The report by HM chief inspector of prisons for Scotland David Strang was published this week and detailed findings from an inspection carried out at the YOI between April 19 and April 21 this year, just a couple of months before the institute was due to welcome female inmates from HMP and YOI Cornton Vale.
Mr Strang said: “It was disappointing to note only just over a third of the population engaged in daily activities. As a result a sizable proportion of the young men spent extended periods of the day locked in their cells.
“Developing a culture where young men take responsibility for making constructive decisions about their lives is virtuous and should be applauded. Such an approach requires consistent encouragement of, and a level of trust in, the young men.
“This aspiration is potentially undermined if the young men are not afforded the opportunity to exercise such responsibility. Without in any way compromising security and safety, HMYOI Polmont should seek to encourage the whole population to participate actively in more activities outwith their cells.”
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Mr Strang will return to HMYOI Polmont in January 2017 and said he hoped to see purposeful activity participation rates significantly higher than those he found back in April 2016.
Visit www.prisoninspectoratescotland.gov.uk for more information.