Transcript Aberdeen Prison

Aberdeen
Prison
Background.
• Founded in 1891. Formally known as Craiginches.
• Aberdeen is a short stay prison, holding males
with sentences of up to 4 years. It also
accommodates all remand prisoners.
• Medium security – all supervision level prisoners
can be held there.
• Designed to hold 155 prisoners, but had a
population of 264 in 2009. (165 convicted and
87remand).
Structure.
• Overcrowded by about 50%
• Understaffed – at least 20 officers short.
• Due to these problems, inmates spend long hours
inside cramped cells, with little time for exercise.
• Remand prisoners (particularly those under 21)
spend longest time locked up.
• Sex-offenders get no preparation for release and
take exercise in “cages” HM Chief inspectors 2009
report highlighted.
• Poor quality building – broken windows, poor
segregation unit and visitation room needs to
be replaced. (Chief inspectors 2009 report).
• Despite all these problems, inmates say they
do feel safe.
• 20years ago, military style schedule. Now
focus is more on trying to help prisoners
overcome their problem – drugs, alcohol. But
little signs of this working as many end up
reoffending and ending up back in prison,
sometimes with their children, or even
grandchildren.
Rehabilitation.
• 67% leave jail as regular drug users.
• 2007 – chosen to pilot new imitative called the
Substance Related Offending Behaviour Programme
(SROBP): prisoners find the relationship between their
substance use and their offending behaviour. Helping
reduce recidivism rates.
• Looking into piloting a needle exchange programme –
switch unsafe, unsterile needles for clean, hypodermic
ones and receive associated injection kits.
• No systematic preparation for any prisoner – no
programmes to address offending behaviour apart for
the pilot substance misuse programme.
Opportunities.
• Education provided is of a very high standard
– lots of inmates take part.
• Basic education – computer studies, cookery,
creative writing, English, key skills, maths,
music and Open University.
• Vocational Training – catering, industrial
cleaning, laundry and sport studies.
Current Issues.
• Aberdeen and Peterhead to be replaced by a “superprison” in Peterhead. Capacity of 500, and will house
men, women and young offenders. Will have a special
unit for sex offenders.
• Work expected to begin within the next 4 years.
prisoners already being transferred out of Peterhead.
• Kenny MacAskill’s report in 2007 of the jails were the
starting point for the idea of this “super-prison” since
these prisons are seen as Victorian and structurally
outdated.
• 2010 – planning for woman's unit to be re-opened to
allow female offenders to be closer to their families.
Sources.
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www.scotland.gov.uk
BBC website
STV website
www.pressandjournal.co.uk
The Scotsman
The Guardian
SPS website