Inmates at Tayside’s two open prisons have spoken of the emotional turmoil they often face during home leave.
Researchers for the Scottish Government carried out a study at Noranside and Castle Huntly, interviewing inmates on their attitudes towards prison life.
Home leave is a key part of the regime and is meant to help prisoners maintain contact with their families and prepare them for going back to society at the end of their sentences. But the researchers found these visits typically one week per month could be stressful for the men and their families.
One prisoner with young children said, “I end up cramming a month’s worth of love and attention into a week, which is overpowering for them. I can’t help it.”
Another said, “I have had five full access home leaves now and I’m beginning to struggle coming in and out. How people do this for two years I take my hat off to them, honestly I do.”
The prisoners were often “delighted” to be allowed out at first but the challenges grew as time went on and they had to repeatedly fit in with the routines of family life for a few days and then return to prison.
One said, “After the first few home leaves it’s not so bad but it seems the longer you are here the harder it gets.”
The population at the prisons has been changing in recent years, with a rise in the number of older inmates and a rise in the number serving long sentences. By last year around 70% of those completing their terms at Castle Huntly or Noranside had been jailed for four years or more.EstrangedThe researchers said, “Some of the long-term prisoners noted that they struggled spending an entire week with families that they had become estranged from during their period of incarceration. While recognising the importance of home leave in re-establishing these relationships, some nevertheless found this a difficult experience.”
Prisoners were sometimes reluctant to admit to having problems at home in case that jeopardised future visits or harmed their chances of parole. However, overall home leave was considered “a benefit that most prisoners did not want to relinquish,” the report said.
Work placements, mostly run from Castle Huntly, are used to instil discipline and responsibility and get the prisoners ready to look for a job on their release. The report explained, “Nearly everyone interviewed felt real work experience was important for keeping busy, developing a sense of routine and preparing for release.”
Many jobs, such as cleaning, laundry and gardening, support the prison but there are a range of community placements too. Businesses that accepted prisoners during 2010 included car repair and valeting firms, butchers, blacksmiths, Dundee College, charity shops, golf courses and football clubs.
The number of prisoners sent to Castle Huntly and Noranside from closed prisons has fallen in recent years. The system for deciding who gets transferred was tightened after two high-profile absconds.
The researchers said the number absconding had fallen sharply since its 2007 peak and half were missing for less than a week. Prisoners new to open conditions were most likely to abscond, with 60% of incidents involving those who had been there for less than six months.
The cost of running the open prisons is just over £8 million a year.