Scottish prisons 'on brink of safety crisis'

Auditor general says Scottish Prison Service is being adversely affected by cuts and overcrowding

Scottish prisons are on the brink of a serious safety crisis because of unsustainable funding cuts and chronic overcrowding, the country's spending watchdog has warned.

Caroline Gardner, the auditor general, said the deep cuts in day to day spending and historically-high overcrowding meant Scotland's prisons were running "well over operating capacity".