Question reference: S5W-18338
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Airdrie and Shotts, Scottish National Party
- Date lodged: 21 August 2018
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Current status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 6 September 2018
Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many prisoners per annum the Scottish Prison Service's Self-Change Programme has the capacity to handle, and how many prisoners are currently on the programme, broken down by prison facility.
Answer
I have asked Colin McConnell, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. His response is as follows:
The Self-Change Programme (SCP) is a rolling programme which runs continuously throughout the year, with group members ‘rolling’ out of the programme when they complete the required work, and new members ‘rolling’ in to fill the available spaces.
There are typically 4 strands of the SCP underway at any one time. Each strand can proceed with a maximum of 8 group members with the average time on the programme being approximately 10 months, although this can vary based on individual needs. On that basis, the maximum number of potential prisoners who could participate in SCP is estimated to be 40 per annum. At present there are 23 prisoners participating in the various SCP strands: 14 at Low Moss and 9 at Shotts.