Justice secretary told to ‘practise what he preaches’

Campaigners fighting to maintain a prison in Aberdeen last night urged Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill to “practise what you preach”.

Opposition politicians spoke out after the minister said he recognised that strong family ties made inmates less likely to reoffend after their release.

Labour, Liberal Democrat and Conservative MSPs claimed the argument was the principal reason why a facility must be retained in Aberdeen after Craig- inches Prison is closed when the HMP Grampian “super jail” opens at Peterhead in about four years.

They, with criminal justice expert Calum Murray of Crossreach, believe forcing city-based visitors to make a 70-mile round trip to visit their loved ones will be detrimental to the rehabilitation process.

About 80% of prisoners in Aberdeen are from the city and surrounding area.

Many of their families do not have access to cars, and public transport links to Peterhead are poor.

Mr MacAskill talked about the importance of family ties to the rehabilitation process and how it helped break the “cycle of re-offending” after a tour of a visitor centre at Perth Prison.

He wants visitor centres like the one run at Perth by Crossreach, the Church of Scotland’s social care arm, introduced in all jails. Aberdeen Central Labour MSP Lewis Macdonald said: “I am glad Kenny MacAskill recognises the importance of family contact to rehabilitation of offenders.

“He needs to practise what he preaches and apply that to the position of prisoners in Aberdeen.”

Mr Macdonald said the SNP government should scrap its plans to close Craiginches, and instead to look to provide better facilities for visitors to the prison.

North-east Conservative MSP Nanette Milne said: “If Kenny MacAskill and the government understand the value of community links for prisons, then I hope they will finally listen to these concerns and act to make sure Aberdeen retains a prison.”

Aberdeen South Liberal Democrat MSP Nicol Stephen said: “It is vital that we retain a comm- unity prison in Aberdeen.”

Mr MacAskill has argued that Peterhead is the best location for a new £100million, 500-capacity prison as men, women and young offenders from the north-east currently held in jails across the country will be able to serve their sentences nearer their families.