Current status: Answered by Angela Constance on 10 November 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how it is ensuring that prisoners with alcohol problems are able to access the treatment and support that they need.
I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:
The SPS Alcohol & Drug Recovery Strategy aims to ensure that people in our care have access to appropriate support and a range of interventions and services which are similar to those delivered within our communities.
Working collaboratively with key stakeholders, such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), we offer a range of mutual aid support groups to share skills, knowledge and resources designed to reduce and prevent the harm caused from alcohol use.
In addition to this, NHS and SPS Staff continue to promote and support access to the Prison to Rehab Pathway to ensure people in our care are aware of the residential rehabilitation options and structured programmes available to them as part of planning for their liberation.