MASKED BANDITS
Guidelines changed to reduce Covid-19 spread
Inmates are to be made to wear face coverings in Scottish jails.
It comes after face masks – medical grade face coverings – were made mandatory for staff but not prisoners earlier this month.
New prison officer guidelines led to a row after some wardens complained the rules were pointless if prisoners continued not to cover up.
But union officials objected to inmates covering their faces over fears it would affect t he ability of officers to identify those who misbehaved.
The Scottish Prison Service (S PS) and the Prison Officers’ Association Scotland ( POAS) have now reached an agreement that will see prisoners wear face coverings from tomorrow when they can’t socially distance to help combat the spread of Covid-19.
Prisoners who work in common areas are already required to wear face masks.
One insider said: “Many wardens weren’t happy with the new rules.
“They were being ordered to wear face masks but prisoners weren’t.
“The prisoners would go to meet visitors not wearing a covering and then come back and interact with other prisoners. It didn’t make any sense. The officers felt their safety was being compromised.
“In some jails 30 prisoners have been allowed to mingle indoors as they are considered to be coming from one household under guidelines.
“There have been outbreakseaks of coronavirus at jails and staff have been off sick at Low Moss recently.
“That’s put pressure on all prison officers being asked to cover shifts.
“This will hopefully make things safer.”
Phil Fairley, of POAS, said: “We’ve spent the last week working out the details that will mean prisoners will wear face coverings in certain circumstances.
“It will be up to individual prisons to come up with where it applies to.
“But, generally, it will see prisoners wear ing facial coverings outside their cells. All prisons are different and it will be up to officials in them to carr y out their own risk assessments and when they should be worn.
“There have been some objections from jail staff. “Mainly, those objections involved fears over being able to identify prisoners when they were wearing masks. “But it has been important to introduce a level playing field approach to face masks in jails.” Earlier this month it was revealed 50 staff at Low Moss jail, in Bishop briggs, Bish near Glasgow, had self-isolated after a ccolleague tested popositive for Covid-19. SSPS officials said it wawas a precautionary memeasure fol lowing the case.
Six Scottish prisoners have reporeportedly lost their lives during the pandepandemic.
An nd about 350 inmateinmates have been let out during lockdown in a bid to curb the spread of the virus anand protect staff. Last week, Just ice Secret ar Secretary Humza Yousaf said moremor prisoners could be let out as part of an early release scscheme.
Some prisonerspri could be required to wear electronic tags in the community amid fears jails could become a hotbed for the virus.
An SPS spokesman said: “Prisoners will now need to wear face covering sin circumstances where they aren’t able to socially distance.”