The return of ‘Porridge’ bunk beds for prisoners
They double up as jail chiefs try to deal with overcrowding inside
SCOTLAND’S jails have been forced to put bunk beds in cells to accommodate the soaring prison population.
The Mail on Sunday can reveal that the number of convicts is set to hit 8,500 for the first time – sparking fears of violence in the powderkeg atmosphere.
Space is so tight that bunk beds – such as those seen in 1970s BBC sitcom Porridge, starring Ronnie Barker – are being moved into cells so that prisoners can ‘double up.’
Much of the hit show featured his character Fletch moaning about sharing a cell to gruff Scots warden Mr Mackay (Fulton Mackay).
The current inmate count of more than 8,200 represents growth in the past year of about 8 per cent, resulting in some prisons being grossly overcrowded.
Barlinnie in Glasgow, which should house a maximum 1,019 prisoners, is at 140 per cent capacity with more than 1,400. The majority of prisoners in the jail now share a cell.
One officer at Barlinnie said: ‘The place is absolutely rammed and you can feel the tension rising. It wouldn’t take much to spark a major incident. Most prisoners know the score and settle into a routine but one of the things they need is enough space, and we’re at our limits.’
The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) has been forced to buy extra capacity at Kilmarnock – one of two private prisons in Scotland – to
‘Wouldn’t take much to spark a major incident’
help avoid the already tense atmosphere in the most crowded jails spilling over.
The SPS fears the rising number of inmates could negatively affect the relative lack of violence within jails.
An SPS insider said: ‘We are experiencing rapid growth and looking at setting a new record in the next few months.
‘Prison is expensive. It costs the taxpayer tens of thousands of pounds to lock up each prisoner each year, and there is a massive social cost. There are two options. We either spend more money, create more capacity and keep on locking up more people, or we look at alternatives where that’s appropriate and find out what works.’
During the first term of the Scottish parliament, prisoner numbers stood at 6,200. When the population passes 8,500 – as expected this summer – that will be an increase of 37 per cent over two decades.
The rise involves the most serious offenders. Twenty years ago, the average term served by lifers was just over 11 years. Now it is closer to 19.
The growth in reports of historic sexual abuse since the fallout from the Jimmy Savile case, and the Crown Office bringing historic offenders to justice, has taken that figure to about 1,500. The prison population peaked a few years ago at around 8,400 inmates, but the latest overcrowding is more severe as a number of jails are now being refurbished and some have closed.
SPS head of corporate affairs Tom Fox said: ‘The number of prisoners has passed 8,200. The growth has been exceptionally rapid and shows no sign yet of slowing.’
Scottish Tory justice spokesman Liam Kerr said: ‘This comes down to the SNP’s refusal to properly fund Scotland’s justice system. It shouldn’t be hard for the SNP Government to properly ensure there are enough prison spaces to meet demand. Instead, it will use these figures to argue for the emptying of Scotland’s jails.’
Scottish Labour justice spokesman Daniel Johnson said: ‘We shouldn’t have Victorian-era prisons with overcrowded cells in 2019. This will only add to tensions.’
A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘Many offenders who commit the most serious crimes are spending longer in prison which, together with other factors, means Scotland locks up a greater proportion of its people than any other nation in western Europe.’