Women were ‘not at risk of harm’ when a transgender double rapist was placed in a female-only prison, a review has concluded.

However, the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) has made four recommendations – including better communication between justice partners – into the management of transgender prisoners.

The urgent case review was ordered by Scotland’s Justice Secretary Keith Brown in the wake of a public outcry after Isla Bryson, 31, was initially housed in segregation at Cornton Vale prison near Stirling following her conviction last month.

Bryson, who will be sentenced later in February for raping two women while she was a man, was then moved to the men’s estate.

Key findings and recommendations resulting from the review have been published, but SPS chief executive Teresa Medhurst said she believed it “is not necessary” to publish the report due to the level of personal information it contains.

The review, which was received by Mr Brown earlier this week, found “at no time during this period was any woman in SPS care at risk of harm as a consequence of the management” of Bryson.

It was also stated that Bryson did not come into contact with any other inmates during her time at Cornton Vale.

Andrew Miller appears in court charged with abduction after 11-year-old girl went missing in Scottish Borders town of Galashiels

Scottish newspaper and magazine publisher DC Thomson announces 300 redundancies

Theatre slams abusive audience behaviour as another venue urges people not to sing along during shows

Ms Medhurst said that policy was followed during each decision-making process and risk assessment, and full multi-disciplinary reviews are now under way for each transgender person in custody.

It was also confirmed that progress was also continuing into the management of trans prisoners as part of the wider SPS Gender Identity and Gender Reassignment (GIGR) Policy Review.

Until that review is complete, any transgender person in custody who has a history of violence against women – including sexual offences – will not be relocated from the male to female estate.

Additionally, newly convicted or remanded transgender prisoners will be placed in an establishment which aligns with their gender at birth.

Recommendations made by the review include improved communication within the justice sector and the creation of a “shared justice process” for the admission of transgender people into prisons.

On Thursday, the Scottish government said the entire review would not be shared by the SPS due to data protection reasons.

Mr Brown and Ms Medhurst will be in attendance at the Justice Committee on 22 February, where members will be able to ask questions about the review.

Read more:
Transgender woman found guilty at Glasgow court of rape when she was a man
Transgender woman convicted of rape ‘will not be held in all-female prison’
Nicola Sturgeon says double rapist Isla Bryson ‘almost certainly’ claiming to be transgender as ‘easy way out’

‘We still have no idea why a double rapist was sent into a women’s prison’

In response, Scottish Conservative shadow community safety minister Russell Findlay MSP said: “As expected, this whitewash summary tells us nothing of any substance.

“We still have no idea why a double rapist was sent into a women’s prison or what involvement SNP ministers had in his removal following the public backlash.

“Given the widespread concern and anger, this report should have been published and in full, not just some woolly summary.”

Related posts:

Surge in COVID cases in France ‘very, very sad’, says PM – as he warns of impact on UK New Tory councillor says unwitting X-rated campaign video vital for election win Geronimo the alpaca set to die after No 10 refuses stay of execution PM refuses to rule out more tax rises ahead of next election as he defends National Insurance hike 12 to 15-year-olds to get ‘final say’ over COVID jab if disagreement with parent occurs Footage reveals Number 10 staff joking about ‘Christmas party’ in Downing Street last year Government ‘confident’ HRT supplies ‘back on track’ soon after shortages ‘This is it folks’: Johnson calls himself a ‘booster rocket’ in final speech as PM Johnson did not dwell on honour of being PM in defiant and unapologetic Downing Street exit What Liz Truss’s Instagram account reveals about her Kwarteng insists he is ‘not going anywhere’ – and hints at mini-budget U-turn Government’s Rwanda asylum policy ‘seriously unfair’, High Court told