Prisoners 'refuse to eat from unclean kitchen' at HMP Glenochil after inmates caught high on drugs

Prisoners at HMP Glenochil refused to eat from a kitchen deemed “unclean” days after dozens of inmates were found high on drugs on Christmas Day.

Five prisoners were taken to hospital after more than 30 were caught under the influence of drugs on December 25 at the facility in Clackmannanshire.

The drugs were reportedly smuggled into the jail through the illegal use of drones.

A notice to prisoners on January 7 stated that an external inspection highlighted the standard of cleanliness in the kitchen as a “major issue”.

Prisoners are said to have refused to eat from the kitchen on the Harvieston wing in protest.

The issue is said to be due to a lack of workforce in the kitchen – made up of inmates. A party of 30 is required, but only seven have been available each day.

This lack of staff resulted in the kitchen being below the acceptable standard of cleanliness and hygiene.

Some of the kitchen workers were said to be unavailable due to the Management of Offender at Risk Due to Any Substance (MORS) policy.

MORS instructs staff on how to respond to prisoners who may be at risk from substances and was implemented in Scottish prisons in 2014.

As a result, the kitchen work party was due to be moved from Harviestoun to a second residential hall, Abercrombie.

The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) said the numbers in the kitchen work party had since increased and is “returning to normal”.

An SPS spokesperson said: “Our staff work hard to provide meals which are varied and nutritious, and prepared in kitchens that are clean and hygienic.

“This relies on the work of people in our care in both cooking and cleaning roles, which came under pressure over the Christmas period due to a recent incident at HMP Glenochil.

“With individuals returning to health, numbers in our work parties have increased, and the establishment’s kitchen is returning to normal.”