NCJ Number
202553
Journal
Corrections Compendium Volume: 28 Issue: 9 Dated: September 2003 Pages: 6-8
Date Published
September 2003
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This article describes the policies and practices of the Scottish Prison Service that have focused on the protection of inmate rights and the establishment of a visitor-friendly process for facilitating constructive contact between inmates and their visitors.
Abstract
Although fewer than 2 percent of Scotland's prison population consists of foreign nationals and the overall composition of Scottish society has few minorities, the Scottish Prison Service has an aggressive race relations policy statement that is widely circulated to staff, inmates, and the public. Each correctional facility has confidential complaint report forms in a variety of languages in the visitation areas. Complaint forms can be left at the facility or mailed in later. The prisons' complaints commissioner investigates complaints from inmates when they are not resolved within the Scottish Prison Service and reports to the Scottish ministers. The Prison Service is subject to inspections by the HM Inspectorate of Prisons for Scotland. Each of Scotland's 16 penal facilities receives full formal inspections on a cyclical basis every 3 to 4 years. Each institution has a family contact development officer. Their names and contact information are publicized, and inmates' family members are encouraged to contact them if they have any questions or problems. This article presents the written questions and answers regarding visitation services and policies that are presented to inmate visitors. They cover such issues as how to arrange a visit with a prisoner, who can visit, how often a person can visit an inmate, food and restroom services for visitors, child care provisions, searching of visitors, whether the visitor can touch the prisoner, privacy for the visit, and what items the visitor can bring for the inmate.