Remand prisoners in Scotland subjected to the 'harshest regime'

People held on remand in Scotland are being subjected to the “harshest regime” in the prison system, according to a major new inspection report.

HM Inspectorate of Prisons for Scotland (HMIPS) says thousands awaiting trial are locked in cells for up to 23 hours a day and struggle to access basic healthcare, family contact, and support services.

The report warns that long periods of near-solitary confinement are commonplace and breach United Nations standards.

Prisoners told inspectors they spent most of the day behind doors with little to occupy them.

One person said they felt they were “rotting away in a cell 24 hours a day”, while others described feeling “depressed” and “like losing the plot”.

Many said they waited too long for treatment or could not attend at all. Others arrived in custody in crisis, with several reporting suicidal thoughts within days.

The report also said overcrowding means remand prisoners often share cells – sometimes with convicted individuals – despite rules designed to keep them apart.

Some were placed in dirty or dilapidated accommodation on arrival, particularly in older prisons such as Barlinnie, Perth and Edinburgh, which hold nearly half of all people on remand.

International standards state that untried prisoners must be offered work, but HMIPS found most had no access to jobs or education.

With no prison wage, many struggled to buy essentials or phone credit to speak to their children and families.

The first days in custody were described as “shock”, “fear” and “heartbreak”, with some saying they were not given basic items such as phone calls, fresh air or clean bedding on arrival.

Fewer than two-thirds felt safe in prison, and 12% said they never felt safe.

HM chief inspector Sara Snell said remand should be a last resort, but current delays mean some are held over six months, with examples exceeding two years.

“This review supports the view that those on remand experience ‘the harshest regime’ of all Scottish prisoners,” she said.

“The Scottish Government must take strong and effective measures to reduce the number of people remanded into custody and to shorten the length of time they spend on remand.

“This is necessary to lessen the burden on a significantly overcrowded prison system, which – as this report shows – struggles to provide adequate care for the increasingly large remanded population.”

Snell warned that poor support and prolonged detention were harming people already vulnerable and putting families and communities at risk when they return home.

A Scottish Prisons Service spokesperson said: “We have an extremely high and complex population, having recently recorded a record number of individuals in custody, and this includes a stubbornly high number on remand, which remains far higher than prior to the pandemic.

“We recognise the impact a lengthy period on remand can have on individuals in our care, and our staff work hard to maximise the opportunities and support available to them.

“While those held on remand under the Prison Rules are not required to work, they can participate in work or education activities where these are available, if they choose to do so. Individual establishments work with third sector partners to provide activities to those within our care, ranging from recovery cafes to street soccer.”