Peterhead Prison Riot

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Peterhead Prison Riot
Date28 September 1987 – 1 October 1987
LocationPeterhead Scotland
CauseBetter quality prisons
MotivePoor prison conditions
Property damage£55 million (equivalent to £132,989,789 in 2022)

The Peterhead Prison Riot was a prison riot that occurred on 28 September 1987 at HMP Peterhead, in Peterhead.[1]

Background[edit]

HMP Peterhead was a convict prison in Peterhead, Scotland operated from 1888 to 2013. It was closed in favour of the neighbouring super prison HMP & YOI Grampian. It had a capacity of 152, but at one point in 1911 it was home to 455 prisoners. Among inmates, the prison was known as "Hate Factory" or "Scottish Alcatraz".

Aftermath[edit]

The Scottish Prison Service located all those who had been involved in riots and hostage-taking at Peterhead in an attempt to stabilise the entire prison estate. The 60 inmates involved were initially held in "lockdown" under prison rule 36 which meant the governor had to visit each one every day. The repairs cost £55 million (equivalent to £132,989,789 in 2022).

References[edit]

  1. ^ "New exhibition tells '˜inside' story of prison riot". www.scotsman.com. 2017-09-27. Retrieved 2022-08-14.