§ Dr. GodmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proposals he has to introduce the penile plesythmograph as a means of testing sexual deviancy in prisoners who have been convicted of serious sexual offences; and if he will make a statement. [27918]
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonThe subject of the question relates to matters undertaken by the Scottish Prison Service. I have asked its chief executive, Mr. E. W. Frizzell, to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from E. W. Frizzell to Dr. Norman A. Godman, dated 19 June 1995:
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton has asked me to reply to your question about any proposals to introduce the penile plesythmograph as a means of testing sexual deviancy in prisoners who have been convicted of serious sexual offences.There are no proposals to introduce such tests in Scotland. The sex offender treatment programme in Peterhead Prison encourages prisoners to address their offending behaviour and to recognise the consequences of their actions for their victims. Emphasis is placed on recognising the cycle of offending and on developing relapse prevention strategies to reduce the number of victims in the future.