Prisons chief issues warning over safety

THE prison service is struggling to maintain order in Scotland's jails because of record numbers of inmates.

Mike Ewart, chief executive of the Scottish Prison Service, has written to MSPs outlining the scale of pressure, risk of disorder and concerns for guards' safety. He warned: "Scottish Prison Service can no longer guarantee that the continued operation of Scotland's prisons is operationally safe or compliant with our legal obligations."

The prison estate continually operates at around 20 per cent over its design capacity – and hit a record 8,137 on 15 September. Barlinnie coped with a 73 per cent level of overcrowding last week – holding 1,764 prisoners in a building fit for 1,018.

Mr Ewart set out his case to the Scottish Parliament's justice committee, which meets tomorrow. He said the budget awarded to the prison service last year was "satisfactory" for the projected prisoner population.