Aberdeen Prison Background Founded in 1891 Formally known

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 87 remand).

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. • 20 years 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 Mac. Askill’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. • • www. scotland. gov. uk BBC website STV website www. pressandjournal. co. uk The Scotsman The Guardian SPS website