More than £100,000 paid out to prisoners
5 Jun 06
Flood of injury, accident and human rights breaches claims hit Scottish Prison Service
Personal injury awards made to prisoners in Scottish jails over the past two years have topped the £100,000 mark, according to an article in today's Scotsman.
Since armed robber Robert Napier won £2,450 last year after claiming he suffered from eczema due to conditions including slopping out at Barlinnie prison, the SPS has been flooded with similar claims.
The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) has set aside £44 million to compensate those who claim their human rights have been breached because they have had to slop out, but other claims have been made for injuries, accidents in jail, missing property and those kept behind bars for too long.
The article reveals that in 2004-2005, £90,789.53 was paid out and in 2005-2006, £18,600 - 38 claims at an average of nearly £2,900 per prisoner.
Derek Turner from the Prison Officers' Association in Scotland said officers were frustrated because the SPS seemed much more willing to pay out to prisoners than to prison officers injured at work. Margaret Mitchell, the Conservative justice spokesperson, said victims of crime would despair at the payouts which could mean many prisoners coming out of prison richer than when they went in.