50 crimes a day being committed in prison

Oct 5 2008 By Norman Silvester

MORE than 50 crimes are committed every day inside Scotland's troubled prisons.

In the past year cons have been investigated for almost 20,000 offences including assault, theft, drug dealing, sex attacks, escapes and smoking in the wrong place.

The figures underline a warning to MSPs last week by Scottish Prison Service chief Mike Ewart that jails are at breaking point.

Last year prison staff dealt with 19,597 incidents that resulted in 29,952 separate punishments. That is a rise of 326 crimes and 522 punishments on the previous year.

Governors don't need to tell police about certain crimes and can deal with them internally. Their powers include withdrawal of privileges, solitary confinement, small cash fines or banning phone calls.

But habitual offenders can be reported to the parole board which can result in their release dates being delayed.

Most common offences were disobeying an order (6906); possessing drugs or mobile phones (2730); assaults and fighting (2067); threatening or abusive behaviour (1508); drug taking (1416) and vandalism (935).

The 2006 smoking ban has also increased tension in prisons, with inmates being disciplined for 823 charges of lighting up in non-smoking areas.