PRISON inspectors have expressed “serious concerns” on Scotland’s prison overcrowding.

The Scottish inspectorate found that despite measures such as emergency early release of prisoners, the prison population remains “stubbornly high,” with implications for workers and prisoners alike.

In his report, interim Chief Inspector Stephen Sandlam said: “Overcrowding caused more prisoners to have to share a cell, some of which are not suitable for sharing.

“The remand population remains stubbornly high and the Scottish Prison Service estate is not equipped to deal with this rising population.

“Action taken thus far to address this has proved inadequate, but the inspectorate welcomes the Prisoner (Early Release) (Scotland) Bill currently before the Scottish Parliament as an important step in reducing the current pressures in the prison system.”

He warned that failure to ensure prisoners’ wages kept pace with inflation “not only harms prisoners but also increases the cost of imprisonment on their families.” He said that the prison service was “not adequately funded to provide three healthy meals per day per prisoner.”

Mr Sandlam praised compassion and humanity shown by prison workers but warned staff shortages meant that too often prisoners were confined to their cells and unable to engage in activities to prepare them for release and help prevent reoffending. He called for urgent action to boost resources.

The interim inspector also highlighted a lack of action to overhaul a complaints system that prisoners lack faith in and fails to follow best practice, despite the prison service being warned of the issue last year. 

A Scottish Prison Service spokesman acknowledged that workers’ jobs were “significantly more difficult due to the high levels of overcrowding.

A spokesperson for the Prison Officers’ Association said: “For years the POA has been calling for urgent action to address the problems in Scotland’s prisons.

“As this report acknowledges our members are providing a high level of service under the most intense pressures but their patience and energy is finite. 

“We need more staff, an improved estate, and a recognition that our officers are not superhuman and able to work under such conditions until they are almost 70.”

Scottish Justice Secretary Angela Constance said that as well as early release, the government would pursue a raft of other measures to curb the rising and complex prison population.