The SNP government has been urged to act after new statistics revealed there are over 250 assaults on prison staff each year on average.
A Freedom of Information request by the Scottish Conservatives revealed there have been 2,562 prisoner-on-staff assaults over the last decade.
Scottish Conservative justice spokesman Liam Kerr said the figures showed the SNP had "let violence against prison staff spiral out of control".
He called for a "different approach" including a "new plan to tackle prison violence" and targeted resources to give staff the extra support they need.
Kerr said that without change, experienced staff may choose to quit, and prisons would be left even further under-resourced.
Scottish Conservative shadow justice secretary Liam Kerr MSP said: “The SNP have let violence against prison staff spiral out of control.
“Cuts from the SNP mean hardworking prison officers have been left at the mercy of violence and threats from inmates.
“SNP ministers need to take a different approach which should include a new plan to tackle prison violence.
“Resources should be clearly targeted so that staff get the extra support they desperately need. Otherwise, there is a real risk that many more experienced staff may choose to leave the prison service and leave them even more overstretched.
“Instead of short-changing our justice system, the SNP must finally prioritise the safety of our prison staff.”
Notes:
In the last 10 years there have been over 2,500 prisoner-on-staff assaults in Scottish Prisons. In the last 10 years there have been 2,562 prisoner-on-staff assaults across SPS prisons. (Scottish Conservative FOI, 11 November 2024, saved on file).
Since 2015-16 there have been nearly 3000 assaults recorded at HMP Barlinnie. 2,601 of those assaults were by one prisoner against another and 365 of them against staff. That means approximately 12% of assaults, since 2015-16, recorded at HMP Barlinnie were against prison staff. Assaults against staff peaked in 2019-20 and doubled between 2015-16 and 2018-19. Assaults in 2023-24 were still higher than 2015-16. (Scottish Conservative FOI, 11 November 2024, saved on file).