Kirk bid to run prison units / Herald, 6 Mar 2007
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DOUGLAS FRASER
"THE Church of Scotland could take over parts of the country's beleaguered jail system under radical reforms. Kirk managers would run specialist prison wings or remand units on behalf of the state, according to proposals in a report being sent to the church's general assembly in May which seeks to change public opinions on crime and punishment. A major influence on the planning is the Very Rev Andrew McLellan, a former Kirk moderator and now Scotland's chief inspector of prisons, who has voiced increasing frustration that jail conditions are unacceptable."

The Kirk and prison / Herald, 6 Mar 2007
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EDITORIAL COMMENT
"What is the purpose of prison? It might surprise and, indeed, disappoint that Andrew McLellan should feel the need to continue to address this question in his fifth year as chief inspector of prisons. If he does not know by now, what hope is there of the rest of us finding the answer? But it is to Dr McLellan's credit that he continues to challenge conventional notions of what prison should be about. His latest intervention is part of a wider contribution to the debate."