ABSTRACT
Unlike the police and fire services, which are organised on a local basis, the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) is a national organisation. During the period we are concerned with, it was part of the Scottish Home and Health Department within the Scottish Office. The Director of the Service was a senior civil servant with an administrative rather than an operational background. His senior deputy was the Controller of Operations. Traditionally a former prison governor, who was responsible for all operational matters, held this post. The 21 prisons in Scotland were under the command of governors, all of them career prison people. They reported directly to the Controller of Operations and through him to the Director. 177The smallest prisons held less than 100 prisoners. Barlinnie in Glasgow was the largest, holding 1000 or more. Other large prisons held between 500 and 700 prisoners (Scottish Prison Service, 1998-99).
