§ Miss Harvie Andersonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the disturbance at Dumfries Borstal Institution on Friday, 3rd May.
§ Mr. NobleThe disturbance was caused by 21 inmates of the institution who refused to return to their cells after the evening recreation period, threw crockery, broken furniture and other articles at the staff, and subsequently barricaded themselves into the dining-recreation room. They were dislodged with the help of the local police. One officer of the institution was seriously injured and others were slightly injured; three police officers received minor injuries. The damage was estimated at over £600.
There appears to have been no specific reason for the disturbance. Dumfries is a high-security borstal institution, and its inmates are young men who, under the classification procedure or by their subsequent behaviour in borstal, have been found to need security of detention. There has recently been a high proportion of disturbed inmates who have had a harmful influence on the others, and the general tensions of a long period of confinement in high-security conditions seem to have built up into this demonstration. When seen after the disturbance all the inmates involved said that they had no complaint against the staff 138W or any particular member of it and none complained about his treatment in the institution.
The 21 inmates involved appeared before the Visiting Committee on 27th–29th May. All of them were awarded reductions in grade (i.e., in effect deferment of release) for periods ranging from four to twelve months, together with loss of privileges for varying periods. The Committee also recommended that eight ringleaders should have their borstal sentences commuted to terms of imprisonment under Section 32(2) of the Prison (Scotland) Act, 1952, and application is being made to the sheriff for this purpose.
The staff-inmate ratio at Dumfries is being increased and the training programme of the institution is being examined with the object of increasing variety and improving discipline. I am also reviewing, in the light of recommendations made by the Visiting Committee, the arrangements for the assignment of inmates to Dumfries.
I am grateful to the Visiting Committee for the action it has taken since the disturbance. I should like to express my appreciation of the prompt and effective help of the local police.