DRUG-TAKING AND VIOLENCE SOAR IN JAILS

A DRAMATIC rise in drug-taking and violence has taken place in
Scotland's prisons, according to figures released yesterday.

Scottish Prison Service statistics revealed that total offences have
increased by 46 per cent in the past four years.

Between 1999 and 2003, drug-taking and possession rose by 155 per
cent, assault by 25 per cent, fighting by 75 per cent and fire-raising
by 51 per cent.

The flagship privately-run Kilmarnock Prison, which holds 8.1 per cent
of the total prison population, accounted for 17.4 per cent of all
incidents.

Shotts Prison came behind Kilmarnock, accounting for 15.7 per cent of
offences, followed by Perth with almost 9.9 per cent, and Polmont
Young Offenders Institute with just over 9.2 per cent.

The open prison at Noranside in Angus had the best record, accounting
for less than 1 per cent of all offences.

The SNP said the figures proved that Scotland's jails were worse than
ever but prison bosses dismissed that claim as "utter nonsense".

John Swinney, the SNP leader, said: "Our prisons are in crisis. Low
staffing levels, lack of morale and overcrowding have turned them into
breeding grounds for violence and drug-taking.

"We are seeing the effect of their determination to force the public
sector to compete with cut price wages and conditions in the private
sector. That is driving staff morale down and prison offences up."

But a spokesman for the prison service said Scotland's jails had
drastically improved, not worsened, in recent years.

Tom Fox said: "Go back ten years and there were frequent riots in
Scotland's prisons.

"Ten years ago, 44 people escaped from our prisons. Last year it was
one. That's a huge improvement in secure custody," he said.

"If Kilmarnock has a high level of drug-taking, it means they're
obviously better at detecting it there."