Stevenson Comments on Prison Judgement

Commenting on the judgement issued in the Barlinnie Prison slopping out case, Banff & Buchan MSP Stewart Stevenson said:

"The judgement that slopping out amounted to degrading treatment and breached human rights legislation should come as no surprise to anyone. It was in some ways inevitable.

"The Scottish Executive can't say it wasn't warned. As recently as last year, the Prisons Inspector Andrew MacLellan, said it had to end. But he wasn't the first - his predecessor had been saying it for years.

"This case was only ever going to go one way and now the Executive face hundreds of claims for compensation from other prisoners. Because of a failure to invest in prison conditions, they now face having to make compensation payments to convicted prisoners. If similar payments were made to Peterhead prisoners that would amount to £¾million. That is quite extraordinary and I believe no taxpayer will find palatable.

"Locally, prison officers came up with their own solution to end slopping out at Peterhead Prison which could have been implemented some time ago. It is quite telling that prison chief Tony Cameron and the Scottish Prison Service have chosen to drag their heels on this matter, preferring it would seem to continue in their desire to do down Peterhead and the work carried out there.

“This is unacceptable and I have already spoken to the Justice Minister on the matter. It is time for the Prison Officers’ Association scheme to provide night sanitation to be implemented as a first step to a new build at Peterhead.”