Prisoners at HMP Kilmarnock had a new coach for one of their weekly gym sessions. South Scotland MSP Brian Whittle accepted an invitation from the prison to visit and offer some advice on how prisoners can lead a healthier, more active life.
The former Olympic athlete, who still coaches regularly, has visited the prison on several occasions including bringing teams of MSPs to take part in football and touch rugby tournaments against prisoners and prison staff. This time the MSP took advantage of the gym facilities in the prison to deliver a circuit training programme to some of the prisoners and discuss the importance of things like nutrition. The prison, which is run by Serco on behalf of the Scottish Prison Service, is due to go smoke free in the coming months with prisoners being given the option to vape or support to quit, so Brian was keen to emphasise the benefits of giving up smoking.
Whittle, who has made improving the health of Scots one of his key priorities at Holyrood, is a strong advocate for the value of education to give prisoners the best chance of building a better life when they reach the end of their sentence.
Commenting, Brian Whittle MSP said:
“I’m pleased to have had another chance to visit HMP Kilmarnock and speak to some of the prisoners about the benefits of staying fit and healthy. While every person in prison has made mistakes, many people end up in prison as a consequence of addiction or poor mental health. Simple things like taking regular exercise can make a big difference to someone’s mental health and mind-set. When someone ends up in prison, our aim shouldn’t just be to punish them, it should be to make sure that when they complete their sentence, they’re in a better position, physically and mentally, to deal with the challenges that life throws at them and make better choices.”
Michael Guy, Serco Contract Director at HMP Kilmarnock said:
"A key part of our work at the prison is to reduce alcohol and drug dependency and sport and exercise play an important role in this. Having Brian Whittle taking such an active interest in our work gives real encouragement to everyone involved and we are delighted that he continues to do so."