The Scottish Parliament

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)

Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

Question reference: S7W-01938

Asked by: David Linden, MSP for Glasgow Baillieston and Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 3 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S7W-01302 by Neil Gray on 17 July 2026, what training is offered to prison officers to support neurodivergent prisoners; whether such training is compulsory, and (a) how many and (b) what proportion of current officers have completed such training.

The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) is an Executive Agency of the Scottish Government. Training for prisons officers is designed and taken forward by the SPS.

SPS recognise the importance of supporting neurodivergence within the prison population, and although there is no standalone training for supporting neurodivergence in prisons, Officer ‘core to role’ training does cover areas which support trauma-informed practice.

SPS continue to engage with their partners, including Supporting Offenders with Learning Disabilities (SOLD), who together with Association for Real Change (ARC), are developing a framework of principles for inclusive justice which will in turn allow SPS to develop standards to improve support to help neurodivergent people in custody.

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Question reference: S7W-01938

Answer