London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Sep 23, 2026

Tiffany Scott: Call to block trans prisoner's move to women's jail

Tiffany Scott: Call to block trans prisoner's move to women's jail

The Scottish government has been urged to block the transfer of a violent transgender prisoner from a men's prison to a women's jail.

It is understood that Tiffany Scott, who was previously known as a man called Andrew Burns, has applied for the move.

The Daily Record first reported that the transfer has been approved and is likely to happen later this year.

The Scottish Conservatives have called for the move to be stopped.

A spokesperson for the Scottish government said it was an operational matter for the Scottish Prison Service.

The prison service said decisions about where to place transgender prisoners were made on "an individualised basis".

It follows the imprisonment of Isla Bryson - a transgender woman convicted of two rapes before she changed gender - in Cornton Vale women's prison.

She was later moved to a male wing of HMP Edinburgh.

Scott is serving an indefinite sentence as she is subject to an order for lifelong restriction (OLR), meaning she will only be released when she is no longer considered an "unmanageable risk to public safety".

She was handed that sentence in 2013, after admitting stalking a 13-year-old girl by sending letters from her cell.

In 2017 Falkirk Sheriff Court was locked down amid safety fears as Scott was sentenced over a series of violent incidents in Glenochil Prison in Clackmannanshire.

They included striking a prison nurse on her back with a hurled chair, punching a prison officer in the face, and spitting at another officer and trying to bite him.

She also smeared excrement over her cell, tore a drip needle out of her arm, and ripped up "tear-proof" clothing.


Isla Bryson was initially housed in a women's prison after being convicted of two counts of rape on Tuesday

The Scottish Conservative equalities spokesperson, Rachael Hamilton MSP, said Scott presented a "grave risk" to the safety of women who came into contact with her.

"Nicola Sturgeon has repeatedly tried to reassure the Scottish public that the Scottish Prison Service's risk assessment would protect women from predatory men, yet the process is clearly not fit for purpose if this dangerous offender has been approved for transfer to a women's jail," she said.

"Women's safety must not take a backseat to the wishes of violent criminals.

"Nicola Sturgeon has already U-turned under public pressure to belatedly remove double rapist Isla Bryson from a women's jail, she must now intervene to block the transfer of this violent individual before it takes place, or knowingly risk the safety of some of Scotland's most vulnerable women."

SNP MSP Ash Regan, who quit a ministerial role over the Scottish government's Gender Recognition Reform Bill, has also opposed the move.

In a post on Twitter, she said: "Tiffany Scott, formerly Andrew Burns, one of the most dangerous prisoners in Scotland has gained approval to be moved into the women's prison estate.

"Scott has attacked female prison officers and stalked a child from prison. No men should be placed in a women's prison."

If Scott is transferred to the female estate, it would likely not be to HMP Cornton Vale as it is due to be replaced by a new facility called HMP Stirling later this year.

Isla Bryson was initially placed in Cornton Vale women's prison


The Scottish Prison Service said it would not comment on individuals.

"Decisions by the SPS as to the most appropriate location to accommodate transgender people are made on an individualised basis, informed by a multi-disciplinary assessment of both risk and need," a spokesperson said.

"Such decisions seek to protect both the wellbeing and rights of the individual as well as the welfare and rights of others around them, including staff, in order to achieve an outcome that balances risks and promotes the safety of all.

"Where there are any concerns about any risks posed by an individual, either to themselves or others, we retain the ability to keep them separate from the mainstream population until an agreed management plan is in place."

A Scottish government spokesperson said: "The placement of prisoners is an operational matter for the Scottish Prison Service who use comprehensive individualised risk assessments to inform decisions, such as the appropriate location of transgender people in custody.

"SPS is reviewing their policy on managing transgender prisoners in partnership with the Scottish government and that process is nearing completion."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Piddington Residents Back Symbolic Independence Vote Over Asylum Accommodation Plan
Reform UK Names Helen Jenner as New Leader in Wales
England Expands Devolution of Transport, Skills and Economic Development Powers
Liberal Democrats Call for Temporary Fuel Duty Cut to Ease Cost-of-Living Pressure
UK Farmers Warn Drought Has Caused Crop Failures and Reduced Harvests
UK Fixed Mortgage Rates Approach 6% as Lenders Raise Borrowing Costs
YouGov Poll Puts Labour at 23% With Conservatives and Reform UK on 21%
Badenoch Presses Burnham to Increase Defence Spending and Cut Welfare Costs
UK Military Figures Warn of Growing Threats to Undersea Infrastructure and National Readiness
BP Moves Ahead With Sale of UK North Sea Oil and Gas Business
UK and ASEAN Endorse New Framework for Trade and Economic Cooperation
UK Consumer Confidence Falls to Three-Year Low as Borrowing Costs and Job Concerns Rise
UK Inflation Rises to 3.1% as Motor Fuel Costs Push Prices Higher
Bank of England Sets Multi-Year Plan to Wind Down Quantitative Easing Holdings
UK Borrowing Rises to £18.3 Billion in August Ahead of October Budget
Michelin Guide Faces Industry Questions Over Restaurant Inspection Coverage
English Woodlands Face Renewed Weather Stress From Dry Conditions and Strong Winds
Research Finds Extensive Alcohol, Gambling and Unhealthy Food Branding During 2026 World Cup
Five Charged After Newborn Baby Dies From Stab Wounds in Sheffield
BT Could Reap £2 Billion From Recycling Copper as Full-Fibre Network Expands
FCA Urges Young Adults to Trace £1.5 Billion in Unclaimed Child Trust Funds
Reform UK Names Helen Jenner as New Leader in Wales After Dan Thomas Steps Down
Resolution Foundation Calls for Broad-Based Tax Rises to Fund Higher UK Defence Spending
Ed Davey Calls for Global Treaty to Halt Development of Super-Intelligent AI
Scotland Consults on Legal Price Caps for Essential Foods
NHS Productivity Reforms Could Prevent More Than 20,000 Early Deaths a Year, Report Says
United Kingdom and ASEAN Deepen Trade and Investment Cooperation
United Kingdom Deploys RAF Refuelling Support to Saudi Arabia After Houthi Attacks
UK Fiscal Headroom Shrinks as Higher Borrowing Costs Complicate Autumn Budget
UK Public Borrowing Jumps to £18.3 Billion in August, Raising Pressure Before Budget
Andy Burnham Reaffirms UK Net-Zero Target With £30 Million Community Energy Fund
Scottish Labour Leader Backs Rosebank and Jackdaw North Sea Projects
UK Consumer Confidence Falls to Three-Year Low
UK Diesel Prices Approach £2 a Litre as Global Supply Shortages Intensify
Chiltern Railways Returns to Public Ownership as UK Rail Nationalisation Advances
British Museum Faces Questions Over Peter Thiel’s Private Bayeux Tapestry Viewing
Earl Spencer Memoir Excerpts Renew Public Debate Over Diana’s Death
Liberal Democrats Gather in Brighton for Autumn Conference
Mothercare Shares Plunge as Middle East Store Closures Threaten Long-Term Solvency
Kent Police Treat Folkestone Hotel Fire as Suspicious
Caribbean Governments Advance Reparations Campaign Seeking Engagement With Britain
Scottish Labour Leader Backs Rosebank and Jackdaw North Sea Projects
FCA Urges Young Adults to Trace £1.5 Billion in Unclaimed Child Trust Funds
UK Competition Regulator Opens Inquiry Into McCormick-Unilever Foods Deal
Public Inquiry Into Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys Mental Health Failings Set to Begin
Nigel Farage Looks to US Immigration Enforcement Model for UK Border Policy
Chiltern Railways Moves Into Public Ownership
Security Review Raises Concerns Over Sensitive UK Police Data Stored on Microsoft Cloud
Burnham Government Warns of Difficult Autumn Budget as Fiscal Headroom Narrows
Bank of England Holds Rates at 3.75% as Inflation Rises to 3.1%
×