Trans row prisoner Tiffany Scott has written to the Record claiming she has been abused by staff. The convicted stalker alleges prison officers in various jails have waged a vendetta against her.
In her letter Scott, who is held on a Lifetime Restriction Order, says prison officers have been disciplined after she was victimised. he transfer of the 31-year-old – formerly known as Andrew Burns – from HMP Low Moss jail to a women’s prison later this year was blocked after the Record revealed the Scottish Prison Service plans.
The political storm, which brought huge criticism for Nicola Sturgeon, led to the halting of all trans female prisoners being initially sent to female prisons. Scott has written to the Record from a cell in the male prison, where she has been held in a segregation unit.
The prisoner, known to have made many false claims against officers in the past, was furious to find her case had become the focus of national outrage. She claimed “malicious lies” had been spread about her.
Scott then details a catalogue of claims against prison officers, saying: “Do you ever stop to consider the motives of any individual who provides information to you?
“For example, staff have been sacked for abusing/mistreating me. Staff have been charged by the police on a number of occasions in various prisons for abusing me.
“This has left many prison staff with a significant level of hatred towards me for taking action against their abusive colleagues.”
Insiders at Low Moss have confirmed that officers have been subject to disciplinary proceedings after complaints from Scott. However, they insist no guard has been sacked or convicted of any criminal charges.
Scott was originally jailed as a juvenile. But a string of disturbing offences behind bars led to the Lifetime Restriction Order being applied when she was sentenced in 2013 for stalking a 13-year-old girl by sending letters from jail.
That means Scott will only be released if it is believed she is no longer a danger to society. The claims laid out in the letter come after a steady stream of complaints against prison staff over the years.
A decision by the Scottish Prison Service to move Scott from HMP Low Moss, near Glasgow, to a women’s jail resulted in a furious public response, ultimately leading Sturgeon to backtrack on the treatment of trans prisoners.
The First Minister had already been under huge pressure over the decision to house double rapist Isla Bryson in women’s prison Cornton Vale. Bryson had changed gender to female after being accused of two rapes – which were committed while known as Adam Graham.
A decision was made to send the rapist to a male wing at HMP Edinburgh.
Within two days the Record had learned that Scott was earmarked for a move to a women’s prison. The fallout from that quickly led the Scottish Government to announce that no trans prisoners with records of crimes against women would be moved to female jails.
The U-turn also came on the heels of a decision by the Westminster Government to block the controversial Gender Recognition Bill. The First Minister later said it was “almost certainly” the case that Bryson was not truly transgender, agreeing she was only claiming to be so as “an easy way out”.
John Cairney, Scottish National Committee chairman of the Prison Officers’ Association, said he was not aware of any staff being dismissed as a result of complaints made by Scott. He said: “The prisoner is well within her rights to make allegations but certainly nothing has ever led to dismissal during my time.
“That is testament to the fact that our officers are dealing with a high-profile prisoner in a manner that is not breaching the code of conduct. Our members are dealing with a complex and pressurised situation and facing quite considerable challenges on this front.
“They are working in quite a volatile situation and are doing so to the highest standards.”
A Scottish Prison Service spokesman said: “We do not comment on individuals. We expect the highest standards of behaviour from all our staff. Where standards fall short, we have procedures in place to address matters.
“Any allegations of criminal behaviour are reported to Police Scotland for independent investigation.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “As the Justice Secretary made clear to Parliament, the management and accommodation of prisoners within the prison estate has been and will continue to be an operational matter for the Scottish Prison Service, in line with existing risk assessment procedures.”
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