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 Low Moss was given a full inspection on 25–29 August 2025. Against the nine HMIPS Standards, inspectors rated Standard 7 (Progression) Poor, Standards 1 and 4 Satisfactory, and the remaining six Generally Acceptable. The prison held 835 men on the day the inspection began – up from 828 in 2022 – against an operational capacity of 784, with 100 extra places added on top of that through overcrowding.
Inspectors found deep dissatisfaction with how prisoners were treated: 86% said the complaints system worked badly, 71% said they weren’t consulted on important issues affecting them, and only 11% felt their views were ever acted on. More seriously, 63% said they had witnessed staff abuse, bully, threaten or assault prisoners, and 48% said it had happened to them personally. Dental waiting times reached up to 80 weeks against a recommended maximum of 10. On a more positive note, 95% of prisoners could shower daily and have their clothes washed more than once a week.
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, 25–29 August 2025