The number of prisoners attempting self-harm in north and north-east prisons has trebled in the last three years, new figures have shown.
The major increase has taken place at HMP Grampian – where the number of incidents rose from 19 in 2014/15 to 80 in the last year.
The figures, obtained under the Freedom of Information legislation, include both self-harm and threats to self-harm.
Over the same period the number of incidents at HMP Inverness fell from 14 to seven.
The worst time for self-harm at the Peterhead facility came in June and July last year – where there were 12 incidents in each month.
Councillor Alan Buchan, who represents the Peterhead North and Rattray ward, said the figures were the result of sending the “wrong people” to prison.
He said: “These figures about HMP Grampian are not at all surprising.
“They are short staffed and have been from day one.
“We are sending the wrong people to prison – people with mental health problems.
“Our priorities are totally wrong, we’re closing down facilities like the Nexus in Peterhead which was a recovery spot for people with mental health issues.
“Instead we are spending money on sending people to prison.”
HMP Grampian opened in 2014 and was the scene of a riot just two months later after a row broke out between staff and inmates.
The £140million facility was under siege for 15 hours before officers entered and used Pava spray on prisoners.
A spokesman for the Scottish Prison Service insisted there was not a problem with staffing numbers.
He said: “The staffing levels at HMP Grampian are eight below complement.
“The population level at the prison has been fairly constant at 400 to 450, it went down after the riots but has now returned to its normal level.
“We now take notes of anything which supposes that any individual might self-harm.
“It is not accurate to say it is a problem with the number of staff.
“Most of the residents of the prison come from the demographic most likely to self-harm, that is men between the ages of 18 and 30.
“We have invested in a heavy amount of anti-suicide training for staff.”
