Glasgow Sheriff Court "appalling" for female prisoners, inspectors find

Conditions for female prisoners at Glasgow Sheriff Court have been described as "appalling" in a report by HM Inspectors of Prisons in Scotland.

The comments come in a report on the women's prison at Cornton Vale, in the course of their work on which the inspectors visited the court.

Facilities at the sheriff court were "not fit for purpose" and "did not reflect positively on a 21st century justice system", the report states.

Five or six female prisoners were being held in each cell, which was "far from ideal", and the area had only one toilet, which did not have a full door and provided only minimal privacy. This was "degrading and inhumane" for all concerned.

Women also had to pass "unscreened, odorous" male toilets when they moved between the custody unit and the courtrooms.

Sometimes they were held in cells that had no "call" buttons, were covered in graffiti and only had a male urinal.

The Scottish Courts & Tribunal Service said it was working with the Scottish Prison Service to improve facilities within custody cells.

The report again criticised conditions at Cornton Vale itself, while recognising that "significant progress" had been made since a particularly bad report in 2009.

Facilities at night were particularly bad, with some inmates being forced to use a sink as a toilet.

From this summer, prisoners at Cornton Vale will be rehoused in Polmont as the redevelopment of the prison begins.