by Bill Heaney
Scottish Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson Liam McArthur MSP has today warned that the government is in a state of confusion as he revealed that the Scottish Prison Service has recorded 1,568 instances of drug possession in the last five years.
He was speaking ahead of a Scottish Parliament debate on drugs misuse in prisons.
One survey from the Scottish centre for crime and justice research uncovered that 40% of those surveyed report using illegal drugs while they were locked up.
In addition, in 2021/22, about 73% of prisoners arriving at prison tested positive for illegal drugs.
However in response to parliamentary questions from Mr McArthur, neither minster Maree Todd nor Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), were able to say how many prisoners have entered custody with a drug problem, developed a drug problem while in custody, or are currently receiving treatment.
Mr McArthur said: “When I press the Scottish Government over the issue of drugs in prisons, they seem to be in a state of confusion.
“There appears to be a disconnect between the Government, prison service and health service, with no-one able to say how many prisoners are entering with drugs problems, how many are developing them inside and how many are receiving treatment. Without this basic information, prison authorities are fighting a losing battle in trying to tackle the problem.
“I am concerned that inconsistent care and support is leaving more prisoners at the mercy of drug misuse. It is perhaps little surprise then that we see high numbers of deaths across the prison estate in recent years.
“These problems are not easy to resolve, but will require Scottish Government and SPS to work more effectively together to understand what is happening in prisons that remain dangerously overcrowded.
“Taking steps to reduce the overall size of the prison population will also help improve the outcomes of work to rehabilitate prisoners. This will make prisons safer, but also ensure our communities are safer as well”.
Minister Maree Todd and LibDem prisons spokesperson Liam McArthur.
In the Holyrood chamber, Liam McArthur asked the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the effectiveness of drug treatment and recovery programmes in reducing reoffending among former prisoners.
Minister Maree Todd told him: ” The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that appropriate and relevant support is available to people when they are released from custody.
“Individual needs are identified by throughcare support, which allows those with a history of substance use to receive the right support for them.
“Through collaboration with the third sector, we also aim to ensure that recovery support provided in prisons continues throughout the transition and resettlement process back into the community.
“Further integration across services and consistent data collection are essential to fully assess the impacts on post-release re-offending rates.”
Jackie Baillie MSP — “prisons are dangerously overcrowded and hundreds of criminals have been set free early”. Barlinnie and Polmont jails.
Meanwhile, MSP Jackie Baillie has blasted the SNP Scottish Government’s plans to slash the amount of time convicted criminals must spend behind bars.
The move would see some short-term prisoners serving just 30 per cent of their sentence, to free up jail space.
It represents the SNP’s latest plan to ease overcrowding in Scottish prisons and lower the population of inmates – which reached record highs last year.
But the move has attracted opposition from some quarters, with critics accusing the SNP of letting down victims of crime.
Dumbarton MSP Jackie Baillie, said: “The SNP Scottish Government has had two decades to invest in Scotland’s justice system.
“But like our healthcare and education systems, the SNP has stood idly by while the situation has worsened.
“Our justice system has now reached crisis point, prisons are dangerously overcrowded and hundreds of criminals have been set free early.
“The SNP think the answer is to now cut sentences for more dangerous prisoners.
“Under the SNP, Scotland’s justice system is about to become a soft option for violent criminals and drug dealers are set to get an even easier deal.”
She added: “It is appalling that SNP Ministers are willing to put the safety of our communities at risk, simply to hide their own failings.
“Crime is rising, police officer numbers are falling, our communities are sending a clear message that they feel as though they are being left at the mercy of criminals and now prison sentences are being slashed again.
“The SNP Government cannot be trusted to get to grips with tackling crime.
“A Scottish Labour government will end the SNP’s soft touch approach to justice and tackle this crisis – boosting local policing, tackling the courts backlog and delivering the prisons our country needs.”