Scottish prisons condemned by surveillance inspectorate
This is the most scathing report I have read of an official inspection into a public authority's work.
It's a report written by inspectors from the and it's about the .
The inspectors accused the SPS of ignoring their responsibility to comply with the law, lacking strategic direction, a lamentable lack of progress on implementing recommendations, and failing to train prison governors well enough for them to carry out instructions on covert surveillance.
The OSC monitors the use of covert surveillance and covert human intelligence sources (such as informants), which is governed by the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) and the Regulation of Investigatory Powers (Scotland) Act (RIP(S)A).
The inspection was in 2006 (and the SPS says its procedures have improved since then), but I have just obtained a copy following a freedom of information request.
The stark criticisms then made by the OSC inspectors included the following:
- The SPS has 'ignored their responsibility to comply with RIP(S)A'
- The SPS is 'complacent in the use of unauthorised CHIS' (covert human intelligence sources)
- Staff in Edinburgh prison had 'little understanding' of the law
- 'The lack of progress' in addressing recommendations from previous inspections 'is lamentable'
- RIP(S)A awareness training 'appears to have been perfunctory'
- The lack of suitable training 'places both individuals and the organisation in an exposed and precarious position'
- 'The absence of strategic leadership' is having a 'detrimental impact' on the SPS
- Prison Governors 'are unable to carry out' instructions on covert surveillance 'through a lack of personal training'
The report has been released following a by the Scottish Information Commissioner Kevin Dunion, who overruled the initial refusal of the SPS to release it. I then made an FOI request for it myself.
The SPS has acquired a new since the OSC report in 2006. The service now says that another OSC report earlier this year was 'much more favourable and recognised the efforts the SPS had made to address criticisms', stating 'the SPS has made commendable measured progress'.
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