Ministerial Accountability Board Final Report Easy Read version
This report outlines how the Ministerial Accountability Board oversaw progress on 43 recommendations and actions arising from three Fatal Accident Inquiries of deaths in prison custody.
Set up of the Ministerial Accountability Board
The Board was set up in June 2025 following the deaths of Katie, William and Jack.
The Board’s work included:
- Updates to the Scottish Parliament from Scottish Ministers.
- Getting information from staff in the Scottish Prison Service.
- Listening to information from His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons in Scotland. Their job is to check the treatment of prisoners.
6 Board experts came from:
- prison management
- law
- public health
- human rights
- research
The Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home
Affairs led the Board.
The Board worked on 4 areas:
1. Suicide prevention. This means helping people when they are feeling sad.
2. Information sharing between those involved in the care of people in prison.
3. Change in systems. This means fixing the way things work so people in prisons get the help they need.
4. Stopping bullying. Bullying means hurting someone physically or with unkind words.
Scottish Government, Scottish Prison Service (SPS), and Forth Valley Health Board were told to improve. They had to explain what they have done to make things better.
Contact
Email: dic@gov.scot