The Prison Rules are being made available in an Accessible form for the first time.

The Prisons and Young Offenders Institutions (Scotland) Rules 2011, known as the Prison Rules for short, is the law under which people are managed in custody.

The rules are written in legal language and can therefore be very difficult to read. The new booklet is a summary of the Prison Rules, written in plain English and explains how people can expect to be treated in prison and what their rights are. 

It has been produced by the Scottish Human Rights Commission and Parkhead Citizens Advice Bureau and printed and published by the Scottish Prison Service. 

The booklet is being launched at a special event at HMP Barlinnie today (31 July), where Parkhead CAB have a long-standing, and incredibly valuable role in providing important support, advice, and information services to individuals in custody.

Two workshops are also being held – one for staff and one for people in custody – on how to support people who might seek to use the booklets.

The prisoners who attend the workshop are peer mentors, trained by Parkhead CAB to support those they live alongside. The booklet will be an important addition to the work they already do.

Sarah Angus, Director of Policy at the Scottish Prison Service said: “It is extremely important that all people in our care, irrespective of disability or other barriers, understand their rights and how prisons should work.

“We are very grateful to the Scottish Human Rights Commission and Parkhead Citizens Advice Bureau for their work in producing this booklet and are delighted to support its printing and distribution.”

Liz Willis, CEO at the Parkhead CAB said: “We know from experience that prisoners don’t know the rules or understand their rights when in prison, so this booklet is much needed.”

Professor Angela O’Hagan, chair of the Scottish Human Rights Commission, said: “This guide to the Prison Rules will make a real difference for prisoners and their families. 

“We know that people in Scotland’s prisons face real challenges in making complaints, some of which could amount to human rights violations. Not least is the lack of accessible information about rights and the law. 

“The requirement to have an accessible and available prison complaints system is outlined in published standards of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.

“The Scottish Human Rights Commission collaborated with Parkhead Citizens Advice Bureau to develop the Prison Rules as part of our wider work on access to justice for prisoners. 

“We’ll be releasing a report later this year which includes further detail on the challenges of making complaints about prisons, as well as recommendations on how the system could be improved. 

“We recommend that the Scottish Prison Service and Scottish Government ensure that the guide to the rules is made available to prisoners across Scotland, and their families. 

“They should be translated into community languages and made available in accessible formats, including British Sign Language and easy read.”