Scottish Prisons Assessment and Review of Outcomes for Women (SPAROW): exploratory baseline study

Annex Four: Wording of Questions – Minor Amendments to the Prison Climate Questionnaire for the Scottish Context

Minor Word Amendments

Minor word amendments were made to the PCQ questions in the pre-move and post-move surveys to reflect the Scottish context and terminology, these amendments were as follows^[35]:

• Throughout the pre-move survey “unit” meaning a section of the prison in which an individual lives, was replaced with “hall” to reflect the terminology used in the Scottish prison system.
• Throughout the pre-move survey “institution” meaning the prison, was replaced with “establishment” to reflect Scottish terminology.
• Throughout the post-move survey both “unit” and “institution” were replaced with “Community Custody Unit”, to reflect the new accommodation women had moved too (and that the CCU accommodation is distinct and different from other Scottish prison establishments).

Throughout both the pre-move and post-move surveys, the following minor word amendments were made:

• “prisoner” was replaced with “women,” as women were the focus and participants of the baseline study.
• “daily program” meaning the timetable followed and activities regularly available in that timetable (in Domain Four), was replaced with “daily timetable” to reflect the Scottish terminology that individuals in custody would be familiar with.
• “return [or reintegration] into society” (in Domain Five) meaning leaving prison, was replaced with “return to the community” as this is the term more commonly used throughout the Scottish justice system, and what individuals in custody would be familiar with.

Specific PCQ Question Word Amendments are outlined below:

PCQ Questions

In the PCQ activities question (in Domain Five):

“I am satisfied with the “yard time””

Yard time meaning time outdoors for exercise and fresh air

PCQ Word Amendments (Scotland)

“yard” is not a commonly used term in Scotland. Staff and individuals in custody typically refer to this part of the day as “exercise”. However, “yard time” was replaced with “outdoor time” to distinguish from other opportunities to exercise, such as at the gym.

PCQ Questions

PCQ settlement of complaints questions (in Domain Four):

“The “month commissioner/visiting officer” is easily accessible”

“The complaints committee took my complaint seriously”

PCQ Word Amendments (Scotland)

Replaced with “Independent Prison Monitors (IPMs)” as this is the equivalent in Scotland – a group of volunteers who visit prisons weekly to monitor conditions and assist prisoners with resolving complaints.

Replaced with “prison staff took my complaint seriously”, as there is not a similar Dutch complaints committee in Scotland.

PCQ Questions

PCQ shop questions (in Domain Four):

“I am satisfied with the range of products in the shop”

“The products in the shop are affordable” (not too expensive)

“I am satisfied with the quality of the products in the shop”

PCQ Word Amendments (Scotland)

These shop questions in the post-move survey were replaced with the following, to reflect online shopping in a CCU:

“I am satisfied with the range of products I can buy online”

“The products I can buy online are affordable” (not too expensive)

“I am satisfied with the quality of the products I can buy online”

Further, a progression through a sentence can lead to an individual’s change of perception on their future expectations, which may be for example related to an offender management programme undertaken, rather than where they are accommodated. Further, an individual’s perception change of sentence severity may also not be related to where they are accommodated, rather it may be more to do with where they have reached in their sentence; therefore perception change would be hard to evidence to a prison establishment or CCU (and early experiences). In addition, the Netherland’s policy specific country questions were not relevant to Scotland.

Further, a progression through a sentence can lead to an individual’s change of perception on the severity of their sentence and their future expectations, which may not be related to where they are accommodated (i.e. to a particular prison establishment or CCU (and early experiences). In addition, the Netherland’s policy specific country questions were not relevant to Scotland.

Rather, an individual’s change of perception on severity or expectations may be more to do with where they have reached in their sentence, and is therefore hard to evidence to a prison establishment or CCU (and early experiences). In addition, the Netherland’s policy specific country questions were not relevant to Scotland.