More than 50 members of staff have either quit or been sacked from crisis-hit Shotts jail in the last two years, the Daily Record can reveal.
The figures released under Freedom of Information by the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) show that 57 prison officers and prison staff left HMP Shotts in Lanarkshire between April 2024 and June 2026 because they either resigned or were let go. Of that total 40 resigned, and 17 were dismissed.
Earlier this week we reported on claims that terrified prison staff at Shotts and also HMP Addiewell in West Lothian are being forced to smuggle weapons and drugs by thugs linked to the Lyons and Daniel clans. Criminals working for the notorious warring crime families are said to have tracked the vehicles of several Scottish Prison Service employees before following them to their homes, and threatening them and their families in a bid to take control behind bars.
Whistleblower claims poor management
A former prison officer, who has asked not to be named, spoke to the Daily Record about the problems at Shotts. The whistle blower said: "It is a poorly managed prison. It's a lot that have left in the last two years and you would think that someone would have looked into that by now."
The former prison officer claims one female Shotts colleague quit recently after she was threatened by a prisoner and then did not feel she got enough support from the jail. Last month six Shotts prison officers were suspended over allegations that they helped to smuggle drugs and phones into the prison with five having since been sacked.
Political reaction
Scottish Labour justice spokesperson Pauline McNeill said: "Our prisons estate is under immense strain, and this is causing additional pressures to be heaped onto hardworking staff. Prisons are overcrowded and there are serious challenges for staff in tackling issues such as illicit items being smuggled in. SPS must have the resources it needs to ensure safety in our prisons and support for staff. It is unsustainable to have a rising prison population while staff numbers fall."
Scottish Conservative justice spokesman Stephen Kerr said: "The incredibly high level of turnover of staff at Shotts prison points to a deep-rooted crisis within the estate. Organised crime gangs are finding it easy to infiltrate Scotland’s prison system and cuts are leaving hardworking officers to do their job with one hand tied behind their back. Ministers must get as grip on the situation, otherwise more staff departures will only be a gift to dangerous criminals."
Scottish Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson Yi-pei Chou Turvey MSP said: "This high turnover comes at a time when Shotts, like many prisons across the country, is under unbearable strain. Staff have been pushed to their wits’ end, and it is no wonder so many are reaching for the door. We need a real plan to tackle prison violence and overcrowding."
POA Scotland response
Phil Fairlie, Assistant General Secretary of the Prison Officers Association Scotland said: "The figures are not new to us and in some categories at least, easily understandable. However, we have had some concern over the numbers who are very early in their service and choose to leave, as well as the recruitment process itself. It is clear to us that some staff have joined a service they were not prepared for or misunderstood what the environment was going to be like for them. The numbers highlighted here around Shotts could just as easily be Perth, or Barlinnie, Edinburgh, Glenochil, We are working alongside the SPS at present in reviewing the recruitment process."
"High turnover of staff in this service is never a positive, and even less so at times of high prisoner numbers and criminal activities going on inside the prisons. This is exacerbated by the loss of enormous amounts of skilled experienced staff who have come to the end of their long service, and it is experience and 'jailcraft' we could badly do with at the moment."
Seizures and inmate profile
Shotts had more seizures of illegal drugs, weapons and mobile phones than any other prison last year. There were 549 recoveries of drugs, up from 459 in 2024; 281 mobile phones, up from 253 and 131 weapons, up from 93. Shotts is also home to some of Scotland's most dangerous criminals and underworld figures. Of its 538 inmates, 221 are serving life sentences for murder.
Past inmates including Daniel crime family ally Raymond Anderson, who is serving life for the murder of Michael Lyons in 2006.
The SPS say the most recent staff turnover in Shotts - between April and September this year - was lower than in previous years. They also said there was no evidence that serious and organised crime had resulted in an increased number of staff departures.
An SPS spokesperson added: "Our staff are our greatest asset and do outstanding work every day. Assertions regarding unusually high staff turnover at HMP Shotts are not supported by the evidence held by SPS and trends are consistent with those seen elsewhere in the service."
