The main objective of the visit was to examine the treatment and conditions of detention of persons deprived of their liberty in Scottish prison establishments, and secure care accommodation for minors, as well as to assess the progress made since the CPT’s visits in 2018 and 2019. The delegation also visited several police stations to examine the treatment, conditions of detention and safeguards for persons held in police custody.

In the course of the visit, the delegation held consultations with Angela Constance, Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs, Linda Pollock, Deputy Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), Jane Connors, Deputy Chief Constable, Wendy Middleton, Assistant Chief Constable, Police Scotland, Gail Woodcock, Chief Executive of Falkirk Health & Social Care Partnership, as well as with senior officials of the Scottish Government.

The delegation also met with Sara Snell, Chief Inspector of His Majesty’s (HM) Inspectorate of Prisons for Scotland, Craig Naylor, HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary in Scotland, Laura Paton, Police Investigations and Review Commissioner, Kevin Mitchell, Executive Director, Care Inspectorate of Scotland, Charlotte Wilson, Chief Inspector, Children and Young People Service, Care Inspectorate, as well as with representatives of the United Kingdom’s National Preventive Mechanism (NPM), the Scottish Human Rights Commission, Independent Custody Visiting representatives, and civil society bodies.

At the end of the visit, the delegation presented its preliminary findings to the Scottish authorities.

The visit was carried out by the following members of the CPT: Kristina Pardalos (Head of delegation), Mari Amos, Christopher Cremona, Juan Carlos Da Silva, Imants Jurevičius and Anahit Manasyan. They were supported by Francesca Gordon and Aikaterini Lazana of the CPT Secretariat and assisted by the following experts: Jurgen Van Poecke, Prison Director (Belgium), Dino Vukanovic, medical doctor (Italy) and Olivera Vulić, psychiatrist (Montenegro).

The delegation visited the following establishments: 

Police establishments

• Dunfermline Police Station
• Govan Police Station (Glasgow)
• Levenmouth Police Station
• London Road Police Station (Glasgow)
• St Leonards Police Station (Edinburgh)

Prison establishments

• Men’s prisons
  • HMP Barlinnie
  • HMP Low Moss
  • HMP Perth
• Women’s prisons
  • HMP Bella Community Custody Unit
  • HMP/YOI Polmont
  • HMP Stirling

Secure accommodation for children

• St Mary’s Kenmure
• Rossie Young Person’s Trust

Psychiatric establishments for children

• Skye House, Stobhill Hospital, Adolescent Psychiatric Unit

The CPT and the United Kingdom