Mitchell video prompts prison review

Thursday 17 January 2013

The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) is reviewing its processes after a video of convicted killer Luke Mitchell taking a lie detector test appeared online, the First Minister has confirmed.

As part of the review, the SPS will consider how safeguards can be put in place to give consideration to the feelings of victims and their families, Alex Salmond told MSPs.

The video of Mitchell, who was jailed in 2005 for the murder of his 14-year-old girlfriend Jodi Jones in Dalkeith, Midlothian, was filmed in Shotts Prison last year and posted on the website YouTube at the weekend.

Mitchell has always maintained he is innocent, and his case is currently being considered by the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission (SCCRC) after his previous appeal failed. In the video, filmed by the British Polygraph Association, he is seen denying killing the teenager in 2003. Responding to a question from Labour MSP Lewis Macdonald about the role of the SPS, and the rules relating to the filming and the release of the video, Mr Salmond said: "Everyone will deeply regret the hurt and upset that irresponsible use of this footage will have inflicted on the family and friends of Jodi Jones." He told Holyrood that HM Chief Inspector of Prisons Hugh Monro had visited Shotts Prison on Tuesday. Mr Salmond read from a report produced by Brigadier Monro which stated: "All of this appears to have been carried out correctly, and within prison rules. "My view would be that the SPS have acted correctly and with good faith. "At no stage has the SPS at any level authorised or encouraged the film to be uploaded on to YouTube." Mr Salmond added: "In light of the circumstances surrounding the case, the SPS intend to review the processes for considering any future requests, and consider ways in which safeguards have been put in place, and to ensure that feelings of victims and their families are given full consideration and are appropriately acknowledged." He told the chamber that if the appeals process is exhausted, then the SCCRC is the final stop. "That is the correct process to use for people in that position, because that follows the integrity of the processes of Scots Law," he said. Speaking after First Minister's Questions, Lewis Macdonald MSP said: "It is right that the Chief Inspector of Prisons has looked into this, but he does not appear to have considered any conditions that could have been imposed on the release of the film, and it is for that reason that Jodi Jones's family have suffered. "It is difficult to understand why this film, with or without conditions, has been released into the public domain. "It would seem that on this occasion, the Scottish Government and its agencies have been caught out as being behind the times and we need to ensure that conditions are in place which cover how the internet is used by prisoners and their legal teams. "The public interest is not served when convicted prisoners are allowed to broadcast their views in this way and action must be taken to ensure that it never happens again."

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Mitchell video prompts prison review

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