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A privately run jail has been deemed one of the most violent in Scotland, with more assaults than Glasgow's Barlinnie Prison. Figures released by the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), under Freedom of Information (FOI) requests show that HMP Addiewell in West Lothian had more cases of prisoner self harm and assault last year than all of Scotland's other 14 prisons, the Daily Record reports. However, the report also showed that Barlinnie Prison had the most deaths in custody compared to all other jail establishments. A spokesperson for the prison reform charity Howard League Scotland said about Addiewell: "Prisons should never be a place for the pursuit of private profit at the expense of vulnerable people. "There is increasing evidence of serious issues specific to HMP Addiewell which need to be looked into and resolved with some urgency." With 234 self harm incidents at Addiewell, the private prison accounted for almost one in four of all the 1047 incidents in Scotland's jails last year. This total was significantly higher than Barlinnie (55) and HMP Edinburgh (112) combined, even though both jails house more prisoners than Addiewell. The next highest figure was HMP Kilmarnock with 138 self-harm incidents, which was previously privately run but returned to the SPS last year after the expiry of its contract. In the 12-month period up to March this year, Addiewell had 154 prisoner assaults, almost double the 80 at Barlinnie and more than the 135 recorded in Edinburgh. Kilmarnock jail had 113 assaults. Addiewell is run by facilities management company Sodexo who have the contract until 2033. Scottish Labour Justice spokesperson Pauline McNeill said: “Addiewell prison has been a concern for some time, with issues being raised around a lack of experienced staff, prison cleanliness, and access to fresh air. "The Scottish Government has indicated that Addiewell will be brought in to the public sector eventually, but there must be action now to keep prisoners and staff in a safe environment." Sign up to our daily Glasgow Live newsletter here to receive news and features direct to your inbox Scottish LibDems Justice spokesperson Liam McArthur MSP added: "The operators of Addiewell should be in the last chance saloon. Either they get their prison up to scratch or they should hand it back to the Scottish prison service." In total there were 956 attacks on inmates across the country's 15 jails last year. The FOI report also revealed that there were 61 deaths in custody last year, with Addiewell recording the third highest figure (nine) and only Barlinnie (11) and Edinburgh (10) recording more. HMP Glenochil, near Clackmananshire, also recorded nine deaths in custody. An HMP Addiewell spokesperson said: “Prisons are unique environments with specific set of challenges. The safety of both our staff and prisoners is our top priority, and we continuously work hard, alongside SPS, to implement measures that will ensure the safety and wellbeing of all. "Any death in custody and incident is treated with the utmost seriousness, and our priority is to implement effective and positive changes in the prison. "We review all conclusions and recommendations with great care, as we continue to build on the progress made to provide a safe and rehabilitative environment to all prisoners.” A Scottish Prison Service spokesperson added: “The health and wellbeing of people in our care is a key priority, and we work hard to support people during some of the most vulnerable periods of their lives. "Scotland’s prisons have been managing a very high and complex population for well over a year with staff unable to do the critical work of building relationships and supporting rehabilitation, and prisoners frustrated by the impact on their daily lives and the opportunities available to them. “We continue to work in close collaboration with Sodexo to ensure HMP Addiewell is safe and secure, and delivers positive outcomes for those in their care." Join Glasgow Live's WhatsApp community hereand get the latest news sent straight to your messages.
