Question reference: S5W-18340
- 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 what the (a) criteria, (b) process and (c) decision-making process is in relation to enrolling a prisoner on the Scottish Prison Service's (SPS) Self-Change programme, and who within the SPS takes the final decision as to whether an individual prisoner must take part in the programme.
Answer
I have asked Colin McConnell, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. His response is as follows:
Decisions surrounding an individual’s suitability for the Self-Change Programme (SCP) follow the same process undertaken for other offending behaviour programmes available in the SPS.
A Generic Programmes Assessment is carried out by either a member of the Programmes or Psychology staff group and the results are reported back into the establishment’s Programmes Case Management Board (PCMB).
The PCMB is a multi-disciplinary group tasked with reviewing assessments and identifying the most appropriate course of action to address identified risk and needs in individuals. When determining the need for the SCP, the PCMB will give careful consideration to the selection criteria which is as follows:
- Is there a current conviction for violence or a previous conviction for violence that requires further consideration for programme intervention?
- Does the individual have a Level of Service/Case Management Inventory (LSCMI) (case management plan) risk score of medium or high?
- Is there a pervasive and persistent pattern of violence causing serious harm (including a current offence and 3 or more incidents of previous violence)?
If the response to each of the set criteria is ‘yes’ the individual will then be considered for participation on the programme. Once this is confirmed, it is the responsibility of the PCMB to make the final decision about a prisoner’s need to undertake the programme.