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MSP to visit north-east super jail as part of charity project

Lewis Macdonald MSP
Lewis Macdonald MSP

A local politician will visit the region’s super jail as part of a project to highlight the plight of inmate’s loved ones.

North East MSP Lewis Macdonald – who was formerly Labour’s justice spokesman – has agreed to be part of the scheme and is expected to drop into HMP Grampian in Peterhead.

Mr Macdonald said his trip to the £140million facility had yet to be arranged, but he said it was “good idea.”

The scheme is run by Families Outside, a national charity that works with loves affected by imprisonment.

They have invited every MSP to visit their local prison on public transport so they get a better idea of what relatives go through on a regular basis.

The politicians will be given a tour of the prison, the visitor services and initiatives that are aimed at support families.

Professor Nancy Loucks, from Families Outside, said transport and the security processes at prisons is a major issue for some relatives.

She said: “We’ve recently been working with a family in Shetland where the father often takes his daughter to HMP Grampian so that she can see her mother – that’s a 24-hour round trip.

“This is an extreme example, but even visits on the mainland can take significant time depending on where the family is in relation to the prison.

“Trying to complete these journeys with children can make them even more challenging.

“Anyone who has children of their own will have faced similar experiences, but instead of ending up at a zoo or a theme park, you end up at prison security where you, and the rest of your family, are then searched and surveilled.”

Last night, a Scottish Prison Service spokeswoman said they backed the initiative.

She said: “The Scottish Prison Service attaches a great deal of importance to maximising the contact between families in those in our care.

“We are happy to support initiatives, including Families Outside’s ‘Send Your MSP  to Prison’, which work towards this aim.”