ONCE again Castle Huntly is in the headlines.
Coming on top of the Robert Foye case – which had the First Minister and others like Kenny MacAskill ducking for cover, not to mention several other lurid failings, many will be wondering just what is going on at Scotland's controversial open prison
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It was even claimed that a prisoner escaped just to get away from all the drugs which its grounds were apparently "awash" with, while some newspapers constantly refer to it as a holiday camp.
The tragic death of Catherine Thomson, murdered by one of its inmates while on home leave, raises further searching questions, this time about who was ultimately responsible for her awful fate.
Others wonder whether there should be any such a thing as an "open" prison at all. Surely the purpose of prison is to punish – and at the same time protect the public – so should not serious offenders be locked away until the very last day of their sentence?
The irony is, however, that if this was ever to become the case, we would all be placed at much greater risk. Men who have served long sentences or become institutionalised need to be gradually prepared for release.
The concept of an open period is thus a sound one – allowing also for those who fail the mounting series of tests to be sent back to closed institutions. But in recent years overcrowding pressures have gradually been corroding what formerly were much stricter guidelines.
Staff numbers whether at Kilmarnock – where the initial assessment for John Campbell was made – or elsewhere, have not been increased as the number of prisoners has mounted up.
So they often struggle to properly manage those who the courts have placed in their care for the protection of the public. Risk assessments may not be adequately resourced, hurried or disjointed by different shifts, then passed on to Castle Huntly.
Small initial mistakes then multiply, ultimately with an angry or violent individual slipping through the net.
This latest case could have serious implications for the SPS if successful, just as was the infamous Barlinnie "slopping out" case held before Lord Bonomy.
But a clear judgment may be much more difficult to make in this instance. Who can truly predict the exact state of any person's mind at any particular time? The fundamental issue is prevention and more supervisory prison staff, rather than compensation, may be what is needed.
• Clive Fairweather is a former chief inspector of Prisons
The full article contains 427 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
