On 2 November 2022 a full inspection report of HMP Shotts from May 2022 was published. Areas of concern included: delays in progression; insufficient pre-release preparation; lack of stability in senior management positions; poor rating of patient care; staff shortages; and a high incidence of substance related issues.

For the first time it included a pilot pre-inspection survey with prisoners, which included some concerning findings e.g. 46% of respondents reported having witnessed staff abusing, threatening, bullying or assaulting another prisoner in the prison; 77% of respondents reported that the complaints system worked ‘quite’ or ‘very’ badly; and 49% of respondents did not know how contact an Independent Prison Monitor (IPM).