Stevenson Comments On HMP Grampian Inspection Report

Banffshire & Buchan Coast MSP Stewart Stevenson has praised staff and management at HMP Grampian following publication of a report by HM Inspectorate of Prisons for Scotland.

The report found that in the nine standard assessments, eight were rated as either Good, Satisfactory or Generally Acceptable. Preparation of prisoners for a successful return to their communities received the best rating within the report.

Commenting, Stewart Stevenson said:

“The staff at HMP Grampian are to be commended on this report. For me, the measure of the success of a prison is whether those who are released from it are prepared for a return to day-to-day life as someone who contributes to society, and not someone who goes on to re-offend and end up costing the taxpayer more money as they go through the justice system.

“It’s clear from this report that, despite some challenges, the staff at HMP Grampian are carrying on the ethos of the old HMP Peterhead. Back then, the officers charged with custody of what was then a sex-offender population were a team who were highly motivated in their jobs by doing their utmost to protect the public by ensuring their inmates got every support to make them not re-offend. Prevention of re-offending remains a top priority for the staff.

“Bringing together two prisons with very different cultures in HMP Peterhead and HMP Craiginches was always going to present some challenges, but the report states the

“inspection team found an establishment that had matured, and despite a small number of significant incidents in 2018, was largely calm and purposeful with emerging signs of stability and progress”.

“There are issues highlighted in the report which require to be addressed, and I will be raising some of those with the authorities, but overall this is a very positive report.”