Families Outside response to national COVID 19 vaccination accessibility survey
Families Outside has responded today to the COVID 19 vaccination accessibility survey run by Voluntary Health Scotland, to help ensure equitable distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine. Families Outside has an interest in ensuring that people involved in the criminal justice system, people in prison, and those recently released from prison and their families do not […]
Covid continues, but so will Families Outside
Since the 23 March, when the UK and Scottish Governments made announcements that brought the whole of the UK into lockdown, we have continued to support families affected by imprisonment, with demand for our service increasing by 247% over the Summer. It’s now over 10 months since the first official lockdown, and since then, individuals, […]
Prison visits – the impact of recent Scottish Government announcement
6 January 2021 This continues to be a challenging time for everyone living and working in prisons with the necessary regime restrictions in place to help prevent the spread of the COVID-19 infection. At this time, the SPS have been advised that court business is continuing as normal, as are Parole Tribunals. They are also […]
SPS review of family visit arrangements
17 December 2020 The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) recognises that this is a difficult time for those in their care as well as their families and friends and they are anxious to do all we can to allow family contact. As such, virtual visits remain available in every establishment. The SPS have reviewed their family […]
Deaths in Custody Review
In November 2019, the Cabinet Secretary for Justice, Humza Yousef announced that he had asked HM Chief Inspector of Prisons for Scotland (HMCIPS), Wendy Sinclair-Gieben, in accordance with section 7(2)(d) of the Prisons (Scotland) Act 1989, to undertake an independent review into the responses to deaths in prison custody. The Review was instructed to enable […]