UNMODERNISED dormitories at a jail must be brought up to scratch immediately if the prison is to stay open, an inspectors' report said today.
A total of 27 inmates at Low Moss prison near Glasgow are living in one undivided room, which inspectors described as being potentially unsafe and impossible to keep clean. They said living conditions in the "entirely unsuitable" unmodernised dormitories remain the prison's worst feature.
Inspectors also condemned the jail's laundry service, saying prisoners could not be guaranteed clean underpants every day. Indeed, access to underwear is on a first-come-firstserved basis and there are sometimes not enough items to go round, their report said.
The findings came in a report on Low Moss by Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons in Scotland, Dr Andrew McLellan.
The inspection visit, on August 15 and 16 this year, was made as part of a programme to visit every prison each year in which a full inspection is not being made.
The jail, near Bishopbriggs, can hold up to 330 medium to low security prisoners serving four years or less.
A report issued by the inspection team on the prison just over a year ago found over one third of prisoners lived in open dormitories which were first used as an RAF camp at the time of the second world war and which have remained almost unchanged since that time.
Today's report showed the situation is still far from ideal.
Mr McLellan said: "The living conditions in the unmodernised dormitories remain the worst feature of the prison.
"Twenty-seven prisoners are living in one undivided room, which is almost impossible to keep clean and in which it would be very easy to feel unsafe.
"Successive reports have been highly critical of this entirely unsuitable accommodation. If Low Moss is to remain open steps must be taken immediately to ensure that prisoners no longer live in these unmodernised dormitories."
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