Campaigners have welcomed the prospect of one of Scotland's most notorious trans female prisoners sharing a cell with SNP swindler Peter Murrell at HMP Dumfries. Both Murrell and killer Alexandria Stewart were heading to the prison on Tuesday after the Scottish Government agreed to remove all biological males from the female prison estate.
Background on the Prisoners
Former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell had already been held at HMP Dumfries before receiving a five-year and three-month prison sentence for embezzling party funds. His wife, former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon (now estranged), had been the fiercest defender of allowing men who identify as women to be housed in women's prisons.
Alexandria Stewart, previously known as Alan Baker, was jailed for the murder of John Weir in 2013 and had been held in a women's unit since 2016. He has been accused of sexually assaulting a woman inside jail and was engaged to child killer Nyomi Fee, with whom he was allowed to conduct a relationship behind bars.
Campaigners' Reactions
Susan Smith of the For Women Scotland group, whose legal action forced the removal of biological males from female prisons, said: "This is a very interesting proposition, as it does appear like these two prisoners will be held at Dumfries. The first thing I shall say is that we are delighted that Alex Stewart has been moved to a men's prison, which is where he belongs. But I do wonder if the two men might have quite a lot to talk about."
Smith added: "It does paint a rather interesting picture to think that Stewart and Peter Murrell might be sharing the cosy amenities of Dumfries together, where they could perhaps have a discussion about why Nicola Sturgeon was so set on Stewart remaining in a women's prison. They will both, no doubt, be well up on Sturgeon's policies on self ID for men who wish to be known as women. If she had not been so rigid on this we might have arrived at this day a lot sooner."
Legal and Policy Changes
The stance of the former First Minister saw her ridiculed and isolated, yet the Scottish Government and Scottish Prison Service (SPS) persevered with a policy of allowing some men in women's jails until Tuesday. They issued a statement pledging to accept a Court of Session ruling that keeping biological males in women's jails was unlawful. This followed two separate court defeats that defined emphatically that anyone born a man, with male biology, cannot declare themselves and cannot be legally treated as a woman.
The position was settled in the UK's Supreme Court last April, when For Women Scotland's action against the Scottish Government was supported by three senior judges. Despite that ruling, the SPS continued with a policy of keeping some men in women's jails, provided they had not committed any crimes against women and passed a risk assessment. The policy remained even after a judicial review at the Court of Session last week saw Lady Ross back the FWS assertion that the policy was unlawful.
First Minister John Swinney, after a Scottish Cabinet meeting, declared that he accepted the law and that immediate steps would be taken to remove all men from women's jails.
HMP Dumfries Facilities
Scotland's 'safest prison' – HMP Dumfries – features a therapeutic garden, cooking classes, and a weekly parkrun. Home to around 135 prisoners, the prison was built in 1863 and still requires some prisoners to share cells due to overcrowding. The Scottish Prison Service has refused to comment on where individual prisoners will be held.
