On 10/01/22 the Scottish Parliament’s Criminal Justice Committee published its report, ‘Judged on Progress: the Need for Urgent Delivery on Scottish Justice Sector Reforms’. It’s a weighty piece with recommendations across the following areas: the impact of Covid 19 on the justice sector; prisons and prison policy; misuse of drugs and the criminal justice system; violence against women and girls; victims’ rights and victim support; reducing youth offending, offering community justice solutions and alternatives to custody; and legal aid.          Importantly, it includes an Action Plan for the Scottish Justice Sector in this session of Parliament, which include monitoring mechanisms e.g. did the Scottish Government agree to the recommendation to deliver the manifesto commitment not to hold under 18s in HMP Polmont – yes/no/in part – with progress against delivery.

On 8 October 2020, the Council of Europe Anti-Torture Committee published its report on the United Kingdom focusing on Scottish prisons. This was a follow up to their 2018 visit. Many of their recommendations had not been implemented, particularly around high-secure mental health accommodation provision for women. This chimes with calls for governance of the National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) to be revised and to find a way to make their recommendations legally enforceable.