Scottish prisons criticised over handling of inmates in solitary confinement

‘Ooor environment and limited stimuli in segregation units risk a stark deterioration in prisoners’ mental health,’ the report says. Photograph: Danny Lawson/PA

Scotland’s prisons are repeatedly breaching the human rights of inmates put in solitary confinement, particularly those with severe mental health problems, the prisons inspectorate has said.

Prisons are routinely failing to provide segregated inmates with at least two hours of human contact a day, are using segregation to “contain” inmates with severe mental health issues who need specialist care, and are failing to properly reintegrate troubled prisoners, it found.