Aberdeen (HM Prison)

HMP Aberdeen

Location	Aberdeen, Scotland
Status	Operational
Security class	Adult Male/Medium-security
Capacity	220 (January 2009)
Opened	1890
Managed by	Scottish Prison Service
Governor	Audrey Mooney

HM Prison Aberdeen (formerly known as Craiginches) is a medium-security prison, located in the city of Aberdeen, Scotland. The prison is managed by the Scottish Prison Service. Known as one of the most overcrowded prisons in Scotland, it has a design capacity of 155 and is contracted to hold up to 230 prisoners. However, on the first day of an inspection in January 2009 it held 264 prisoners.

In recent years it has seen an increase in inmates from outwith the Grampian Sheriffdom, mainly from Wolverhampton and London. The diverse population leads to many internal feuds and disputes. It runs exceptional drug rehabilitation programmes and has been a pioneer for drug projects such as drug use kits etc. The management also wish to pilot a needle exchange programme. In August 2007 Aberdeen Prison was chosen to pilot a new initiative called the Substance Related Offending Behaviour Program (SROBP) which looks at prisoners finding the relationship between their substance use and their offending behaviour. This programme has been very sucssesful in reducing rates of recidivism. This programme is delivered by Activity officers Duncan Edwards, Neil MacNaughton,Paul Smith and Graeme Robson. Graeme Robson is recognised as being one of the SPS's facillitators who piloted this intervention along with Allan Dewar(HMP Open Estate). Graeme(PSYCHO) Robson is one of only 3 current First Line Managers at HMP Aberdeen to have successfully beem promoted to a Managerial position after passing the stringent SPS Assessment centre criteria on the first attempt. The other two gifted Managers who have done this are Richard Claffey(Operations Manager) and Stephen Grey (Regimes Manager). Aberdeen Prison was also recognised for its investment in in-house Bereavment Councelling services. These are currently delivered by Wayne Lawson(Activities Officer) and formerly by Graeme Robson who is at present fullfilling a role as an Acting Residential Manager. On 4 June 2008, it was announced that HMP Aberdeen and HMP Peterhead will be merged into a "Super Prison" and a new state of the art Prison built on the Peterhead Site. This "Super-Jail" will accommodate approx 500 places and the new Prison will be known as HMP Grampian. Contracts and Planning permission has still to be granted.

Henry John Burnett, the last man to be executed in Scotland, was hanged inside the prison on 15 August 1963.

See also

• List of prisons in the United Kingdom

References

External links

• Scottish Prison Service, Aberdeen
• 2004 HM Inspectorate of Prisons Report
• 2009 HM Inspectorate of Prisons Report

Coordinates: 57°8′0″N 2°5′30″W / 57.133333°N 2.09167°W / 57.133333; -2.09167