TERESA Medhurst, Chief Executive, has praised the "humility and empathy" of officers working in the most challenging circumstances, as the Scottish Prison Service published its latest annual report.
The SPS faced significant pressures from a high and complex population and global cost of living crisis in 2023/24, but also achieved major successes, including the opening of HMP & YOI Stirling and the transition of HMP Kilmarnock into public control.
Significant investment was made into the new and existing prison estate, with projects to improve conditions at HMPs Greenock and Dumfries, alongside the two major design and build projects, HMPs Glasgow and Highland, reaching important milestones.
Several key strategies that shape the organisation, such as the Strategy for Women in Custody, and Vision for Young People in Custody, were further embedded into practice.
A recalibration of the Scottish Courts and Prisoner Escort Service (SCCPES) contract has delivered improvements, benefiting people in our care, our partners, and the wider Scottish justice system, and this will continue to be carefully monitored.
The hard work of staff across the organisation has been at the heart of everything SPS has achieved over the 12 months.
In establishments, they helped provide a broad range of opportunities for people in custody, delivering positive outcomes for them, our communities, and Scotland as a whole, and supporting our mission to deliver better outcomes for people and reduce the risk of reoffending.
They were also integral to innovative new projects such as HMP Grampian’s Greene King Training Academy, entrepreneurial courses at the Lilias Centre, and a range of charitable events raising thousands of pounds, which were just a few of the ways people in custody were supported in their personal journeys, while also giving back to their communities.
Writing in the report foreword, Ms Medhurst said: “I am immensely proud to lead and represent an organisation that has such a profound effect on people’s lives.
“I recognise that our staff’s role is often misunderstood and that their relationships with those in our care is often seen as punitive, however, it is quite the opposite.
“Our staff show humility, compassion, and empathy to those they care for every day, often in challenging and difficult circumstances. They support people during some of the most difficult periods in their lives and help them prepare for a return to society.”