120-year-old Inverness Prison fails to meet modern standards says inspector
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Victorian Inverness Prison has again been slated as outdated and unsuitable by HM Chief Inspector of prisons in a report just issued.
And Wendy Sinclair-Gieben said if plans for a new replacement HMP Highland in the city were not well advanced, then her report would "more vociferously highlight concerns about the infrastructure of HMP Inverness."
HMP Highland is earmarked for a site at Stoneyfield on the eastern outskirts, and hopefully could be built by 2024.
The current facility is ill-suited to the requirements of a modern prison system, not least regarding the lack of accessible cells said the Chief Inspector.
And she warned: "It is hoped that development of the new prison is not inhibited by the budgetary pressures facing the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), as any slippage with the construction of the replacement prison would be deeply troubling."
Despite the serious shortcomings of the cramped Victorian prison which is almost 120 years old, Ms Sinclair-Gieben found staff/prisoner relationships were always friendly, respectful, and supportive, and this was the prison's "saving grace."
"There was a strong management team and a strong staff group, with positive relationships between them and with their partner agencies," she said.
"The elements where good practice and determined efforts to promote a transformational agenda really stood out, included development of a new Recovery Wing, with a SMART recovery programme close to being embedded at the time of our inspection.
"Another clear strength was the collaborative working between partners on community reintegration planning."
The Chief Inspector conceded that local management will be focussed on planning for the new prison, but nevertheless she highlighted a number of areas where improvements are needed to the existing prison and some modest additional investment is required to existing facilities.
The lack of privacy for prisoners being searched in reception must be addressed, she said, as well as privacy in the showers where there are saloon doors that do not close fully.
There are not enough places for inmates to have confidential conversations, and some cells being used as "doubles" were too small for double occupancy and breached international standards on minimum space dimensions.
The Chief Inspector added: "Although we found the prison safe and our prisoner survey suggested most prisoners felt safe, the lack of cameras in residential areas was an impediment to maintaining safety and security.
"The visits room was cold and uninviting. It is recognised that only limited investment on this is practical, but some further efforts to make the visit room more attractive, particularly to children, would be appropriate.
"In some ways more concerning was the lack of availability of evening visits, which was a major barrier to family contact.
"It was also disturbing to hear those prisoners arriving at the prison between 5.30pm and 6.30pm were having to wait inside a prison van until the staff break had finished.
"Staff shortages and a return to the core day were impacting on the ability to run a full regime, but we would still like to see more pace in the return to pre-pandemic norms."
She found that the prison-based social work team was struggling with staffing shortages and changes in personnel, and Highland Council and the SPS need to work together to ensure the team is better supported.
The Learning Centre provided a bright and welcoming environment for prisoners to engage in learning, but uptake was low, with a limited range of subjects.
"Stronger efforts are needed to engage new learners," she said.
Prisoners were positive about access to healthcare staff and services, and inspectors found a committed NHS healthcare team keen to provide a good service.
Ms Sinclair-Gieben was concerned about preparations for the new HMP Highland and said: "To ensure a smooth transition to HMP Highland we urge the SPS to recruit additional staff well ahead of the planned opening and provide opportunities for staff in HMP Inverness, who have only ever known an old Victorian prison, to gain experience of working in a modern prison on temporary detached duty to HMP Grampian."
An SPS spokesperson said: "We welcome the chief inspector's report, which describes HMP Inverness as an 'exceptional prison' with 23 areas of good practice.
"These include the development of a recovery wing for people overcoming addiction, as well as positive staff and prisoner relationships, with particular praise for the compassion, skill, and dedication shown by the management team, and SPS and NHS staff.
"We acknowledge the chief inspector's comments on infrastructure and privacy and have already taken action to refurbish the holding cells within the reception area, put ceilings on more Link Centre rooms, and have addressed concerns around the saloon doors."
