Responding to this week’s ministerial statement on Scotland’s prison population, Community Union’s Regional Secretary for Scotland Steve Farrell said:
“This week’s statement was effectively an admission of failure from the Scottish Government. This crisis in the Scottish Prison service is one of their own making, and frontline prison officers and custodial staff are the ones bearing the brunt.
“The pressures on the Scottish prison estate have been actively exacerbated by an SNP administration which has put political dogma ahead of public safety. The Justice Secretary didn’t reference it in her statement today, but it was her government which turned down the offer from Serco to pay for and build a state-of-the-art, 300 bed facility to relieve pressure on the system. As we’ve said before, the debate about private prisons versus public prisons is totally irrelevant when it comes to addressing immediate, pressing needs.
“The minister’s latest statement will do little to allay the public’s concerns or convince anyone that the current administration in Holyrood is in control of the situation. Rather than focusing their energies on political parlour games in Westminster, the SNP should get their own house in order closer to home and fix our broken justice system. Our prison officers and the Scottish public – both of whom are being put at risk – deserve so much better.”
Community is the union for justice and custodial sector workers, representing thousands of members whose work is vital to our justice system and to public safety. Our members work for a range of organisations in the sector. We represent workers at private prisons, secure immigration centres, young offender institutions, courts, in prisoner escorting and much more. We are a modern trade union, campaigning for a better working world.
If you are a member of Community and need advice or support, please contact our Service Centre at help@community-tu.org or on 0800 389 6332.
© Community Trade Union 2025
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