The fight against the closure of Noranside open prison in Angus has been taken to Holyrood.
Prison officers gathered outside the Scottish Parliament to express their displeasure at plans to shut the prison as part of a cost-cutting exercise.
Noranside prison guard Barry Simpson, chairman of the local branch of the Prison Officers’ Association (POAS), said the plans were “shortsighted” because they did not take into account the growth in the national prison population.
Mr Simpson, who has worked at the prison for 13 years, said, “We believe strongly it is the wrong move for the prison service and for Scotland because we have a proven track record for reducing repeat offending.
“Concentrating all the prisoners in one prison would reduce the options for progression of inmates through the system.
“Noranside is a success in contributing to a safer Scotland, and we believe more prisoners should be afforded the opportunity to progress through the system to prove they are no longer a danger to society.””Easy option”Mr Simpson added that the Scottish Prison Service should be investing in Noranside which has a staff of 70 not closing it down.
Phil Fairlie, vice-chairman of POAS, claimed closing the jail, which can take 300 inmates but currently has 113, was an “easy option” to save money in the short-term.
“While there will be no loss of jobs because staff will be transferred to other jails, we are losing prison places,” he added.
“We are giving up what is most probably the most valuable asset we have in the prison service for a very quick fix and very little back in return for it.”
It has been suggested Noranside could be closed as early as next month.
It has been running under-capacity for several years after rules governing which prisoners could be eligible for the open estate were tightened.