Agency overview | |
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Formed | 29 October 1980 |
Type | Scottish public body |
Jurisdiction | Scotland |
Headquarters | Saughton House, Broomhouse Drive, Edinburgh, EH11 3XD 55°55′48″N3°16′34″W / 55.930°N 3.276°W |
Employees | 11 |
Minister responsible | |
Agency executive |
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Parent agency | Scottish Government |
Website | www |
Map | |
HM Inspectorate of Prisons for Scotland was established in 1981, following recommendations of the May Committee report of 1979. The Inspectorate is directly funded by the Scottish Government.
As of July 2018, His Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons for Scotland is Wendy Sinclair-Gieben. [1]
His Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons for Scotland was created following a Committee of Inquiry into the prison system in the United Kingdom, whose report was published in 1979. One of the recommendations of its report was the creation of a new type of Prisons' Inspectorate, independent of the Prison Service. Previously inspections had been carried out by a Prison Governor. With the Scottish Prison Service being separate from its counterpart in England and Wales two inspectorates were created with prisons in England and Wales inspected by His Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons.
His Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons for Scotland was placed on a statutory basis by an Act of Parliament, the Prisons (Scotland) Act 1989; [2] its functions and responsibilities are laid down accordingly. The Chief Inspector submits an annual report to the Scottish Parliament. Reports on individual prison visits are made to the Scottish Government and are subsequently published. The Scottish Ministers may also refer specific prison-related matters to the Chief Inspector for him to report on.
The Inspectorate carries out a regular inspection of Scotland's prisons (including the privately run prisons). Each of Scotland's 16 prisons is normally subject to a full inspection every three years. Annual shorter, follow-up visits - which may be unannounced - are also made. Issues examined include actual physical conditions, the quality of prisoner regimes, the morale of staff and prisoners, facilities and amenities available to staff and prisoners, safety issues, and decency and contribution to reducing re-offending. The Inspectorate also inspects Legalised Police Cells (mainly used in rural parts of northern Scotland) and the conditions of prisoner escort arrangements.
The Inspectorate can only make recommendations; it has no executive power to enforce these recommendations. The inspection system is identical for both state-run and privately managed prisons.
The post of HM Chief Inspector of Prisons for Scotland is full-time. It has always been a lay appointment (an individual with no previous connection with the prison service). The Chief Inspector is appointed by the Crown under section 7 of the Prisons (Scotland) Act 1989. [3] The Inspectorate's office is located in Edinburgh.
Although the Chief Inspector is entirely independent of the Scottish Prison Service, he is assisted by two senior managers seconded from the Service. They offer professional advice and guidance during the conduct of inspections. The Inspectorate team also includes a Scottish Government civil servant and a Personal Secretary. The Inspectorate works with other statutory Inspectorates responsible for issues such as health, education and additions.
His Majesty's Inspectorate of Education (HMIe) was an executive agency of the Scottish Government, responsible for the inspection of public and private, primary and secondary schools, as well as further education colleges, community learning, Local Authority Education Departments and teacher education.
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) is a non-ministerial department of His Majesty's government, reporting to Parliament. Ofsted's role is to make sure that organisations providing education, training and childcare services in England do so to a high standard for children and students. Ofsted is responsible for inspecting a range of educational institutions, including state schools and some independent schools. It also inspects childcare, adoption and fostering agencies and initial teacher training, and regulates early years childcare facilities and children's social care services.
Estyn is the education and training inspectorate for Wales. Its name comes from the Welsh language verb estyn meaning "to reach (out), stretch or extend". Its function is to provide an independent inspection and advice service on quality and standards in education and training provided in Wales.
His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS), formerly Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC), has statutory responsibility for the inspection of the police forces of England and Wales, and since July 2017 the fire and rescue services of England. HMICFRS is headed by the Chief Inspector of Constabulary and Chief Inspector of Fire & Rescue Services. It has taken over the responsibilities of His Majesty's Fire Service Inspectorate.
His Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons is the head of HM Inspectorate of Prisons and the senior inspector of prisons, young offender institutions and immigration service detention and removal centres in England and Wales. The current chief inspector is Charlie Taylor.
The Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) is approved by the Secretary of State for Education – under section 106 of the Education and Skills Act 2008 – to inspect private schools in England. These schools are members of associations, which form the Independent Schools Council.
The fire services in the United Kingdom operate under separate legislative and administrative arrangements in England and Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland.
The Care Inspectorate is a scrutiny body which supports improvement. They look at the quality of care in Scotland to ensure it meets high standards. Where improvement is needed, they support services to make positive changes. The Care Inspectorate was set up in April 2011 by the Scottish Government as a single regulatory body for social work and social care services, including child protection and the integration of children's services. The new organisation took on work in these areas previously carried out by:
The title and job role of His Majesty's Chief Inspector of Fire and Rescue Services in England, Scotland and Wales is combined with that known as Fire and Rescue Adviser appointed by the devolved and national governments of the United Kingdom.
An inspectorate or inspectorate-general is a civil or military body charged with inspecting and reporting on some institution or institutions in its field of competence. Inspectorates cover a broad spectrum of organizations which vary in a number of terms, notably whether and to the degree to which they become involved in criminal investigations; the extent to which they achieve independence from the institutions being inspected; as well as the nature of their inspection regimes and reporting processes.
His Majesty's Fire Service Inspectorate (HMFSI) in Scotland operates as a body within, but independent of, the Scottish Government. The inspectorate exists to provide independent, risk based, and proportionate professional inspection of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS). It gives assurance to the Scottish public and Scottish Ministers that the SFRS is working in an efficient and effective way, and promotes improvement in the SFRS. It also provides independent, professional advice to Scottish government ministers and has functions in relation to non-domestic fire safety. The statutory basis of the inspectorate is set out in sections 43A to 43G of the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005. Its role was substantially amended by the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012 that came into effect on 1 April 2013. Its headquarters are at St Andrews House, Edinburgh.
HM Prison Risley is a category C men's prison, located in the Risley area of Warrington, Cheshire, England, operated by His Majesty's Prison Service.
His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland (HMICS) is a public body of the Scottish Government that reports to the Scottish Parliament. It has statutory responsibility for the inspection of the effectiveness and efficiency of the police service in Scotland.
An independent custody visitor is someone who visits people who are detained in police stations in the United Kingdom to ensure that they are being treated properly. Prisoner escort and custody lay observers carry out a similar function in relation to the escort of prisoners from one place to another, or their custody at court.
The Prison Commission was a public body of the Government of the United Kingdom established in 1877 and responsible for overseeing the operation of HM Prison Service. It was merged into the Home Office on 1 April 1963 to become the Prisons Department.
The Prison Commission was a public body of the Government of the United Kingdom established in 1877 and responsible for the operation of what is now the Scottish Prison Service. It was renamed the Prison Department in 1928, and was merged with the Scottish Office to become the Scottish Home Department in 1939.
His Majesty's Inspectorate of Probation (HMIP) is a statutory body and independent UK inspectorate funded by the Ministry of Justice, formed in 1936.
Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland (CJI), has statutory responsibility for the inspection of the criminal justice system of Northern Ireland. CJI is headed by the Chief Inspector of Criminal Justice for Northern Ireland.
His Majesty's Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (HMCPSI), has statutory responsibility for the inspection of the Crown Prosecution Service. HMCPSI is headed by HM Chief Inspector of the Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate.
His Majesty's Inspectorate of Prosecution in Scotland (IPS), has statutory responsibility for the inspection of the criminal justice system of Scotland. IPS is headed by the HM Chief Inspector of Prosecution in Scotland.