Record high prison numbers will make Scotland's jails 'unbearable'

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Conditions in Scotland’s jails are set to become “unbearable” as the prison population is projected to reach a record-high of 8,700, a warder’s union has warned.Prisoner numbers are expected to reach unprecedented levels next year - fuelled by a rise in those held on remand and more people being convicted of serious crime.The chief inspector of prisons, Wendy Sinclair-Gieben, said she was “shocked” by the projected figure and the system “cannot cope” with the number - up considerably on the previous high of 8,300 in 2019.And John Cairney, Scottish national committee chair of the Prison Officer’s Association, yesterday said the impact on staff and society would be huge.He said: “This situation is dire and really concerning to us as a trade union.“This figure should be concerning for society too because prisoners aren’t getting rehabilitated properly.

They’re effectively getting warehoused and the appropriate support to address offending behaviours is not being achieved.“The numbers are too high for our members to give meaningful support to prisoners in custody, which has a wider impact on communities.“Our members are frustrated because they are invested in the wider justice sector.

They want to make a difference but are not being allowed because of these numbers.“I know how bad the situation is currently and how little work our members are able to do with prisoners.

If you lump another potential 700 in custody on top of it, the situation becomes unbearable.”Mr Cairney said a meaningful resolution could only come in the form of a change of policy.He said: “We need to stop using this issue as a political football.