Transcript Kilmarnock Prison

Kilmarnock Prison
The prison was opened 25 March 1999 and is privately run by
Serco (formerly known as Premier Prison Services) on behalf of
the Scottish Prison Service; the first of its kind in Scotland.
The prison, which holds short-term, long-term and remand
male adults, currently has 550 inmates with a total capacity of
692.
Structure
• Closed mainstream high security establishment.
• Operates a similar regime to Schotts, Glenochil and Perth.
• It accommodates male adult prisoners – remands, short-term
and long-term - and male young offender remands.
• Even though it is privately run it operates under the same
agenda as the other nationally run prisons.
• Prisoners have a toilet cubicle in each cell.
• Staffing levels are lower than in SPS prisons.
• There has been a considerable turnover of staff resulting in a
high proportion of staff being relatively inexperienced.
Programmes and opportunities
There are a number of activities available to prisoners at Kilmarnock. There are 11
health/sport related activities, many subject courses (Maths, languages, art etc)
and also vocational training courses available, which includes:
• Catering
• Gardening
• Horticulture
• Industrial
• Cleaning
• Laundry
• Sports Studies
On top of these leisure or educational programmes the prison offers offence
focused courses such as:
• Alcohol Awareness
• CARE
• Constructs
• Drug Awareness
• SROBP
• Violence Prevention Programme
News Stories In Relation To Kilmarnock
Prison
•
Kilmarnock Prison tops jail booze league:
Kilmarnock Prison has the highest rate for seizures of illicit drink of any jail in Scotland.
Figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act reveal that in the 12 months up to January 2010
42 batches of contraband booze were discovered at Bowhouse..
Kilmarnock also had the fourth highest level in Scotland for drug seizures within the jail, with 195 drugs
stashes uncovered of the year covered by the figures.
•Private jail 'cramped but safer'
The chief inspector of prisons said Kilmarnock Prison's 500 cells housed 635 inmates. He
said the cells were cramped, increasing the risk of fire.
But Dr Andrew McLellan's report found that despite the overcrowding, the jail was safer
than it once was. Dr McLellan said the condition of the cells increased the risk of fire.
"The cells in general are small, cramped and have too much in them," he said. He also
concluded that too few inmates had access to the prison workshops.
•Jail Defends Security After Horror Murder On CCTV
David Martin, 20, yesterday admitted murdering Michael Cameron during a "horrific attack" at Kilmarnock
Prison on June 16 last year which was captured on CCTV.
One prison officer was present while the attack took place in the health wing, but did not intervene until
reinforcement's arrived.
This is in line with protocol that three custody officers should restrain any one prisoner.
Michael Clarke, a spokesman for Serco, the firm which runs Kilmarnock prison today rejected claims that
the prison is understaffed
Sources
• www.insidetime.org- Information on the site provided is
supplemented with information from the various prison service
websites; Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons; information
and quotes from recent IMB/Visiting Committee reports; and
specialist departments within the Prison Service, government,
and regional assemblies/parliaments.
• www.news.bbc.co.uk
• www.kilmarnockstandard.co.uk
• www.scotland.gov.uk
HMP KILMARNOCK
BY TODD JEFFRIES
OUT.