Scottish prisons aren’t all inspected the way prisons in England & Wales are. HM Inspectorate of Prisons for Scotland (HMIPS) still carries out full inspections at some establishments, rating performance against nine Standards (from Good down to Unacceptable), but for most prisons it now monitors continuously through the year instead, using local volunteer Independent Prison Monitors (IPMs) who report their findings annually rather than through a single inspection visit.
HMP Kilmarnock was given a full inspection from 19 to 23 May 2025, its first since returning to the public sector. All nine HMIPS Standards were rated Generally Acceptable – a step down from the 2021 inspection, which had four Satisfactory and five Generally Acceptable ratings. The prison’s Target Operating Model is based on 500 prisoners across 501 cells, but it was required to take on up to 157 additional prisoners, and the population rose to 657 – prompting 223 single cells to be converted into small doubles. On 22 May 2025, 38 cells held a mix of convicted and remand prisoners, contrary to the Nelson Mandela Rules.
Only 32% of prisoners said they had been offered an induction, 180 supervision reviews were overdue as of 9 May 2025, and 79% rated the food bad or very bad, with dental waits of 55 weeks. Despite this, inspectors found “relationships between staff and prisoners were positive and respectful”, and the handover from private to public management had happened without any prisoner unrest.
To read the full report, go to the HM Inspectorate of Prisons for Scotland website or follow the link below:
- Full inspection report (PDF), HM Inspectorate of Prisons for Scotland, 19–23 May 2025