HM Prison Aberdeen

HMP Aberdeen

Location	Aberdeen, Scotland
Status	Operational
Security class	Adult Male/Medium-security
Capacity	220 (January 2009)
Opened	1890
Closed	11th Jan 2014
Managed by	Scottish Prison Service
Governor	Audrey Mooney

HM Prison Aberdeen (formerly known as Craiginches) was a medium-security prison, located in the city of Aberdeen, Scotland. The prison is managed by the Scottish Prison Service. Known as one of the most overcrowded prisons in Scotland, it has a design capacity of 155 and is contracted to hold up to 230 prisoners. However, on the first day of an inspection in January 2009 it held 264 prisoners. In 2014, it was closed in favour of the new HMP Grampian.

In recent years it has seen an increase in inmates from outside the Grampian Sheriffdom, mainly from Wolverhampton and London. The diverse population leads to many internal feuds and disputes. It runs exceptional drug rehabilitation programmes and has been a pioneer for drug projects such as drug use kits etc. The management also wish to pilot a needle exchange programme. In August 2007 Aberdeen Prison was chosen to pilot a new initiative called the Substance Related Offending Behaviour Program (SROBP) piloted by Officers Graeme Robson and Allan Dewar which looked at prisoners finding the relationship between their substance use and their offending behaviour. This programme has been very successful in reducing rates of recidivism. Aberdeen Prison was also recognised for its investment in in-house Bereavement Counseling services facilitated by Graeme Robson and Wayne Lawson. On 4 June 2008, it was announced that HMP Aberdeen and HMP Peterhead will be merged into a "Super Prison" and a new state of the art prison built on the Peterhead site.

A new tranche of managers were recruited identifying key skills such as prisoner management, problem solving, project management and compliance. Initially identified was Graeme Robson who is now a Residential Compliance Manager. The "Super-Jail" will accommodate approx 500 places and the new prison will be known as HMP Grampian. Aberdeen Prison which served predominantly Aberdeen city and its environs has been closed to be replaced by HMP & YOI Grampian, a prison located in Peterhead which has been described as a "community facing Prison". However 70% of Grampian's populace will be from Aberdeen city. This will require families to negotiate a single carriageway road over 35 miles. There are no rail links to Peterhead.

Henry John Burnett, the last man to be executed in Scotland, was hanged inside the prison on 15 August 1963.

See also

• List of prisons in the United Kingdom

External links

• Scottish Prison Service, Aberdeen
• 2004 HM Inspectorate of Prisons Report
• 2009 HM Inspectorate of Prisons Report