HMP Peterhead (PE514)
Agenda item 3 is on petition PE514 from Ann Wemyss. The petition urges the Parliament to call on the Scottish Executive to review its decision to close Peterhead prison; to opt for a refurbishment or the construction of a new building on the site; and to recognise the work and efforts of the staff at Peterhead prison to reduce offending. The petition has more than 17,000 signatures. Do members wish to consider the petition as part of our scrutiny of the prison estates review or simply to note the petition and to take no further action?
Normally I would say that we should note the petition and take no further action, but the issues have already been considered in our inquiry on the prison estates review. There is no reason why we should not say that the issues in the petition have been taken into account in our inquiry.
It is remarkable that 17,000 people have signed a petition to keep a sex offenders prison in their locality. That says something about the community.
We should refer to the petition in our report.
We will do that when we come to finalising the report.
Can we send a copy of our report to Ann Wemyss to demonstrate that we have covered the points in the petition?
When the report is issued on 2 July, we will send a copy to the petitioner with a covering letter that acknowledges the hard work that she has done.
Meeting continued in private until 16:24.
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