These are our Standards for Inspecting and Monitoring Prisons in Scotland.
The regular monitoring and inspecting of prisons and other places of detention provides an important safeguard and a reassurance to the public. Such scrutiny needs to be conducted effectively, identifying both areas of good practice and where improvements should be made. The requirement to report these findings publicly contributes to public confidence in the criminal justice system.
These published standards are referenced against relevant law, international and professional guidance, policy and research findings.
The standards articulate what is expected of a well-run prison and contain very clear statements identifying what is important and what will be monitored and inspected.
They are designed to assist those who are running prisons and to encourage openness and transparency in the scrutiny of places of detention.