Question reference: S6W-25436
- Asked by: Annabelle Ewing, MSP for Cowdenbeath, Scottish National Party
- Date lodged: 9 February 2024
-
Current status: Answered by Angela Constance on 27 February 2024
Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) turned down requests from the professor of criminology, Joe Phoenix, to participate in its policy review on the management of transgender people in custody on three occasions, whether the SPS did turn down such requests, and, if so, for what reason.
Answer
I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:
Protecting the health, safety, and wellbeing of all people in Scotland’s prisons is at the heart of SPS’ newly published Policy for the Management of Transgender People in Custody (2023).
The SPS engaged with approximately 400 people during the review of the SPS Gender Identity and Gender Reassignment Policy (2014), and the SPS has no record of any communication from Professor Jo Phoenix during this period.