Scottish prison system facing considerable risks

Scotland’s prison system is facing considerable risks, including the poor performance of the company that transports prisoners to and from custody.

The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) contracted GEOAmey in 2018 to transfer prisoners in Scotland between prisons, courts, police custody units and healthcare facilities. But in recent years GEOAmey has been unable to recruit the staff needed to deliver the contract. This has resulted in significant delays and inefficiencies across the justice system.

SPS manages the custody and escorting contract on behalf of its justice partners. It issued improvement notices to GEOAmey, and fined the company about £4 million, but these have had limited impact. SPS is now taking more direct action, including offering financial support to GEOAmey to aid staff recruitment. These actions are expected to take around six months to take effect.

In the meantime, Scotland’s prison population is rising and becoming more complex. The average prison population was around 7,500 in 2022/23. It is forecast to increase to over 8,150 by March 2024. This will put more pressure on Scotland’s ageing prison estate, which needs significant investment to make it fit-for-purpose.

Stephen Boyle, Auditor General for Scotland, said:

The issues facing Scotland’s justice sector are of significant concern and cannot be resolved by the Scottish Prison Service alone.

It is essential that there is close collaboration between the prison service, the Scottish Government and their justice partners to ensure prison services can be maintained in a safe and secure environment.