Police cells "very bleak"

New report highlights poor treatment of prisoners in legalised police cells

News, 14 January 2005

Conditions in legalised police cells - cells in which prisoners can be detained for up to 30 days - are "very bleak" according to a new report.

HM Chief Inspector of Prisons Andrew McLellan said he had two main concerns about the cells in police stations in Lerwick, Kirkwall, Thurso, Stornoway, Lochmaddy, Oban, Campbeltown, Dunoon and Hawick, which are some distance from prisons.

Dr McLellan said:"Firstly, the physical conditions are very bleak. Prisoners are regularly provided with no more than a mattress and an uncovered, unscreened toilet. In a prison, these conditions would only be experienced by prisoners who had been identified as being at risk.

"Secondly, prisoners did not have access to information supplied by the Scottish Prison Service. In many cases there was good information supplied by the police, although usually with no reference to fire procedures.

"However, information about the rights of prisoners and the role of the Prison Complaints Commission was not available.

"Responsibility for the supervision of these prisoners remains with the police authority, but the Scottish Prison Service also has a responsibility to them. It is important that the Prison Service ensures that prisoners know what their rights are."

When prisoners are detained in legalised cells, they are held there for as short a period as possible.