“We have to invest in better community based alternatives or community based approaches where we know that it can help the person get access to the support they need”. Last night our Head of External Engagement, Toni Groundwater, spoke on STV News about prison overcrowding 🧵

Overcrowding in prisons has detrimental consequences for those in prison, staff, communities and families supporting someone in prison. We know that meaningful contact between those in prison and those supporting them is beneficial to mental health and wellbeing.

However, we are hearing from families we work with that visit times are being restricted, in some cases people are being kept in cells over the weekend for 32 hours, and there is limited availability for rehabilitative activities.

A recent article from @ConversationUK considers the consequences of overcrowding in prisons, referencing our finding that 27,000 children are impacted by imprisonment in Scotland -

The issue of overcrowding won’t be fixed by building more prisons, and alternatives to imprisonment must be looked at as this current system is not working.

@STVNews Brilliant Toni - well done 🙌🏻

@STVNews So well put Toni. Well done!

@STVNews Great piece. Well done Toni.

@STVNews Well done Toni! 👏