HM Prison Shotts is a prison near Shotts, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is a prison holding male prisoners with maximum security classification.[2] Shotts exclusively holds prisoners serving a term of 5 years or longer,[2] with some prisoners being transferred from other prisons due to a need for a more secure environment. The original prison was opened in 1978 with a design capacity of 528 inmates; the prison was completely rebuilt and new facilities opened in 2012, with a capacity of 538 adult male prisoners.

His Majesty’s Prison Shotts
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LocationShotts, Scotland
Coordinates55°49′43″N 3°49′32″W / 55.82861°N 3.82556°W / 55.82861; -3.82556
StatusOperational
Capacity550
Population2.5(February 2007) [1]
Opened1978
Managed byScottish Prison Service
GovernorGillian Walker

National facilities

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Shotts is the location for two national facilities, which provide specialist environments for a range of offenders around Scotland, including those outside the standard "catchment area" for the prison.

National Induction Centre

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The National Integration Centre (NIC) is a national facility providing for prisoners at the start of sentences of at least 8 to 10 years.[1][2] The function of the centre is to provide an environment which can prepare the inmates for eventual moves to mainstream prisons. The NIC excludes prisoners serving sentences for sex offences. The centre was created to provide for prisoners in the first 3 to 6 months of their sentence,[2] but some stay for up to 2 years with the average stay being approximately 1 year.[1] In February 2007 the centre held 116 inmates.[1]

Kerr House

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Kerr House is a 'top-end facility' located at HMP Shotts. It became the national top-end facility for Scotland in March 2007.[2] It provides accommodation for low-supervision prisoners nearing the end of medium to long sentences (at least 4 year), most of whom have progressed from the mainstream facility at Shotts. The facility provides room for up to 59 inmates and in February 2007 held 46.

Accommodation

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HMP Shotts contains 6 accommodation units, including a Segregation Unit and the two National Facilities. 'B' and 'C' halls are the mainstream halls holding prisoners from the National Induction Centre or other nearby prisons. 'D' hall is a non-sex offender protection unit which houses inmates who have asked to be removed from mainstream circulation for their own protection. The NIC, 'B', 'C' and 'D' halls are almost identical in design, providing accommodation for approximately 120 prisoners. The Segregation Unit houses up to 12 inmates, from Shotts and other prisons around Scotland, who have been removed from general prison populations.

When inspected by HM Inspectorate of Prisons in February 2007, Shotts held a total of 512 prisoners. During an inspection in February 2007, the units held the following number of prisoners:

Hall Prisoner Count
'B' Hall 114
'C' Hall 116
'D' Hall 112
Segregation Unit 8

Shotts prison was completely rebuilt in 2012, with a capacity of 553 adult male prisoners.[3]

When HMP Shotts was rebuilt they removed the 'B' 'C' and 'D' halls along with Kerr House. As of 2023 HMP Shotts contains 'Allanton Hall' holding roughly 275 prisoners, which has four floors, floor one and two contains protection prisoners, while three holds mainstream and four is the National Induction Center (NIC). There is also 'Lamont Hall' which holds roughly 275prisoners and all four of its floors hold mainstream prisoners. The 'Segregation & Reintegration Unit' or SRU holds 12 prisoners who are kept in the SRU for many reasons such as: to be removed from the mainstream, for their own protection and for others protection.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Full inspection report of HMP Shotts". HM Inspectorate of Prisons. Archived from the original on 23 October 2012. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Shotts Prison". Scottish Prison Service. Archived from the original on 28 July 2012. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
  3. ^ "New Shotts Prison has 'best accommodation' says inspector". BBC News. 5 June 2013. Archived from the original on 13 June 2013. Retrieved 2 July 2017.
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