Good afternoon. Our time for reflection leader today is David Strang, the guest speaker of the national prayer breakfast for Scotland and Her Majesty’s chief inspector of prisons for Scotland.
Presiding Officer and members of the Scottish Parliament, thank you for the opportunity to lead time for reflection this afternoon.
This morning, more than 7,500 men and women woke up in their cells in prisons across Scotland. Most of them have been convicted of a crime and are serving a sentence as a result.
You and I have chosen to come here today; we are free to make decisions about where we go, what we do and even what we wear. People in prison are not free to make those most basic decisions about their lives—the sentence of the court is the deprivation of their liberty and choices.
Many victims of crime have been damaged by what has happened to them. In a civilised society, we do not want imprisonment to cause further damage and harm. On the contrary, we want the experience of prison to be an opportunity for rehabilitation and a fresh start. The vast majority of men and women in prison will at some point be released and will return to the community from which they came. What all of us want is that when they return, they do not commit further offences.
All our prisons in Scotland strive hard to work with prisoners to prepare them for a successful return to the community. As chief inspector of prisons for Scotland, when I inspect a prison I take a particular interest in two aspects of prison life: safety and relationships. First, is the prison safe, with minimal levels of violence and bullying? Secondly, what is the relationship like between prisoners and staff? I have been impressed with the efforts that Scottish Prison Service staff make to work constructively with prisoners in preparation for their return to the community and to encourage positive relationships with their families.
We should also be encouraged that there are fewer young men in the young offenders institution at Polmont—the number has come down by more than half in the past eight years. That gives grounds for hope for the future.
At the national prayer breakfast for Scotland this morning, the gathered group, including some MSPs, prayed for all victims of crime; we prayed for all those involved in the criminal justice system in Scotland; we prayed for the marginalised and vulnerable in our society; and we prayed for the members of the Scottish Parliament and all who work in this building.
Our prayer is that your work will be fruitful and your decisions wise and compassionate.
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