Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) in Scotland: national overview report 2023-24

7. The Scottish Prison Service (SPS)

The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) is an Executive Agency of the Scottish Government. The SPS principal objective is to contribute to making Scotland Safer and Stronger. The SPS has a duty to protect the public from harm by keeping those who have been sentenced in safe and secure custody. Its commitment to public safety is delivered through constructive engagement with those in their care, focussing on recovery and reintegration.

SPS is the lead Responsible Authority for all prisoners while in custody who are subject to or likely to be subject to MAPPA on release.

The risk assessment and management of individuals in custody who are subject to release on licence is carried out in partnership with Local Authority JSW, through an enhanced version of the Integrated Case Management (ICM) process. A key objective of ICM is to ensure that, along with the relevant justice partners, including the Police, Social Work, Housing, Children and Families, SPS meets statutory requirements to establish joint arrangements for assessing and managing the risk posed by individuals subject to MAPPA, including the sharing of information with community partners.

Such individuals are risk assessed, using a structured professional judgement approach informed by a variety of risk assessment tools in determining the management of the individual whilst in custody, and in preparation for pre-release planning and release. For certain individuals, a Psychological Risk Assessment may be carried out by SPS forensic psychologists and used to inform ICM case conferences and at key points in a person's time in custody, to share information and inform action plans.

SPS establishments work in partnership with MAPPA coordinators, prison and community-based JSW Teams and Police Scotland offender management units.

SPS is represented on the Scottish Government MAPPA NSG and other SLWGs, established to progress the future delivery of MAPPA. Prison Governors also contribute to and attend local SOG meetings.

Programme Delivery

The table below provides an overview of programme completions between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024.

Programme Developments/Design

The 2023-24 delivery period saw positive outcomes in terms of the MF:MC re-design (MF2C). Following on from a successful pilot delivery phase, the programme is now operating in SPS as well as in various local authorities. Evaluation of the pilot identified useful learning opportunities resulting in the implementation of changes where this has been deemed helpful.

The Short Term Intervention Programme (STIP) has been developed for female prisoners serving short-term sentences (F-STIP). It aims to increase motivation, hope, and self-belief in participants. It also aims to help participants understand areas of their life that may have been problematic and helps them to develop knowledge and skills to address similar challenges in the future, hopefully avoiding further offending and returning to custody. Further developments regarding the STIP will be provided in the next reporting period and this will include an update on training for staff in June 2024 and the anticipated commencement of the pilot in HMP Stirling in August 2024.

Resource and Delivery Focus

Across some SPS sites there are at times requirements for Programmes Officers to be redeployed into other operational roles. This has some impact on programme delivery, with each site managing this locally. There is oversight of this nationally from SPS HQ.

The Psychology function typically fulfil the role of Treatment Management of high intensity programmes as well as training delivery for programmes. Due to the difficulties in recruiting and retaining qualified psychologists there has been an impact on delivery plans of high intensity programmes. However, national training of offending behaviour programmes has re-commenced in 2024.

Future Focus

SPS remains cognisant of the needs of the population of individuals who are awaiting offending behaviour programmes. Each year the National Waiting Lists are reviewed to inform delivery. As such, high intensity programmes will continue to be an area of focus, and strategies will be implemented to try to optimise delivery.

SPS also offers a range of other opportunities and support to people in custody to help them build their strengths and address their needs in preparation for release. Such support is assessed on an individual basis and can include substance misuse treatment, assistance with mental health, vocational and academic education to increase job readiness, and support with family matters such as parenting and relationships.