The 2018/19 audit of the Scottish Prison Service

Caroline Gardner, Auditor General for Scotland said: "Scotland's prisons are running well over operating capacity. The Scottish Prison Service faces a combination of severe pressures on many fronts; this poses a threat to operational safety, effectiveness and financial sustainability."

Oral evidence session 26 September 2019

The Committee took evidence from the Auditor General for Scotland and Audit Scotland.

Please read the Official Report of 26 Sptember 2019

Meeting papers for 26 September 2019

Minutes from 26 September 2019

Oral evidence session 31 October 2019

The Committee took evidence in a roundtable format from -

Phil Fairlie, Scottish National Chairman, Prison Officers' Association; Steve Farrell, Regional Secretary Scotland and Northern Ireland, Community Union; Michael Guy, Director HMP Kilmarnock, Serco UK Justice and Immigration; Nigel Ironside, Chair Prison Governors' Association; Tony Simpson, Director of UK Custodial Operations, Sodexo; Wendy Sinclair-Gieben, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons for Scotland.

Followed by evidence from the Auditor General for Scotland and Audit Scotland (in private).

Please read the Official Report of 31 October 2019

Meeting papers for 31 October 2019

Minutes of meeting 31 October 2019

Meeting correspondence and follow-up

Letter to Convener from Steve Farrell Community Union, 1 November 2019 (137KB pdf)

Letter to Convener from Paul Johnston, Director-General Education, Communities and Justice, 15 November 2019 (514KB pdf)

Oral evidence session 21 November 2019

The Committee took evidence from-

Colin McConnell, Chief Executive; Kate Hudson, Interim Director of Strategy and Stakeholder Engagement and Melanie Allan, Head of Finance, Scottish Prison Service;

Paul Johnston, Director-General Education, Communities and Justice; Neil Rennick, Director of Justice and Donna McKinnon, Deputy Director and Head of Community Justice Division, Scottish Government.

Followed by evidence from the Auditor General for Scotland and Audit Scotland (in private).

Please read the Official Report of 21 November 2019.

Meeting papers for 21 November 2019

Minutes for 21 November 2019