Scottish Lib Dems call for action on self harm in prisons

The Scottish Liberal Democrats have called for more action to tackle self-harm in Scottish prisons after figures revealed there have been more than 4,000 such incidents since 2021.

Figures obtained by the party through freedom of information (FOI) showed these have included more than 2,700 cutting incidents as well as 168 attempted suicides.

There have been 4,049 instances of self-harm in Scottish prisons since 2021 according to data obtained via the FOI to the Scottish Prison Service (SPS).

Scottish Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson Liam McArthur called for more action to tackle the issue.

He said it was a “short-sighted attitude” for people to “roll their eyes at any attempt to make prisons a healthier and more productive place”.

Mr McArthur said: “Under the SNP, Scotland locks up more of its population than anywhere else in Europe, remand levels are through the roof and rates of self-harm are frequent.”

He added: “Ultimately almost all prisoners will get out eventually and need to be reintegrated into the outside world. It’s in the interest of every community for them to be ready to be productive members of society.

“Scottish Liberal Democrats want a properly funded justice system, a proper system of throughcare and the roll out of mental health professionals across the prison estate.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The safe treatment and mental health of all those in custody is a key priority for this Government and the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), which care for people with higher levels of risk and vulnerability than the general population as a whole.

“While SPS’s suicide prevention strategy ‘Talk to Me’ is still in place and in use across the prison estate, the review currently underway will be completed by summer 2025.

“Our self-harm action plan prioritises prison staff training and this is under way.”

A dedicated concern line is now in place in all SPS establishments, operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week where people can raise concerns about an individual’s mental health or wellbeing, with calls transferred to a member of staff and answered as a priority.

A Scottish Prison Service spokesperson said: “The wellbeing of those in our care is a key priority and everyone who enters custody is assessed by both prison staff and NHS partners to identify exactly what mental health, social care, substance misuse, and other support is needed.

“We also have peer mentors and listeners, trained by the Samaritans, to support people when they first arrive and throughout their time in custody.”