By Gary Cooper

ACTION HAS been demanded after it emerged six inmates at an Angus open prison either walked out or failed to return in little over a week.

The call was made by North Tayside MSP John Swinney, who described the figure as worrying and unacceptable.

He highlighted its effect on public confidence, calling for a “zero” figure of missing inmates.

He spoke after bosses at Noranside Prison, near Forfar, admitted that, between Monday last week and Tuesday this week, the low-security jail lost the prisoners.

Some simply left and others did not return to prison after home visits.

The six missing men follow Scottish Prison Service (SPS) statistics showing 27 prisoners absconded or did not return to Noranside during all of 2004-2005—almost double the figure for the year before.

“I would expect the SPS to take action to ensure the level of absconding is reduced dramatically,” Mr Swinney said.

“For public confidence to be assured, these numbers need to be at zero.

“They are far from zero and it is unacceptable that these numbers are anything other than zero.”

He acknowledged the important part played by Noranside in the rehabilitation of offenders.

“It is, however, important that when prisoners are detained at Noranside they observe the rules of Noranside, they do not abscond and they return timeously from home leave,” he continued.

“Obviously, if these rules are not being respected, I would expect the SPS to take action to ensure prisoners are complying with the rules and that the public interest is protected.

“These figures show a worrying increase in the number of prisoners not respecting the rules of Noranside.”

Ruth Leslie Melville, vice-chairwoman of Noranside Prison visiting committee, pledged to raise the issue with Ian Whitehead, the prison governor.

She said there are many reasons for prisoners absconding, but feels there may be a need for added supervision for new inmates.

An SPS spokesman said, “Transferring prisoners to open prisons is a necessary part of testing prisoners prior to release.

“It is unfortunate that, on some occasions, some prisoners do not take advantage of the opportunities afforded to them in the open estate.

“We are always working to ensure the right people come to the open prisons.”

He said the service learns from those who do abscond by interviewing them about their reasons.

Those who breach the open prison rules by leaving are returned to high- security prisons.