THE Scottish Prison Service has today committed to rapid and systemic change following the Fatal Accident Inquiry into the deaths of Katie Allan and William Lindsay.
We have accepted all of the recommendations made in Sheriff Collins’s determination, in full, and are committed to a range of actions which will be enduring, impactful, and lifesaving.
The response includes an overhaul of our suicide prevention policy, Talk To Me, based on the advice of independent experts; additional protective support for young people in custody in their first 72 hours following admission; and work to make the rooms that people live in as safe as possible.
Some actions have already been completed, while others are underway.
All bunk beds have been removed from the rooms of young people in HMP & YOI Polmont, as have the kind of rectangular doorstops referenced in the FAI.
SPS have also introduced concern lines into every establishment in Scotland, which friends, family members, and support agencies, can call to raise a concern directly with staff on the hall.
A bespoke tool kit which will be used to audit rooms for any potential ligature points is being finalised as a priority, with a prototype available this month, and introduced in HMP & YOI Polmont in the summer, before being rolled out across the whole estate.
This will be used to not only make sure that rooms are safe, but also that they remain so.
Young people admitted into custody are now being placed on Talk To Me for at least their first 72 hours, and will only be taken off after a thorough case conference has found it is safe to do so.
A new and improved Talk To Me will be introduced in 2026 with full training and support for staff. It will be designed with the help of independent experts Professor Graham Towl, who gave evidence in the FAI, and Professor David Crighton.
SPS are also committed to piloting new Signs of Life technology, which will further support vulnerable young people by monitoring their movements in a way which is proportionate and not intrusive.
Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, said: “We are sincerely sorry and we apologise for the deaths of Katie and William and our failings which were identified in the determination.
“We recognise that their families want action, not words, and we are determined and committed to move at pace and that the actions we are setting out today will be enduring and impactful and will save many lives in the future.
“The Scottish Prison Services has a duty of care to protect and support vulnerable young people in custody, including in those moments of crisis in their lives.
“This response today sets out how we meet those recommendations but also look at all ways in which we can go beyond them, to try and stop other families enduring such unimaginable grief.
“Our staff work hard to build positive relationships with people in custody every day, particularly those who might be vulnerable, which help keep them safe. This set of actions will provide the tools and training to support them in their important work.”