Current status: Answered by Angela Constance on 8 August 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many offensive weapons have been found within HMP (a) Greenock and (b) Kilmarnock in each of the past five years.
I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:
SPS remain vigilant to the threat presented by weapons within our estate. Despite tactical and security measures, there are a number of those in custody who continue to attempt to introduce illicit articles (including weapons) into our estate, or those who are found to have fashioned everyday items into a weapon.
SPS will continue to report these instances to Police Scotland and seek conviction where appropriate. In addition, SPS also utilise the Prison and Young Offender Rules (Scotland) 2011 to mitigate known risk and preserve the good order and discipline within our establishments.
The table below shows how many offensive weapons there has been found in each of the past five calendar years in HMP Greenock and HMP Kilmarnock.
Establishment 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
HMP Greenock 2 9 9 5 6
HMP Kilmarnock 39 35 29 51 53
Total 41 44 38 56 59