Death rate in prisons trebled over last decade

Responding to a new Scottish Government report which shows that the rate of those dying in custody has trebled since 2012, with 25 individuals dying within a week of entering prison and a further 35 dying within 30 days, Scottish Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson Liam McArthur MSP said:  

“Scotland’s prisons are overcrowded and generally in dire need of modernisation.  

“On the SNP’s watch, conditions are among some of the worst in Europe. Meanwhile, promised additional mental health support has largely gone undelivered and the government’s suicide prevention strategy expired almost two years ago.    

“We now see the cost of that inaction.    

“Scottish Liberal Democrats want to make our prisons humane and productive places where the ends of both justice and rehabilitation are well served. To save lives, the government must protect the justice budget and finally bring forward a strategy which enables a comprehensive rollout of mental health professionals across the prison estate.”