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 Perth’s most recent full inspection ran from 22 to 26 May 2023. Of the nine Standards, inspectors rated seven Satisfactory and two Generally Acceptable – summed up as “a sound and encouraging inspection report” from strong management and a committed staff group. The prison held 647 men against an agreed capacity of 660.
The most urgent issue was in B Hall, where double cells measured just 6.74m² of usable space once the toilet area was deducted – below the 8m² minimum set by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture – prompting a recommendation that these cells hold one person only. Inspectors also found the handling of equality and diversity complaints “deeply flawed”, and 55% of prisoners said they hadn’t been offered an induction on arrival. On a more positive note, Perth was a pilot site for the Medication Assisted Treatment Standards, and its recovery hub was praised as a welcome initiative. The report made 73 recommendations in total.
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, 22–26 May 2023