50 signatures reached
To: Scottish Government
Young Offenders provision in the Highlands
Provide a facility for the detention of young offenders which is more accessible to their families and friends than the present provision at Polmont, near Falkirk.
Why is this important?
Young offenders, both on remand and serving a sentence, are aged 16 to 21. Keeping contact with family and friends is a vital part of rehabilitation into the community. However, for Y O s from the Highlands and Islands the journey to Polmont for their visitors is a long and costly journey and for some families may even be completely unaffordable. There is visiting time every day at Polmont, but if it is not equally accessible to Y O s from both the Central Belt and the Highlands and Islands, this does not seem to me to be fair and equal treatment under the law.
