Prisons

Broadly speaking prisons have two core functions in society: holding prisoners on remand and after they are sentenced. Suspects refused bail and detained before trial, or those convicted but not yet sentenced, are held in custody to ensure that justice is served and the public is protected from the threat posed by the individual. Prisoners who have been found guilty and sentenced by the courts are held punitively as punishment for their offences. A small number of offenders are also held coercively, usually as a result of defaulting on a fine ordered by the court. In the absence of the death penalty, prison is the most serious penalty available to the courts in the UK.

There are currently 16 prisons and young offender’s institutions in Scotland. Of these, one holds the vast majority of female prisoners (Cornton Vale), two are for young offenders, with the remaining number principally for adult male offenders. The allocation of a prisoner to a particular prison is dependent upon three principal factors: the length of sentence, his or hers security category and the type of programme required to help them address their offending behaviour. The Scottish Prison Service is responsible for managing all of Scotland's prions. 

HM Inspectorate of Prisons for Scotland is the body responsible for the regular inspection of prisons in Scotland, with a diverse remit covering, physical conditions, facilities, amenities, morale and questions of safety among others. Further information can be found on the HM Inspectorate website.

The latest prison statistics for Scotland in 2007/08 can be found here.

For more information on working with offenders in prison visit this section of the website.

The Centre holds a small number of books on Prisons, details of which can be found here.