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HMIPS Liaison Visit to HMP/YOI Grampian

Thursday, April 15, 2021 - 13:44

On 4 March 2021, HMIPS published their report on a Liaison Visit on 4 and 5 November 2020 to HMP/YOI Grampian, which advised that “the backlog in prisoners awaiting offender behaviour programmes is a serious concern; we urge the SPS HQ to address this as quickly as possible and continue to ramp up opportunities for progression across the prison estate”. Since then, a Liaison Visit to HMP Glenochil has highlighted the same concern: “The SPS and HMP Glenochil similarly need to develop a coherent plan to maximise availability and delivery of offender management programmes and address the assessment and programme backlog”. This a recurring theme which we highlighted in our recent letter to the Justice Committee. 

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Effects of New Covid19 Variant

Thursday, April 15, 2021 - 11:46

During January 2021 and in response to the increasing spread of the new variant of COVID-19 across Scotland, a number of measures were advised:

- the Lord President announced that criminal courts would focus on the most serious trials and the majority of summary trials in the Sheriff Court and Justice of the Peace Court would be adjourned. This was estimated to reduce the overall number of criminal trials taking place during lockdown by up to 75%

- Social Work Scotland announced that for the same reason, face to face unpaid work as part of CPOs would be suspended as part of the current lockdown

- HMIPS announced that they had taken the decision to suspend on-site monitoring and liaison visits to prisons and Court Custody Units - a decision that would be reviewed on a fortnightly basis.

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HMIPS Liaison Visit to HMP Kilmarnock

Thursday, April 15, 2021 - 10:38

On 12 August 2020, HMIPS published an inspection report on a Liaison Visit to HMP Kilmarnock. Much of it advised of activities to be re-commenced i.e. at planning, not implementation stage. Again, it advised “Whilst acknowledging that HMP Kilmarnock were providing more time out of cell than we had seen on previous liaison visits, along with allowing prisoners access to a phone while isolated under rule 41 (COVID-19), there is still a tension between the rights set out under Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights and the restrictions having to be imposed”. We are concerned that prisoners' human rights are being breached and that this needs to be addressed directly. We are therefore raising this with HMIPS and partners in the criminal justice system.

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HMP Dumfries Full Inspection

Wednesday, April 14, 2021 - 17:34

On 30 July 2020, a full pre-COVID inspection report on HMP Dumfries was published advising that there were no offence-focused programmes available on-site with long waiting lists for progression assessments and programmes. Given that there is currently no movement between sites this has serious implications for prisoners’ release and is something we will be following up.

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HMIPS First Liaison Visit to HMP Addiewell

Wednesday, April 14, 2021 - 16:42

On 1 July 2020, HMIPS published a report on its COVID19 Liaison Visit to HMP Addiewell. Similarly to its findings from HMP Edinburgh, it had to be pointed out that those people in isolation should have access to fresh air and without this their human rights were being breached.

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