LINDA Pollock highlights the work done by SPS staff as “Hidden Heroes” ("Staff look after all people who end up in our prisons’", The Herald, September 25). Although Hidden Heroes is a UK-based initiative highlighting the work of staff in the criminal justice sector. the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) may wish to expand the concept to include prisoners themselves and their families. Likewise, SPS may wish to allow public nominations for individuals to be recognised as a Hidden Hero.

SPS has often said prisoner rehabilitation is helped hugely when prisoners maintain strong family connections. Indeed, SPS has as an objective in its Corporate Plan, 2023-28 “keeping those in our care connected to families and communities” (Objective 2c, p.22). SPS also recognises that prisoners themselves can be very helpful in advising and mentoring other prisoners (for example, SPS website, "Recovery is possible”, September 24). Like SPS staff the work of prisoners and their families goes unnoticed by the public, yet like the SPS staff their efforts can have significant effects upon prisoners. So, there seems no reason why the SPS could not suggest to the Butler Trust, which co-ordinates Hidden Heroes Day, that the scope of the day be expanded to include prisoners and their families, or the SPS could simply have its own day of celebration running in tandem with the UK Hidden Heroes Day. My point is that however this is done the SPS could do more to acknowledge and support the partnership working it claims to want.

No matter the good intent of Hidden Heroes and no matter whether it is expanded or not the SPS must primarily be concerned with rectifying or at least ameliorating its many problems. These were highlighted, for instance, in the report of the Auditor General for Scotland (the 2022/23 Audit Report of the Scottish Prison Service). They include an increase in prisoners, prisoners having many needs, and the prison estate not all being fit for purpose (para 7, p.5). It would be unreasonable of the SPS to expect its staff, or for that matter prisoners and their families, to operate in sub-optimal conditions with fewer resources than are required to meet the objectives given to SPS. That is hardly how to treat a hero.

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A major objective is the rehabilitation of prisoners. This is not something where the SPS is succeeding. This can be evidenced in various ways, such as the high recidivism rate of former prisoners. A particularly poignant example for me though is that those serving life imprisonment have only a one in five chance of getting parole first time after serving the minimum period required by the courts. So, for example someone can serve, say, 20 years, but is much more likely to be refused parole than granted it. That is a shocking indictment upon the SPS’s current practices which no Hidden Hero has yet remedied.

So, while I agree with Linda Pollock that SPS’s Hidden Heroes should be celebrated, the SPS should also remember and celebrate the work of their partners and should fight vigorously for all resources required to fully rehabilitate all prisoners first time.

David Logan, Milngavie.

A Jordanhill in Easterhouse

M CARR’S negative response (Letters, September 25) to my letter of September 24 is depressing. It ignores that the Jordanhill School model is a success story and has little to do with “well educated socio-economic grouping”, irrespective of any “enormous advantage” it may offer pupils or of Nicola Sturgeon’s failure to close the attainment gap.

It is the responsibility, indeed the duty of all parents - rich and poor alike - to protect and improve the lives and prospects of their children. Good parenting isn’t the preserve of the wealthy. Consequently, I can see no good reason why a Jordanhill lookalike could not be set up in Springburn and Easterhouse et al.

Unless, of course, we bring politics into the debate and socio-economic mumbo jumbo.

James Miller, Glasgow.

SRU playing politics

I TOTALLY agree with Martin Hannan's assessment of John Jeffrey's hopes of chairing World Rugby ("Betrayed? Jeffrey would never have been World Rugby chair anyway", Herald Sport, September 25).

I think a man whose name has been associated with kicking the Calcutta Cup down the street is wholly unsuitable for determining future discipline within the game.

But I also think there is a bit of politics being played by the SRU, who probably also feel that he is the wrong candidate to propose, and think that years down the line, Gregor Townsend will have a much better chance of success.

When he replaced the great Sean Lineen at Glasgow, I felt that was a politically motivated move by the SRU, as a stepping stone to Townsend getting the Scotland position as head coach, and I feel the same applies here: at some point they will back him as their chosen candidate.

My thanks to Martin for continuing to highlight things within the game that need to be changed.

Francis Deigman, Erskine.

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• I HAVE absolutely no idea of the machinations in the higher echelons of the SRU. I have never met John Jeffrey, who as a player, was an undoubted superstar of the game. He also strikes me as a decent human being.

I normally agree with what Martin Hannan writes in his column but I think he is well wide of the mark with his comments today. I do wonder what the late, great Norman Mair would have made of this situation.

I personally think Jeffrey would have been good for World Rugby. He is a straight talker and says it as it is. Far too many people in all walks of life, particularly in politics, are economical with the truth and have turned spin into an art form.

We need more John Jeffreys in positions of influence.

Dan Edgar, Rothesay.

John JeffreyJohn Jeffrey (Image: SNS)

A call-out for Cumbernauld

HOW refreshing is it to read that a favourite place can be a back garden in Cumbernauld. Olivia Caw paints such a picture of contented living with a newly-acquired garden in Cumbernauld after years of flat living ("My favourite place", Herald Magazine, September 21) that far be it from anyone to remind us of Cumbernauld’s title having once been "the plook on the plinth". And Olivia notes when unearthing a pond in her garden that the house has had a history. Indeed Cumbernauld has a great deal of history, with a castle and the remains of a nearby Roman fort. Its name derives from Gaelic, Comar an Allt; the confluence of the streams, so it has a centuries-old tie with our ancient language.

On the facing page to this article is a large picture of Palaceriggs Country Park showing Cumbernauld in the distance, so maybe Cumbernauld should be given more of a place in the tourist guides of Scotland.

Even if Olivia would not say "no" to a trip to the Caribbean she has certainly given a shout for a New Town that isn’t usually a priority on anyone’s bucket list. It certainly seems to have more to offer than lots of roundabouts and a brutalist bus station.

Irene Munro, Conon Bridge.