Prison officers in Scotland are pushing back against the introduction of body-worn cameras, according to a report in the Daily Record. Some staff fear the footage could serve as a tool to discipline them.
The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) plans to use the cameras to record confrontations between staff and prisoners. The move follows the death of Allan Marshall at HMP Edinburgh in 2015. The SPS has admitted that his death was unlawful.
Mr Marshall died four days after up to 17 prison officers restrained him.
The SPS has awarded Motorola Systems an £848,000 contract. The deal covers a “hosted and fully managed Body Worn Video Camera system” across every public sector prison in Scotland.
A trial took place at Barlinnie, Low Moss and Perth. The SPS judged it a success, and the cameras are due to arrive across the estate this year.
The Daily Record quoted a prison insider who described strong opposition among officers.
“Many staff think the cameras are being used to discipline them as opposed to enhancing their safety,” the insider said. “They don’t agree with it, they don’t like it. They find it too intrusive.”
The insider also rejected official claims about the benefits. According to the insider, staff do not accept that the cameras cut assaults on officers or raise conviction rates. Nor do they believe the devices will help to calm incidents down.
“Staff will frankly kick back,” the insider said.
SPS figures show 350 attacks by prisoners on prison officers in 2024/25.
The SPS defended the scheme. A spokesperson told the Daily Record that the pilot had shown a range of benefits. These covered safety, gathering evidence, defusing incidents, and training and development.
The spokesperson said staff had welcomed those benefits. The cameras also formed part of the service’s efforts to become more accountable and transparent, the spokesperson added.
