The Scottish Prison Service has published an update on work being undertaken to support the safety and wellbeing of young people in our care.
Following Fatal Accident Inquiry (FAI) determinations last year, a range of actions have been taken forward to improve how we care for people aged 18 to 21 when they arrive, during some of the most challenging and vulnerable periods of their lives.
Today, His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons in Scotland (HMIPS) has published Report on Visit to HMP & YOI Polmont 4 – 6 August 2025: Inspection following the Fatal Accident Inquiry Determination in relation to the deaths of William Lindsay (Brown) and Katie Allan.
This provides welcome and important scrutiny to our response to the FAI recommendations, and to those following the death of Jack McKenzie.
Since the inspection in August last year, the SPS National Taskforce for Prison Welfare and Safety has continued to coordinate work across a range of areas including suicide prevention, safer physical environments and technology, both in headquarters and at HMP & YOIs Polmont and Stirling.
The progress made by the Taskforce, and staff at HMP & YOI Polmont, since last August, is captured today in a new Post-Inspection Update, published on our website.
Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, said: “Supporting young people in our care, many of whom are vulnerable and complex, is one of the most serious responsibilities we hold.
“We are committed to providing the right support, care, and compassion that will lead them to better futures than the experiences which led them to our door.
“I am proud of the skill and dedication, and care and compassion, that our staff continue to show as they progress the FAI recommendations. While we understand and accept we have much still to do, it is right we recognise the progress our staff have made.”