Local MSP Brian Whittle has praised the efforts of HMP Kilmarnock to care for and rehabilitate prisoners during a debate in the Scottish Parliament.
The South Scotland MSP, who has visited the prison several times, led a Members Debate at Holyrood last week where he spoke about his experiences meeting prisoners and staff as well as reminiscing about bringing the Scottish Parliament’s MSP football and rugby teams to the prison for games.
He also used his speech to criticise the Scottish Government’s decision to nationalise the prison, which is currently run by Serco. The plan to bring the prison into public ownership, which was announced by Humza Yousaf when he was Justice Minister, has been criticised by Brian and others as ideologically driven. Currently the Scottish Government pay Serco to operate the prison, however later this year, Serco will lose their contract and the Scottish Prison Service will assume control.
During the debate, Brian argued that the Scottish Government had failed to offer any explanation for the nationalisation beyond simply not liking the idea of a private company running the prison. HMP Kilmarnock has received glowing praise from politicians of all parties, including the SNP, for its approach to supporting prisoners and its collaborations with local community organisations like Centrestage and Foundations Hub.
Serco and the prison’s management team have expressed their disappointment at losing the contract. They were keen to keep running the prison and had even offered to build an additional block at no cost to the taxpayer. Concerns have also been expressed about the approach being taken by the Scottish Government in assuming control of the prison. Despite the transfer now being only a few months away, many staff are still unclear about what their new pay and conditions will be, while others, including psychology staff and education staff have been told they will now be employed as subcontractors. The Scottish Prison Service have also said they don’t want to keep any of the body-worn cameras currently used by staff at the prison.
Brian Whittle MSP said:
“HMP Kilmarnock has shown itself to be a great example of how a prison can work collaboratively with community groups to reduce reoffending and offer prisoners a different path.
From my own visits to the prison and conversations with staff and prisoners, I know that its approach has made a real difference to many people’s lives. Prisons aren’t just about punishment, they can also offer a chance to break the cycle of reoffending, offering prisoners support to deal with addiction and mental health issues as well as giving them new opportunities to develop skills.
Like many people, I’m frustrated that the Scottish Government seem intent on disrupting what’s been achieved by Serco at HMP Kilmarnock purely for ideological, political reasons. If there was any evidence that this prison wasn’t performing at least as well as it’s publicly run counterparts, then I could understand the decision, but that isn’t the case.
We should be looking to build on the success of HMP Kilmarnock, not tear it up.”
