for privatising prisons," he said. "And
it will still take a good deal to persuade me that the moral argument is not
important." (BBC News)
July 22, 2002
During his year as moderator, Dr McLellan visited every prison in Scotland
and wrote a report critical of the principle of privatisation.
Mr Fairweather has been a critic of private sector
involvement in the prison service during his time as chief inspector. Mr McLellan was critical over the issue while moderator
and convener of the Kirk's influential church and nation committee. Following
the announcement of his appointment on Monday, he said he had not been
convinced that such a move was the best way forward. "I have yet to be
persuaded of the efficiency argument for privatising
prisons," he said. "And it will still take a good deal to persuade
me that the moral argument is not important." (BBC News)
July 21, 2002
He expects to learn tomorrow that he has lost his job as Scotland's prison
chief, but Clive Fairweather is refusing to go quietly. In a last broadside
at prison management, he has accused them of having lost the faith of their
own staff, destroying morale, wasting lives and putting the entire prison
system at risk. Fairweather has been critical of the country's only private
prison at Kilmarnock but now insists, tartly. 'I'm not anti
private prisons. I'm anti private prisons that don't work.' Yet, more
resoundingly than ever before, Fairweather has rejected the private sector as
the future for Scotland's prison estate. While it may be suited to dealing
with prisoners on remand, and perhaps short sentences, he told the Sunday
Herald that imprisonment was such a significant and damaging sanction it must
be delivered by the state 'I've never said that Kilmarnock was a failed
experiment, as some have claimed,' he said. 'But the contract was too tight and I don't think there are enough staff in
Kilmarnock to act as role models. Private firms don't have the experience and
are never likely to because of the high staff turnover.' (Sunday Herald)
July 20, 2002
The SNP yesterday claimed to have proof that private prisons cost more than
public jails. Figures from Kilmarnock Prison's annual report show Scotland's
only private jail costs 12,446,000 a year. The Nationalists say that with
Kilmarnock's 548 inmates, the running costs work out at 22,712 per prisoner
place - more than 2000 more expensive than Barlinnie
Prison in Glasgow. SNP leader John Swinney said the figures "blow a huge
hole" in the Executive's plans for three new private prisons, which
justice minister Jim Wallace said would save the public 700million. (Daily
Record)
July 11,
2002
The
alleged stabbing of a prisoner at Kilmarnock Prison is being treated as
attempted murder by police. A 25-year-old man was attacked in his cell at the
Ayrshire jail at about 2130 BST on Wednesday. A police spokesman said
inquiries were continuing into the alleged incident, which is being treated
as attempted murder.
July 8,
2002
In March, Wendy Alexander sat at the cabinet table in Edinburgh's Bute House
as enterprise minister and agreed to a radical prison closure programme, which also included plans for three new
private jails to be built. Last week, relieved of her ministerial duty to toe
the collective line, she put her name to an MSPs' report which torpedoed the
plan for its multiple failings. That change of heart is indicative of serious
trouble between the front and back benches in one of the most difficult
issues the young Executive and parliament have faced in three years. Prisons,
which are one of the less appealing and least populist of political issues,
have become a severe headache for justice minister Jim Wallace and a crucial
test of which way devolution will go, carrying a significance far beyond the
high-security fences. (Sunday Herald)
July 3,
2002
THE
resignation of the head of Scotland's prison service was demanded last night
as ministers faced a constitutional power struggle with MSPs over the plans
for jails. A cross-party group of MSPs yesterday unanimously rejected
Scottish Executive proposals to reform the penal system and government policy
for privatising jails. They cited a lack of spending
estimates and inadequate re-search by ministers, then went on to condemn Tony
Cameron, chief executive of the Scottish Prisons Service, for his
"extraordinary and unconvincing" evidence before the justice
committee. The report amounted to the most devastating critique by a
committee on government policy in the short history of the Scottish
Parliament. It left ministers livid and embarrassed. The prisons report said
that Peterhead, and its successful treatment of sex
offenders, should be retained, Barlinnie should
also remain open, and Low Moss was an "untenable" jail and should
be shut. It also said slopping out should be eradicated "as soon as
possible", and options in the review were not adequately explored,
particularly concerning privately-built but publicly-operated jails or
not-for-profit trusts. (The Herald)
July 3,
2002
PLANS
TO build three new private prisons in Scotland and close Peterhead
jail were torn to shreds by an all-party committee of MSPs yesterday. The
Scottish Parliament justice 1 committee singled out the chief of the prison
service for particular criticism, describing his evidence to them as
"extraordinary and unconvincing. " Last night the SNP said the
Scottish Prison Service chief executive Tony Cameron should be sacked but the
Scottish Executive said he still retained the confidence of ministers. In
recent months ministers have been under constant pressure to rethink the
controversial prison estates review which, they claimed, could build three
new private prisons £700 million cheaper than new public sector jails. The
committee report blasted almost every aspect of the Executive’s blueprint for
the future of Scotland’s prisons. MSPs expressed concern over using
Scotland’s existing private prison at Kilmarnock as a template for other such
establishments. The committee report blasted almost every aspect of the
Executive’s blueprint for the future of Scotland’s prisons. MSPs expressed
concern over using Scotland’s existing private prison at Kilmarnock as a
template for other such establishments. "Given that he is responsible
for the majority of the prison estates review, the committee’s identification
of serious flaws within it, in my view, raises questions about his leadership
of the SPS." Committee convener Christine Grahame did not call for Mr Cameron’s head but made it clear that she and her
colleagues were of the view that the prison estates review was a botched job.
"Our investigation found that the Executive’s review was based on
inadequate financial and performance information, making accurate comparisons
between private and public provision almost impossible," she said. Derek
Turner, of the Prison Officers Association Scotland, said, "If the
minister listens to the committee and to many of the submissions it received,
and Peterhead remains open, that throws the whole
estates review into disarray because the overall calculations are based on
the loss of Peterhead. "The man who has been
driving this whole process has been the (SPS) chief executive. As far as the
chief executive and the prison board are concerned, they need to take a long
hard look at themselves based on the evidence they have been giving to the
minister." (The Courie)
July 2,
2002
The prisons report said that Peterhead, and its
successful treatment of sex offenders, should be retained, Barlinnie should also remain open, and Low Moss was an
"untenable" jail and should be shut. It also said slopping out
should be eradicated "as soon as possible", and options in the
review were not adequately explored, particularly concerning privately-built
but publicly-operated jails or not-for-profit trusts. The report went on to
raise "major questions" over using Kilmarnock, Scotland's first
private prison, for comparison purposes. MSPs said they were seriously
concerned about low mstaffing levels. Justice
committee convener Christine Grahame said: "Our investigation found that
the executive's review was based on inadequate financial and performance
information, making accurate comparisons between private and public provision
almost impossible. But the SNP MSP who represents the Banff and Buchan
constituency, which includes Peterhead, called for Mr Cameron to resign. Stewart Stevenson: "The work
underlying the estates review has been shown up to be shoddy, complete and
inaccurate. "It is inconceivable that Tony Cameron can continue in
office." (BBC News)
July 2, 2002
A SENIOR Nationalist MSP claims the Scottish Executive underspent their
prison budget by ?xA3;50million to pave the way for
private jails. Christine Grahame said slopping out in Scots jails could have
been ended if the cash had been spent. She said: "The Executive claimed
one reason for opting for three private prisons was that slopping out could
be ended in half the time. "I have been told that the underspend would
have met the need. We are left wondering if this was all about smoothing the
path for privatisation." (Daily Record)
June 23,
2002
A Nursing manager at Scotland's only private prison has been suspended over
her relationship with an inmate. Amanda Cross was sent home after
bosses at Bowhouse Prison, Kilmarnock, received
complaints that her friendship with prisoner Stephen Kelley was
inappropriate." Cross, who has a boyfriend outside of jail has already
been investigated twice after being accused of becoming too close to inmates
and had received a warning letter from management ordering her to stay away
from Kelly. She was suspended after a warden claimed to have seen the
nurse and the violent con holding hands. (Section News)
June 6, 2002
The Justice Minister, Jim Wallace, has left the door open to the
possibility of new prisons in Scotland being built with private
money but being run by the government Mr Wallace said they had and had decided
that they would not be appropriate in Scotland. The minister also said he was willing
to look at privately-built prisons being run as not-for-profit
trusts, but said no investigations had been carried out as
yet. (BBC News)
May 24,
2002
CROSS-PARTY opposition looked likely yesterday to torpedo the Scottish
Executive's plans for three new jails being privately built and run.
Jim Wallace, the justice minister, faced hostile questioning about the
proposals from MSPs, and it appeared increasingly likely he would have to
compromise and be forced to adopt the more costly option of any new prisons
being privately built, but operated by public sector staff. The SNP is
opposed to the use of private jails but Labour and LibDem committee members were also highly critical of the
plans yesterday, questioning the need for so many new prisons in view of
penal reform initiatives and the proposal to have them privately
managed. Donald Gorrie, LibDem, told the
minister they would be better spending 100m on ways of trying to keep people
out of jail rather than 600m to build new prisons. (News Latest)
May 18,
2002
Prison officers and their wives are preparing to stage a protest march over
proposals for the closure of Peterhead jail.
The demonstration will be followed by a public meeting in the town, which
will be attended by Scottish National Party MP Alex Salmond, who has been
campaigning to keep the jail open. It also recommended the building of
up to three new private prisons. (BBC News)
May 14,
2002
Scotland's chief inspector of prisons has questioned why the public sector
could not operate new jails, even if they were built by private firms. Clive Fairwhether gave evidence to MSPs on the Scottish
Executive's controversial proposals for new private prisons. Mr.Fairweather expressed concern that prison capacity
would be profit driven rather than rehabilitation-led. (BBC News)
May 5,
2002
Officers
at Scotland's only private jail work illegal hours and fear for their own
safety -- and nearly two-thirds are paid so little they have to claim
benefit, it has been revealed. They will increase concern among backbenchers
about ministers' plans to build three more private prisons. Deputy First
Minister Jim Wallace has insisted that building the new prisons in the
private sector will be little more than half as expensive as using the public
purse. But the fact that the majority of officers at Kilmarnock, run by
Premier Prisons Ltd for the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), are receiving state
ben efits has cast further doubt on the SPS
costings. In his evidence to the justice committee last week Phil Hornsby,
general secretary of the Prison Service Union, said: 'The highest paid
officers at Kilmarnock earn about £13,500 a year .
We calculate that 60% of our members there receive state benefits of one kind
or another. You could say that the state is subsidising
the operation of the prison.' He painted a picture of a regime which can
function only because staff work illegal shifts, for wages barely 75% of
those in public sector prisons. 'Kilmarnock recruits from people who have no
custodial experience. They know nothing about the job and are surprised when
prisoners do not automatically do what they are told by someone wearing a
uniform.' Christine Graham, SNP MSP and convener of the justice committee,
said the committee had been astonished to hear that so many of the officers'
families were reliant on benefits and that so few were investing in a
pension. 'These employees are being subsidised by
the state because wages are so low. Meanwhile, who picks up the bill further
down the line when these men have lower pensions? The state does.' (Sunday
Herald)
April 16, 2002
Trades
unionists have renewed their opposition to plans for three new private jails
in Scotland. An emergency motion condemning profit-making from incarceration
has been passed at the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) annual meeting
in Perth. A high-profile campaign is now being planned against the Scottish
Executive's strategy. A review of the Prisons Estate earlier this year by
leading accountancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers said the private jails could
save the executive some £700m. But this figure has been branded
"fundamental flawed" by a report fro two
Scottish academics STUC delegates said the concept of private prisons was
"morally repugnant" and was a clear attempt to drive down the terms
and conditions of public sector workers. The policy contradicted First
Minister Jack McConnell's comments on Monday when he told the meeting he did
not want a two-tier workforce. The STUC has now called for Members of the
Scottish Parliament to be allowed a free vote on the future of the prison
service. Protest march Addressing the congress, Derek Turner, general
secretary of the Prison Officers' Association Scotland (POAS) condemned the
plan. Mr Turner said: "We sat here yesterday
and listened to Jack McConnell say that he didn't want a two-tier workforce.
"It is clear in our minds that the attempt to privatise
the Scottish Prison Service is about driving down terms and conditions of
public sectors workers. Addressing the congress, Derek Turner, general
secretary of the Prison Officers' Association Scotland (POAS) condemned the
plan. "We do not believe that the majority of the Scottish public want a
prison service fundamentally based on profit and not rehabilitation." As
well as the three new private jails, there are plans to close Peterhead jail and Low Mos prison, near Bishopbriggs in
Dunbartonshire. Prison officers say the move would mean a third of prisoners
in Scotland being housed by the private sector - a higher proportion than
almost anywhere else in the world. There have been warnings of industrial
action if the executive presses ahead with the policy.
February 21, 2002
A
blaze that yesterday ripped through Scotland's only private prison was
sparked by an electrical fault in an X-ray machine, according to
investigators. Experts say the fire at Kilmarnock Prison, which forced the
evacuation of 500 inmates and nine patients, is likely to have been caused by
a short circuit in the machine in the jail's healthcare wing.
February 20, 2002
Investigations were today into the cause of a fire at Scotland's only private
prison. Inmates at Kilmarnock Prison, Ayrshire, were safely evacuated
after a fire broke out at the jail's health care unit last night. Its
staffing levels have previously been criticised and
came under the spotlight again just two days ago when the convener of a
Scottish Parliament committee said she felt "intimidated" during a
visit. (Press Association)
April 27, 2001
An ex-con hired as a prisons trouble-shooter has told of the drugs
"pollution" in Scotland's only private jail. Harry Connaghan reveals that Kilmarnock jail is
"polluted" with heroin. He says staff are being intimidated
into smuggling in drugs and could have serious riots on their hands
soon. "Making money is what Kilmarnock is all about and when the
work contracts dry up something will have to go. They will have serious
riots on their hands if they attempt to reduce the high wages. A large
amount of assaults on prisoners and staff. These stats are alarming and
way above the worst stats in any SPS prison just now. The place is
polluted with heroin and it looks like some of it enters the prison via
intimidated staff. There is no way the Executive can authorise any more private prisons after reading our
report," Connaghan said. Kilmarnock jail
was condemned in March by the Chief Inspector of Prison Clive
Fairweather. He told of a much higher level of violence than
similar-sized prisons and said drug misuse was rife. (Daily Record)
March 26, 2001
Kilmarnock prison was plunged into fresh controversy last night a 17-year-old
committed suicide while on remand at the jail. Coming just days after an
official report which damned the jail, the death of James Bolland,
from Galston, Ayrshire prompted politicians and
civil right groups to order a review of its status as Scotland's only private
prison. The youngster's death follows a report by Clive Fairwheather,
the nation's chief inspector of prisons, who declared the institution was
"an expensive failure", and criticized conditions where
"single officers were often supervising large numbers of
prisoners." He added that current low staffing levels meant the jail was
not "a particularly safe environment for prisoners or staff." It is
the second time in 12 months that a remand prisoners
at Kilmarnock has taken his own life. Michael Matheson, deputy justice
spokesman for the Scottish National Party said: "We have been concerned
that profitability is coming decent standards at Kilmarnock. While the
details of this case have yet been to be discovered, it raises grave concerns
that he may not have been properly supervised, particularly in the light of
last week's report. This is yet another sign that private prisons are not the
best solution. Mr Fairweather's report found had
the highest turnover of staff at any prison, a rate of around 32 per cent.
Figures for Barlinnie were 9 per cent while
Greenock and Edinburgh were 11 percent. (The Scotsman)
March 21, 2001
A damning report on Scotland's only private prison says inmates have an easy
time and are being paid for being asleep. Chief Inspector of Prisons Sir
Clive Fairweather's report found prisoners at Kilmarnock were paid L60 a week
for doing next to nothing. Prison officers have branded it as an experiment
gone wrong and called for an end to privatization. The report is more
expensive to run than those in the public sector and concerns have been
raised that experienced inmates are manipulating officers and are in control.
Drug taking and bullying are said to be rife arte
the prison, which opened two years ago and was thought to be the first of
many. Last year there was a 32% turnover of staff and 92% of officers had no
previous prison experience. (Evening Times, Glasglow)
March 20, 2001
Scotland's only private jail was branded "an expensive failure"
yesterday, following a damning report by prison inspectors. Union leaders,
who have seen the report on Kilmarnock prison, claim inmates are being paid
£60 a week for sitting in their cells doing nothing. According to the
report, a number of inmates were found asleep at their work, apparently high
on drugs. "While worksheds were full, a large
number of prisoners were not engaged in purposeful activity, the regime
timetable was not being followed and a number of prisoners were seen to be
asleep in the sheds," the report says. Its publication will undermine
plans by chief executive of the Scottish Prison Service to drive through
further privatization. Clive Fairweather, the county's chief inspector of
prisons, raises concerns about the level of violence against officers and
staff shortages at Kilmarnock. His report says: "Staffing levels in the
houseblocks continued to be a concern." "It was often the case that
single officers were supervising large numbers of prisoners." "With
the current staffing levels, it did not, in our opinion, feel a particularly
safe environment for either prisoners or staff. The report found that
Kilmarnock had highest turnover of staff at any Scottish prison - 32 percent.
Figures for Barlinnie were nine percent while
Greenock and Edinburgh were 11 percent. This is the latest
in a string of embarrassing episodes for Kilmarnock jail. Last year an
inspector's report found that 91 percent of staff had never worked in a
prison before. (The Scotsman)
Kirkcaldy
Sheriff Court
Fife, Scotland
Reliance
December 2, 2004 BBC
Private security firm Reliance claims its performance is improving despite
another prisoner escape last week. The company said it has overcome the
"teething problems" which marred the start of its prisoner escort
contract in west central Scotland this year. A prisoner slipped away from
Reliance guards outside Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court on Friday. The escapee, who was
a prisoner at Perth Prison, was returned to custody after being arrested by
police on Monday. In September, Audit Scotland said that Reliance had
improved its performance despite a number of prisoners being released in
error.
Its report found that private guards were at fault for 12 out of 23 prisoners
who were wrongly released.
November 29, 2004 BBC
A prisoner accused of escaping from a security guard outside a court last
week is back in custody. Steven Craigie went missing on Friday while he
was being returned to a van at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court in Fife by Reliance
Security Services. The 22-year-old, a prisoner at Perth Prison, was arrested
by police in the Levenmouth area on Monday.
November 27, 2004 BBC
Police are continuing their hunt for a prisoner who broke free from the hands
of security guards at court in Fife. Officers are looking for 22-year-old
Steven Craigie who slipped out of his handcuffs outside Kirkcaldy Sheriff
Court on Friday evening. Craigie, who is serving a sentence at Perth Prison,
appeared in the court at about 1730 GMT before escaping Reliance Security
Services staff. Nicola Sturgeon, the Scottish National
Party's deputy leader, said: "The Reliance contract has been a sham from
the start. "It has been plagued by incompetence and shoddy management,
numerous wrongful releases and a secret get-out clause. "Because of
Cathy Jamieson's failure to protect public safety, we are now stuck with a
second rate prisoner security service."
M&M
Security
September 12, 2005 Daily Record
A SECURITY firm boss caged for waging a terror campaign against rivals has
failed in a bid to get released. Lewis "Scooby" Rodden and his
henchmen are still hoping to get their jail sentences cut. Rodden, 44, and
three sidekicks were locked up for a total of 17 years following their
vendetta in Ayrshire. The mob admitted offences including assault,
fire-raising, intimidation and possessing offensive weapons. All are behind
bars in Kilmarnock's private prison following their conviction in January but the gang have appealed against their
sentences.
February 18, 2005 BBC
Four men who tried to muscle in on
security contracts have been sentenced to serve a total of 17 years in jail.
Lewis Rodden, from Cumbernauld, and three members
of his security firm admitted assault, possessing offensive weapons, threats
and fire-raising. The 44-year-old ringleader was jailed alongside Muir
MacLeod, 38, Lee Burgun, 34, and William Bennett,
45, at the High Court in Kilmarnock on Friday. The judge likened the crime
spree to mobster racketeering in 1920s America. A fifth man, James McInally,
47, was put on probation for three years and ordered to carry out 240 hours'
community service. Mob mentality. Rodden was in charge of the four men who
all worked for his private security outfit, West Coast Security. Last month
the same court heard he and his accomplices plead guilty to a series of
charges for trying to bully construction firms across Ayrshire into awarding
them business between May and September 2003. On sentencing the quartet on
Friday, Lord Hardie said: "Such crimes remind me of the activities of organised crime in America last century." He added
that the acts of violence against rival security firms in order to obtain
their business was unacceptable and welcomed the introduction of licences to stop such activities by the Scottish
Executive.
A FRONTMAN for gangster-owned security
firm M&M has bragged how the name stands for Murder and Mayhem. The
chilling boast, revealing the true face of Scotland's security industry, was
caught on camera during secret filming by the BBC. John Fox, a former
Children's Panel member, smirks as he makes the claim which will be screened
in Tuesday's edition of Frontline Scotland. Asked what M&M stands
for, Fox says: 'Mad and Madder... Murder and Mayhem.' The company's
initials are meant to represent the names of co-owners convicted murderer
Paul McGovern, 30, and George Madden, 43. M&M were targeted as part of a
BBC investigation into Scotland's rogue security firms and their gangland
links. Reporter Sam Poling set up a bogus building site in Glasgow and
invited M&M and rival firms Frontline and Osiris to tender for the
security contract. Representatives of the three would-be 'respectable' firms
were caught on camera admitting who really owns them McGovern, notorious
gangster Paul Ferris and Marie Johnston, wife of bent ex-cop Paul. All
three firms' gangland links have been repeatedly exposed by the Sunday Mail
but they continue to get work from reputable firms. The revelations will
increase pressure on the Scottish Executive to introduce licensing of
security firms. (Sunday Mail)
Prisoner Escort and Tagging
Reliance (formerly Serco, subsidiary of Premier)
6 Dec 2012 Daily Record
Olympic bunglers G4S fined £350,000 for court failings: THE security firm
were hit with the financial penalty after they delivered prisoners late tens
of thousands of times. BUNGLING security firm G4S have been fined almost
£350,000 for failing to deliver prisoners on time to Scottish courts. The
controversial company, who were heavily criticised
before the London Olympics, took over a seven-year contract for transporting
all Scots prisoners last January. But figures show that by the end of
September the firm had been fined £334,500 for delivering prisoners late on
21,735 occasions. Scottish Labour last night
blasted the company and raised concerns over G4S being handed the contract
for handling security at the police training college in Fife. The Tulliallan centre has been made
the interim HQ of the new single police force from April. Justice spokesman
Lewis Macdonald said: “These figures show just how shoddy the basic service
being provided by G4S is. Raid on security van yards away from police
station. “I’m relieved they are being hit in the pocket for their poor
performance. “Scottish Labour calls on the Scottish
Government to stop awarding contracts to the company – until their
performance can be shown to be much better than it is at present. “I’m
concerned they are now to be providing the security at the police training
college. The police and the SNP need to reflect upon how appropriate that
is.” But a G4S spokesman said: “Since taking over the contract for prisoner
escorting, G4S have been working to reduce the number of late deliveries to
courts. “We have retrained staff and introduced new procedures. The Scottish
Court Service have noted a significant improvement in performance. “In the
six months from April to September, there has been a reduction of about 40
per cent in the rate of late deliveries to court. “This is encouraging progress
and we will continue to work with staff and our partners to ensure this
continues.” A Scottish Prison Service spokeswoman described the number of
late deliveries of prisoners to court as “very small”. Scottish Government
hire Olympic security bunglers G4S to track offenders. She added: “The
performance criteria is considerably stricter than
in previous years and financial penalties are accrued if this criteria is not
met. “Delays from late deliveries of prisoners to court has been very small
and there has been a significant improvement in performance since the
contract became operational.”
March 14, 2011 BBC
Reliance is set to lose the contract for Scottish court custody and
prisoner transfers to G4S Care and Justice Services UK. The current Scottish
Prison Service contract with Reliance is due to come to an end in January
2012. Under European regulations, there will be a period of 10 days to allow
other bidders and objectors to comment. G4S said the seven-year contract was
likely to involve the transportation of about 180,000 prisoners each year. It
covers the escorting of prisoners in Scotland between jails, police stations
and the courts, as well as all external visits, such as hospital trips. G4S
managing director of court services Russell Hobbs said: "G4S has
unrivalled expertise in the care and transport of prisoners, and we were the
first private company to take over court services from the public sector in
England and Wales in 1993." Reliance, which had the prison transfer
contract since 2003, declined to comment at this stage while the 10-day
cooling off period is in place. Scottish Labour's
justice spokesman Richard Baker accused Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill of
"gross hypocrisy". He said: "In opposition his party said that
a private firm should never have been brought in to deal with prisoner
transfer matters and now in the fag-end of this administration, a new
contract is signed, presumably with his full backing. "Surely it would
have been preferable to wait until the new administration was in place of
whatever political colour to award this contract.
"This has been the hallmark of this administration. Say one thing in
opposition. Do something completely different in government."
February 19, 2008 BBC
George McGeoch, who was serving a life sentence for
offences including murder and abduction, had been attending a planned
appointment at Perth Infirmary. The 36-year-old, originally from the Glasgow
area, absconded from two members of escort staff and made off on foot at
about 1530 GMT. A police spokesman said McGeoch
should not be approached. Police officers are carrying out door to door
enquiries in Perth and are studying CCTV footage, as well as monitoring
various roads in and out of the city and bus and rail stations. McGeoch is described as 5ft 9ins, stocky, with very short
ginger hair and a ginger Mexican-style moustache. At the time he was wearing
a light t-shirt and dark jogging bottoms. It is believed McGeoch
had recently been moved from Perth prison to HMP Dumfries. McGeoch was sentenced to life at the High Court in
Inverness in April 1999 for the murder of Eric Innes, a 61-year-old bakery
worker, by slashing his throat and trying to burn his body. In 2002 he took took two nurses hostage in his cell at Saughton Prison during a five-hour siege. Private
security firm Reliance is responsible for Scotland's prison escort service.
September 12, 2007 BBC
The security firm Reliance has been accused of causing delays at one of
Scotland's busiest courts. Lawyers said business at Paisley Sheriff Court was
being delayed because of a lack of Reliance staff. The Paisley Faculty of
Procurators said the "time had come for the justice secretary to
reassess the ability of Reliance to fulfil their contract". However,
Reliance said it was fulfilling its contractual responsibilities. Paisley
lawyers claimed there was a lack of Reliance personnel to attend dock
escorts. Charlie McCusker, dean of the Paisley Faculty of Procurators, said
that despite several meetings with senior staff, the situation was not improving.
"The fact of the matter is that Reliance are unreliable and as a result
court business is being delayed to the detriment of everyone," he said.
'Very frustrating' -- "Senior management at Reliance come to the court
users committee meetings and assure all other court users they are dealing
with the problem. "It's not a problem caused by the staff who are there,
there is nothing wrong with what they do. "It's the lack of resources,
the lack of manpower." He added: "You can't get justice on the
cheap, we work at the coal face and I just find it very, very
frustrating." Freelance journalist Louden Temple, who covers the court,
said sheriffs have been refusing to sit until a Reliance officer is present
to accompany accused and prisoners. "Although it's been highlighted in
Paisley the problem is all over the place," he told BBC Radio Scotland's
Good Morning Scotland programme. "Sometimes
it's one or two courts it affects, most days we have four or five, maybe six,
courts sitting in Paisley. "When it affects that amount of business on a
daily basis it can't be good for business." Justice Secretary Kenny
MacAskill said the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) was responsible for managing
the contract. A spokesman for the SPS said: "The recent inspection report
by Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons into the conditions and treatment
of prisoners under escort found that the overwhelming number of escorts were
managed without incident or difficulty of any kind.
April 12, 2006 Evening Times
A PRIVATE prison security firm came under fire today after it took
prisoners to the wrong courts and held up proceedings twice in one day. A
Reliance driver took a rapist to a court 50 miles from where he should have
appeared and delayed his sentencing by 24 hours. Staff from Reliance
Custodial Services picked up Felice Cariello from Saughton
Prison in Edinburgh and were supposed to take him to the High Court in
Glasgow. But they took him to the High Court in Edinburgh, where he had been
convicted, instead. The bungle happened the same day two money launderers
were taken to Edinburgh's Sheriff Court instead of the High Court, delaying
their appearance by hours.
March 21, 2006 BBC
A judge has ruled that sworn statements should be produced by staff from
a prisoner escort firm after it caused a delay in continuing a murder trial.
Lord Hardie also called for a police report into a road crash which Reliance
said was partially to blame. The judge said not only had jurors been kept
waiting, but also a paediatric consultant from
Glasgow. Jennifer Liehne, from Edinburgh, has gone
on trial and denies suffocating a baby daughter 23 years ago. Lord Hardie had
earlier summoned a Reliance director to appear before him. James Greenoak was asked to explain whether there was a policy
of giving priority to "volume business" and ignoring the need to
give precedence to serious cases heard by juries. The row between the judge
and Reliance Custodial Services began when the firm was unable to supply
officers to provide a dock escort last week. Paul McBride QC, representing
the firm and its operations director, offered "an unreserved
apology" to the court for the inconvenience caused to jurors, witnesses
and staff after the trial was two and a half hours late in starting. Mr McBride said a combination of factors, including work
absences, a road accident and weather, was to blame. He told the court, as Mr Greenoak sat listening, that
the situation was not expected to arise again because of substantial
recruitment by Reliance. Lord Hardie said he would continue the issue to a
further court hearing and would seek affidavits from various people,
including Mr Greenoak. He
also called for the Reliance duty roster to be produced. The trial continues.
January 18, 2006 The Scotsman
Managers of Scotland’s prison system heard in January that prison guards
at the private security company Reliance are being forced to work
"dangerously long shifts." Reliance, contracted by the Scottish
Prison Service to perform certain core and escort duties, has been heavily
criticized for a number of escaped prisoners. Long shifts are not
ergonomically sound, and have been shown in many studies to lead to the kind
of problems that make prison escapes unsurprising. In an article in The
Scotsman newspaper, the Prison Service Union (PSU) reported that tired
workers responsible for some of the country's most dangerous inmates are in
danger of letting their guard drop, putting their safety at risk and
potentially leading to escapes. PSU Assistant General Secretary Steve Farrell
explained in the report that staff work "extremely long and dangerous
hours - anything between 12 and 16 hours a shift, on average." In
extreme cases, staff work in excess of 20 hours in a single day, he said.
December 5, 2005 The Sun
A CRIMINAL was allowed to roam free after a second blunder by a jail tagging
firm. Justin Keefe, 25, was meant to have been contacted at home and have a
tag fitted after being released early from jail. But nobody got in touch -
even after his mum phoned ASKING them to monitor him. The mistake has been
blamed on Premier Monitoring Services - slammed for failing to keep tabs on jewellery raider Peter Williams. He had torn off a tag
meant to monitor his movements before a robbery in Nottingham in which an
accomplice shot dead jeweller Marian Bates.
Williams, 19, was later jailed for life for his part in the murder. The
latest gaffe came days after Home Office vowed there would not be a repeat.
Keefe, from Streetly, West Midlands, who was jailed for eight months for two
offences of affray, said: "It seems that nobody can even be bothered to
tag me." Premier claim the blunder happened because private prison firm
UKDS failed to fax them to say Keefe was being released. UKDS deny doing
anything wrong. The Home Office is investigating.
October 21, 2005 Scotsman
Security firm Reliance has lost out in the battle to win a £30 million
contract to provide tagging in Scotland, it has been disclosed. The five-year
contract will instead to rival Serco, the Executive announced. Reliance holds
the current contract, worth £14 million, which began in 2002 and which
expires in May next year. The Executive denied Reliance lost out because of
well-publicised problems when it took over
responsibility last year for court and prison escort duties in Scotland.
September 19, 2005 The Herald
THE private security firm set to take over the electronic tagging of
prisoners in Scotland has been censured for its failings in monitoring a
teenager convicted of the murder of a jeweller
while under its supervision. Serco, which runs Scotland's only private
prison, has been awarded preferred-bidder status for the tender to operate
electronic tagging on teenage and adult offenders north of the border for
five years from April. However, the electronic tagging firm Premier
Monitoring, which is owned by Serco, displayed an "inadequate
understanding of its responsibilities", according to an official report
into the murder of Marian Bates, a Nottingham jeweller
who was killed two years ago. Mrs Bates, 64, was
shot dead in her family shop as she tried to shield her daughter Xanthe from armed robbers in September 2003. Peter
Williams, now 19, was a cocaine addict who had been in trouble with the law
since the age of 11 for offences including burglary and indecent assault. He
had been released from a young offenders' institution on licence
just 20 days before the murder of Mrs Bates. An
official report by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Probation into the killing
found probation workers and Premier Monitoring made a catalogue of errors in
their supervision of Williams. He had breached his curfew order at least six
times, and even removed the electronic tag that was supposed to restrict his
movements, yet little was done. However, Premier failed to inform his youth offending
team of this until the morning of Mrs Bates's
murder, by which time he had removed the tag completely. Serco, which also
owns Premier Custodial Services, operator of Kilmarnock Prison, is set to
take over the contract for tagging offenders in Scotland from Reliance, the
private security firm. Premier was criticised
earlier this year amid claims of staff shortages and negligence at HMP
Kilmarnock.
September 14, 2005 The Herald
RELIANCE, the private security firm criticised over
a series of prisoner escapes, has lost the multi-million pound contract for
tagging offenders in Scotland. The initial £14m deal was awarded to Reliance
Monitoring in January 2002 before being extended for a further 12 months,
worth £8m, earlier this year. However, Serco, the com-pany
which runs Scotland's only private prison, has now been awarded preferred
bidder status for the tender to operate electronic monitoring on teenage and
adult offenders from next April until 2011. The Scottish Executive is
expected to make an official announcement next month. Critics believe the
monitoring firm lost favour after its sister
company, Reliance Custodial Services, took over prisoner escort
responsibilities in April 2004. Just days into the seven-year £126m
contract's roll-out, the firm allowed a number of prisoners to escape,
including James McCormick, a convicted killer who was aged 17. The decision
to award the contract to Serco is also expected to prove controversial. Serco
owns Premier Custodial Services, the firm which runs Kilmarnock prison, and
was rebuked earlier this year following claims of staff shortages and
negligence. A BBC reporter found evidence that warders failed to carry out
suicide checks, despite six suicides at the jail in a five-year period. The programme also claimed that officers failed to report
offences, including heroin use, which would attract a fine, to protect the
income of the jail's operator. The screening of Prison Undercover: The Real
Story led to three staff being removed from their duties and an internal investigation
by Premier. A fatal accident inquiry earlier this year into the suicide of an
inmate at the prison in 2002 was highly critical of failures to monitor him.
Premier said a number of improvements had already been introduced.
February 1, 2005 BBC
A teenage murderer who spent more than two weeks on the run has admitted
duping guards from a private security firm into setting him free. James
McCormick's escape - days after Reliance took over prisoner escort duties -
sparked a political row. The High Court in Glasgow heard that the 18-year-old
pretended to be another teenager who had been granted bail. He and four other
prisoners were locked in a cell exclusively for those from Polmont. Only one
of the five prisoners, Thomas Gallagher, was granted bail. Police at the
court asked Reliance staff to collect the 16-year-old from the cells so he
could be released. The court heard that a guard yelled Mr
Gallagher's name. However, it was McCormick - who did not know the teenager
before that day - who came forward. His escape sparked a nationwide hunt
and led to a political storm over the decision to privatise
the service. Gordon Jackson QC, defending, said the
escape had happened through "a comedy of errors". He said: "It was
a daft thing to do. It came about as a result of a poor security check."
December 2, 2004 BBC
Private security firm Reliance claims its performance is improving despite
another prisoner escape last week. The company said it has overcome the
"teething problems" which marred the start of its prisoner escort
contract in west central Scotland this year. A prisoner slipped away from
Reliance guards outside Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court on Friday. The escapee, who
was a prisoner at Perth Prison, was returned to custody after being arrested
by police on Monday. In September, Audit Scotland said that Reliance had
improved its performance despite a number of prisoners being released in
error.
Its report found that private guards were at fault for 12 out of 23 prisoners
who were wrongly released.
November 24, 2004 BBC
The Scottish Prison Service is facing strong criticism for signing a
confidentiality agreement with the private security firm, Reliance. The
Scottish Information Commissioner carried out an investigation into the
agreement, following an SNP complaint. He has now expressed
"dissatisfaction" with a legally-binding clause which allowed
Reliance to stop full the publication of the contract. Reliance will be paid
£126m over seven years to provide court escort services. The Scottish National
Party demanded publication of the Reliance contract after a series of
high-profile mistakes which saw a number of prisoners and offenders go free.
The party lodged an appeal under the Code of Practice on Access to Scottish
Executive Information. Only an edited version of the contract was released
with figures for cash penalties and other details missing. The SNP complained
and Mr Dunion launched an
investigation and made his ruling public on Wednesday. His report described
the confidentiality arrangement as "extraordinarily unbalanced",
giving a private firm a veto over the public interest. But he conceded that the SPS was
legally able to withhold the information.
November 7, 2004 Sunday Mail
EXHAUSTED
workers at the crisis-hit Reliance security firm are flooding a union with
requests for membership. More than 200 Reliance staff have been recruited by
the Prison Services Union in the last few months. Stressed-out workers with
the prisoner escort company are working up to 60 hours a week because of
staff shortages. But they claim complaints about working conditions are being
ignored by bosses.
October 26, 2004 Scotsman
MSPs today called
into question official claims that handing prison escort duties to private
security company Reliance will save taxpayers £20 million a year. Scottish
Nationalist Andrew Welsh claimed the estimate was "poorly based"
and "largely speculative". And Labour
backbencher Margaret Jamieson suggested it "may not be very
robust". The comments came as the parliament’s audit committee quizzed
Auditor General Robert Black on his report into the contracting-out of the
escort role from the Scottish Prison Service to Reliance. Mr Black told the
committee the SPS had not kept information on the cost of escort duties.
October 21, 2004 Scotsman
THE Scottish National Party called for ministerial action yesterday, after it
emerged that guards from the security firm Reliance are not allowed to chase
and apprehend prisoners who escape from their custody. Only police officers
have the right to recapture prisoners who escape. Linda Fabiani,
an SNP MSP, said she was appalled that all Reliance guards could do if a
prisoner escaped was "wave cheerio".
Reliance has admitted losing a dozen prisoners on the way to, or on the way
from, courts since it took over duties from the Scottish Prison Service
earlier this year. Ms Fabiani
said: "This is a totally ridiculous state of affairs. Reliance are meant
to be taking charge of prisoners while they are being transported to and from
court, but if one manages to break free then all Reliance staff can do is
stand back and watch them escape."
October 19, 2004 BBC
Detectives are investigating an attack on a prisoner in the cells below the
High Court in Glasgow. Barry Mallon, 21, was slashed on the face and
neck after he appeared in court with three other prisoners. He had been
segregated from the others in prison, but they were returned to the same cell
after appearing in court.
Strathclyde Police and Reliance, the private firm responsible for
security at the court, have both launched investigations into the incident. Conservative MSP Bill Aitken, who represents the
Glasgow region, described it as "an incredible situation". He said:
"No prisoner, however they arrive in the court cells, should be able to
use a weapon to attack another. "There has obviously been a
fundamental breach of security and a full and immediate investigation must be
carried out - and, if necessary, those responsible should face disciplinary
action."
June 30, 2004
The under-fire private security firm Reliance has begun shadowing police and
prison staff in Dumfries. But there will be no further roll-out of the
prison escort contract until an assessment has been carried out of the firm's
readiness to cope with work. Reliance was awarded the contract so that
police and prison guards could concentrate on "core duties".
However, a number of prisoners have been released in error since the firm
began work in the west of Scotland. (BBC)
June 28, 2004
Up to 17 prisoners may have escaped from custody while private security firm
Reliance was on duty, it has emerged. The firm's managing director has
been questioned by MSPs at the Scottish Parliament. Tom Riall told the Justice 2 Committee that so far six of the
releases can be blamed to some extent on Reliance. Mr
Riall told MSPs that the private firm had notanticipated the difficulties it would face when it
took over the job of transporting prisoners to court. But he insisted
the firm was getting on top of the job and he expressed his hope that the
Scottish Executive would lift the freeze it placed on the £126m
contract. (BBC)
June 28, 2004
Prison escort firm Reliance has incurred £75,000 in penalties for releasing
prisoners by mistake. The firm has accepted the blame for allowing
three people to walk free from custody in Scotland. Penalty details were
edited from the published version of the Reliance contract which was released
last week. However, BBC Scotland understands that the contract
specifies a £25,000 rebate to the Scottish Executive for each prisoner.
(BBC)
June
28, 2004
Another prisoner has escaped from custody while being transported to court by
Reliance Security Services. David Duffy was due to face assault and
disorder charges and was on his way to Glasgow Sheriff Court when he escaped
through the roof of an escort van. The Scottish Prison Service (SPS)
said it was investigating the incident. Earlier this month it was
revealed that up to 17 people may have escaped since Reliance took over the
prison escort service in the west of Scotland. (BBC)
April 13, 2003
PLANS to use a private security firm at all of Scotland’s prisons have been
temporarily suspended following the mistaken release of a number of
prisoners, including a convicted murderer who is still on the run. The
Scottish Executive had planned to expand the use of Reliance Custodial
Services, which began escorting prisoners to and from some Scottish courts
last week, under an £11 million contract to help modernise
prison escorting services. However, after the bungled release of Colin
Watson, a housebreaker, and Jamie McCormick, a murderer, from courts on
Thursday, the roll-out of the scheme across Scotland has been shelved while
Reliance improve their procedures. (The Scots Man)
April 12, 2004
The discussions follow a mix-up on Thursday which led to the mistaken release
of a convicted murderer James McCormick was taken to Hamilton Sheriff Court
by Reliance Custodial Services which began prisoner transport duties last
week. However, McCormick escaped and is still on the run Speaking shortly
after McCormick's escape, Justice Minister Cathy Jamieson said she has called
for a detailed report from the chief executive of the Scottish Prison
Service, which monitors the Reliance contract. Scottish Socialist Party
MSP Colin Fox called for the Reliance contract to be cancelled and said Ms Jamieson must "take full responsibility for the privatised chaos that has resulted". He said:
"The Scottish Executive and the minister of justice in particular were
repeatedly warned just months ago of the danger of privatising
prisoner escort services in Scotland. "Those warnings have been
borne out by the debacle surrounding the mistaken release of prisoners over
the past week. (BBC)
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