Key recommendations from Significant Case Review

● Scottish Prison Service (SPS) should review what information it provides to Scottish ministers when recommending prisoners are allowed out on home leave.

● SPS should review what information is considered during Risk Management Team meetings. All risk assessments that have been completed should be considered.

● Full risk assessments must be shared with the Open Estate before a prisoner is moved to open prisons.

● Scottish Government should review national guidance on home leave and release decision-making processes for serious offenders and work to ensure consistency across the country.

● The Tayside Multi-agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) Strategic Oversight Group should ensure that everyone attending a meeting is sent relevant material for consideration beforehand. Minutes of meetings should clearly reflect the rationale behind all decisions.

● Management of risk should become the priority of the SPS rather than the progression of prisoners through the prison estate.

● Police Scotland should improve communication channels between offender management units and local police forces.

● Both the Scottish Government and SPS should consider how technology, such as ankle tags, can be used to better monitor high risk prisoners on home leave.

● SPS should review how information regarding prisoners’ unsupervised community access is reported to and received by police and social workers.