Justice and Law Officers — "The Road to Recovery"

Question Time — Scottish Executive – in the Scottish Parliament at 2:15 pm on 7 May 2009.

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Photo of John Lamont John Lamont Conservative 2:15, 7 May 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Scottish Prison Service regarding the incorporation of "The Road to Recovery" drug strategy into prison policy on drugs. (S3O-6775)

Photo of Fergus Ewing Fergus Ewing Scottish National Party

The Scottish Prison Service is committed, through its substance misuse policy, to meeting the aims outlined in "The Road to Recovery". As an executive agency of the Scottish Government, the Scottish Prison Service maintains close and regular contact with colleagues in the justice and health portfolios on this and other areas of policy.

Photo of John Lamont John Lamont Conservative

I acknowledge that all prisoners need access to drug rehabilitation, but it is important that the Government recognises that some prisoners need additional support to get free from drugs and to be put into an environment from which the temptation of drugs has been completely removed. Will the Scottish Government consider creating drug-free wings in Scotland's prisons?

Photo of Fergus Ewing Fergus Ewing Scottish National Party

There is some merit in what the member says. He will be aware of the visit that I undertook with his colleague Bill Aitken to HMP Edinburgh in Saughton, where an addiction support area has been developed and introduced. In that area, treatment and support are offered to those who are motivated to change their behaviour and become drug free. They have a common aim and desire and are not in the generality of the prison, where prisoners may not share that desire and may want others to take drugs. The initiative is a welcome step forward; I hope that it will command support from all members.

Photo of Richard Simpson Richard Simpson Labour

I thank the minister for his response to John Lamont's question. Given the success of the time-out centre in Bath Street in Glasgow in diverting annually from short-term custody 500 women whose main offence or problem involves drugs, will he and the Cabinet Secretary for Justice give serious consideration to establishing a second centre for women, and a pilot centre for men, to increase the diversion of those with drug problems? Will he also seek a review by SPS of the management of remand prisoners who have a drug problem, as part of discussions about the national health service taking over medical and nursing care in the Prison Service?

Photo of Fergus Ewing Fergus Ewing Scottish National Party

I have visited the centre in Bath Street in Glasgow to which Dr Simpson refers and, like him, I was extremely impressed. The females at the centre were positive, confident about their recovery, safe and held in an environment that is far preferable to Cornton Vale. We would like the centre's approach to be extended elsewhere and are happy to work with all parties towards that. It would have a serious cost implication—an issue that the Government must always take into account—but I hope that all members can unite behind it as an extremely desirable aim.

The treatment of prisoners on remand is and has always been a challenging issue. It is more difficult for prison officers to handle prisoners on remand than it is for them to handle long-term prisoners, and members are united in seeing that as a serious issue on which we need to do more. The Scottish Prison Service has a well-established policy, of which all members will be aware. More generally, we learn from prison officers that short sentences make it extremely difficult for prisons to provide any realistic form of structured drug treatment, especially for prisoners who spend fewer than 30 days in prison. That is why I hope that all parties will welcome the SNP's policy on sentencing.