Scottish Prison Service (SPS) will make no significant savings by closing Noranside Open Prison in Angus, according to the chairman of its visiting committee.
George De Gerniere spoke as the organisation prepares to consider a business plan to secure the estate’s future at its full board meeting on Wednesday, put forward by trade union Prison Officers Association Scotland.
However, he admitted his optimism for the future of the establishment north of Forfar was waning as he was coming to believe the SPS was “entrenched” in its opinion that the institution was a necessary casualty of justice spending cuts at Holyrood.
He said, “The Scottish Prison Service seems to be entrenched in the opinion that they have to shut it for financial reasons.
“I don’t see how closing Noranside is going to save as much money as they expect because they are going to redeploy all of the staff and transfer the prisoners to Castle Huntly. I have still to be convinced as to where all these savings are going to come from.”
Mr De Gerniere has opposed the closure plans since they were unveiled by the SPS at the end of last year, weeks after speculation on its future was dismissed as “groundless” by the Scottish Government.
Campaigners presented the argument that Noranside provides a valuable rehabilitation service and plays a key role in the Angus economy.
The announcement came after it emerged Noranside had run under capacity since the criteria governing which prisoners are eligible for open conditions was tightened in 2007.
Mr De Gerniere expressed similar concerns to trade unionists regarding the future of the open estate generally.
Scotland has lost an open prison at Penninghame and a semi-open prison at Dungavel.
He said, “Prisons in Scotland are already struggling with numbers and we don’t know how many people are going to be transferred to open conditions in the future.”