The Scottish Prison Service has admitted the brutal death of inmate Allan, 30, in 2015 was unlawful after excessive force was used by officers.Mary Wright and Dan Vevers Sunday Mail Chief Reporter
04:30, 15 Oct 2025
Allan Marshall.
Plans to introduce “painfree” restraint techniques in Scotland’s prisons, in the wake of the Allan Marshall scandal, have been derailed by an overcrowding crisis.
The news comes after the Scottish Prison Service admitted the brutal death of inmate Allan, 30, in 2015 was unlawful after excessive force was used by multiple officers.
Allan, from Carluke in South Lanarkshire, was on remand at HMP Edinburgh when he was restrained face down by 17 prison officers and died four days later.
SPS began piloting new “non-pain-inducing” control and restraints in three jails for women, young people and adult males last year.
However, despite the pilot’s success in reducing violent incidents and “floor restraints”, the SPS’ annual report has revealed a planned roll-out across all 16 prisons has hit the buffers.
11) CCTV footage from Saughton Prison when guards assault inmate Allan Marshall who later died in hospital
The report states: “It was hoped we would introduce this to more sites but operational pressures have prevented further progress.
“The population rise has limited our ability to deliver some planned improvements in regimes and to continue the roll-out of a revised control and restraint approach.”
The SPS forecasts overcrowding will remain a major concern, with the number of inmates surging by more than 200 to 8363, one of the highest levels ever recorded.
Scottish Labour justice spokeswoman Pauline McNeill MSP described the halt as being “to the detriment of prison staff and those in custody”.
Scottish Tory shadow justice secretary Liam Kerr MSP added: “The safety of inmates and prison staff should be a top priority, but important measures are now having to be kicked into the long grass.”