Source · SPSO (Scottish Public Services Ombudsman)

Scottish Prison Service

SPSO (Scottish Public Services Ombudsman) Not Upheld Reference 201202641 Sector Prisons Category personal property Decided 01 January 2013

View Scottish Prison Service scorecard

Full decision

Summary

Mr C, who is a prisoner, complained that the prison's decision to remove his hi-fi was unreasonable. He said he had used the same hi-fi for many years. In response to Mr C's complaint, the prison said he could not have his hi-fi in use because it had a recording facility in it. They said Mr C would have to get this facility removed before he could have his hi-fi back.

In investigating Mr C's complaint, we reviewed several prisoner notices and the Scottish Prison Service's (SPS) electronic equipment protocol. The notices clearly stated that prisoners would need to pay to have recording facilities removed from any electrical equipment. In addition, the SPS protocol confirmed that prisoners would not be allowed to use hi-fis that had recording facilities. The prison confirmed that Mr C could have his hi-fi back in use if he paid to have the recording facility removed, but that, so far, Mr C had refused to do that.

Related reading

View Decision Report 201202641 as a PDF (11.07 KB) Updated: March 13, 2018

View original on SPSO (Scottish Publ… website

Other decisions involving Scottish Prison Service

Reference Date Summary Outcome
202412046 01 Feb 2026 C complained that the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) failed to follow the appropriate procedure after they removed C from association … Upheld
202401074 01 Nov 2025 C complained that the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) failed to take reasonable steps to ensure that they had prompt access … Upheld
202303295 01 Mar 2025 C complained that the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) failed to appropriately investigate their lost property claim. C submitted a claim … Upheld
202006807 01 Sep 2022 C complained about the handing of their Internal Case Management (ICM) case conference. C was unhappy that the Scottish Prison … Partly Upheld
202001300 01 Sep 2022 Ms C provided her express consent for her pronouns to be used for this publication. Ms C complained about matters … Partly Upheld
View all decisions for this organisation