Scottish Prison Service halts movement of trans inmates as it announces ‘urgent review’

The Scottish Prison Service has announced an “urgent review” of all transgender cases in its prisons.

It will pause the movement of all transgender inmates until the review is completed, it said in a statement on Sunday.

The move follows the controversial case of Isla Bryson, a trans woman convicted of raping two women before changing gender.

Bryson was initially sent to Cornton Vale women’s prison before being transferred to a male wing at HMP Edinburgh.

The prison service said: “We have commenced an urgent review of all transgender cases currently managed in our establishments.

“Our first concern is always and remains the health, safety, and wellbeing of all the people in our care, and that of our staff.

“We have very robust risk assessment processes, and a track record of keeping people safe, in often challenging circumstances.

“We have therefore paused the movement of all transgender individuals until the review has been completed.”

The government had come under pressure to block the transfer of a violent transgender prisoner from a male facility to a women’s prison.

Tiffany Scott, who stalked a 13-year-old girl while known as Andrew Burns, recently applied to be moved to a women’s prison. No decision had been made and the movement of transgender inmates has been paused until after the review.

Responding to the announcement, Scottish Conservative shadow community safety minister Russell Findlay MSP said: “After much dithering and flip-flopping, the SNP government has finally been shamed into doing the right thing.

“Just days ago, the justice secretary tried to pass the buck, saying decisions on trans prisoners were for the Scottish Prison Service.

“But as public anger escalated, Nicola Sturgeon was forced to intervene by ordering the removal of a double rapist from a women’s prison. It should not have taken a second shocking case for them to ban all transfers.

“The long overdue SPS policy review must now be completed as a matter of urgency.”

The SNP’s Justice Secretary Keith Brown said: “I understand that the issue of any trans woman being convicted of violent and sexual offences is a highly emotive subject and that the public concern is understandable.

“As the First Minister pointed out last week, we must not allow any suggestion to take root that trans women pose an inherent threat to women. Predatory men are the risk to women. However, as with any group in society, a small number of trans women will offend and be sent to prison.”

“I explained in Parliament last week my trust in the Scottish Prison Service in managing and dealing with offenders and the risks that they can pose. That includes the tiny fraction – around 0.2% of prison population - of people in prison who are trans.”