SCOTLAND: SCOTLAND’S PRISONS ARE AT BREAKING POINT

There’s no sugarcoating it; Scotland’s prison system is in crisis. Overcrowding is at record levels, staffing is dangerously low, and violence is on the rise. But let’s be absolutely clear, it is our members who are being forced to hold the line in impossible circumstances

In our recent survey report, Breaking Point, that we took to the Scottish Parliament, the view of the membership was clear: you are overworked and feel unsafe in your workplace because of the chronic overcrowding being faced. If you haven’t read the report, we urge you to do this.

As a union, POA Scotland has been warning for years that the system is heading towards collapse. Now, those warnings have become reality, and it’s our members who are paying the price.

Take HMP Barlinnie, for example. Designed to hold around 1,000 prisoners, it’s now routinely squeezing in more than 1,400. And it’s not just Barlinnie; overcrowding is rife across the estate, from Perth to Polmont, Greenock to Inverness. In every jail in Scotland, overcrowding is having a huge impact. In HMP Kilmarnock, the staff say they felt safer when they were a private prison as their numbers were more controlled. Now, like every other prison in Scotland, it is bursting at the seams

This isn’t just a numbers game. It’s a human cost. It’s our members being run ragged on every shift. The overcrowding has led to increased prisoner tensions, resulting in increased risk of violence. It’s experienced colleagues walking away from the job they once loved because of absolute burnout, leaving newer staff with too much to do and too little support.

We are seeing more stress-related sickness, more injuries on duty, and more mental health issues. How many more warning signs do decision-makers need?

As mentioned above, tensions are rising and assaults on staff are rising, and that’s no surprise to those wearing the uniform. Violence across the estate spiked as overcrowding worsened. When prisons are packed and underresourced, tempers flare. Officers are being assaulted more frequently and often with little or no consequence for perpetrators. This needs to change; regimes need to change to ensure proper safety for those working in prisons.

What makes it worse is the lack of proper aftercare. Far too many of our members feel abandoned after an incident, unsupported, unheard, and sometimes pressured back to work too soon. If they can’t return, they are being treated in the most disgusting way possible, as the SPS is trying to save money over staff’s health by rejecting people’s right to exit the service using the Civil Service Code (capability).

To every POA Scotland member out there: we see what you’re dealing with every day. We hear your frustration. We share your anger. And we are bringing your voice to the table, loud and clear. We will continue to raise this issue at every opportunity.

Government says it respects us and, through the latest pay award, they have said we, along with NHS, are a priority because of the pressures our members are working in. Yes the pay offer was ultimately accepted by the vast majority of our members, but this cannot be the only support offered. We need the prison numbers lowered, and staff properly protected and respected, and we will not stop the effort we are putting into ensuring this happens.

We have taken our message to the SPS, to Holyrood and to the media, via our Breaking Point report, and we will not stop until change is delivered. But we need you with us. Stay strong, stay united: this union stands with you every day – and remember, if you don’t have the required staffing numbers, something must give. Protect yourselves and protect your colleagues.

JOHN CAIRNEY
SCOTTISH NATIONAL COMMITTEE (SNC) CHAIR