The chairman of the visiting committee at Noranside Open Prison in Angus has branded the Scottish Prison Service “disgraceful” for failing to reply to correspondence regarding the institution’s future.
George De Gerniere says he has made several attempts to contact the body after it announced plans last month to close the establishment north of Forfar and rehouse inmates at Scotland’s remaining open prison at Castle Huntly on the outskirts of Dundee.
However, as the consultation period with relevant trade unions draws to a close, Mr De Gerniere claims chief executive John Ewing has not responded to his concerns.
Mr De Gerniere and his colleagues, including Angus councillor Alison Andrews, have been vocal from the outset about the effects any possible closure would have on both the rehabilitation of prisoners and the local economy.
He said, “I’m just getting a bit hacked off as I’ve given up my time to correspond with them and I’ve made myself available. But the prison service doesn’t seem to be approaching things with the same enthusiasm.
“I think everything seems to have come to a complete halt just because of the season we are in. I don’t know if they are taking my concerns seriously but it speaks volumes that I’ve had no response.”
Mr De Gerniere added that he was annoyed the consultation process, which is scheduled to end on January 11, only involved dialogue with trade unions and none of the community groups with an interest in the open prison.ImpactSources have told The Courier that it could be closed at the end of March and union officials have admitted its future has been hanging in the balance since Castle Huntly absconder Robert Foye raped a teenager in Lanarkshire in 2007.
Mr De Gerniere continued, “As the visiting committee, we were hoping that they would want to hear from all interested parties during the consultation process. It seems to me like they have not considered the community impact or the broader implications, and that’s disgraceful.”
Angus Liberal Democrat councillor David May, whose party colleague Robert Brown has frequently challenged the Scottish Government over the future of Noranside, said the consultation process was an “appalling indictment” on the SNP administration.
He said, “Why is the Scottish Government rushing through with this so quickly? If you want to consult, you do it properly. It seems that this is a token (consultation process) and they are not really consulting at all.
“I’m very disappointed that the views of the visiting committee have not been sought. Alison Andrews made some excellent comments about how reoffending rates are so much lower in prisoners released from open prisons and Noranside has a great record.”
The Scottish Prison Service was not available for comment.