In the Scottish Prison Service, all chefs are also trained prison officers, thus combining both supervisory and training roles.The ideal ratio of chefs to prisoners is 1:3.5, but this is now more often 1:8 or 1:12, so chefs spend more time ensuring the safety of individuals and equipment in the kitchen rather than teaching prisoners about food preparation and cooking.Spencer claimed some kitchens have had their prisoner work parties increased by as much as 50%. He cited a case where a prison kitchen that requires about 20 workers to feed 500 inmates currently has 32."Obviously the increased numbers place greater strain on the staff, as they have difficulty fulfilling the induction and training requirements effectively," he said.The situation is further exacerbated by the fact that the chefs often don't know who is coming to work, as some prisoners supposedly employed in the kitchen are also taking education classes elsewhere.Spencer added that the budget to feed prisoners is £11 a week in Scotland. "One of the largest problems of increased prisoner numbers is the prevalence of pilfering," he said. "It does increase the pressure on chefs who are working to tight budgets and timescales."

In the Scottish Prison Service, all chefs are also trained prison officers, thus combining both supervisory and training roles.The ideal ratio of chefs to prisoners is 1:3.5, but this is now more often 1:8 or 1:12, so chefs spend more time ensuring the safety of individuals and equipment in the kitchen rather than teaching prisoners about food preparation and cooking.Spencer claimed some kitchens have had their prisoner work parties increased by as much as 50%. He cited a case where a prison kitchen that requires about 20 workers to feed 500 inmates currently has 32."Obviously the increased numbers place greater strain on the staff, as they have difficulty fulfilling the induction and training requirements effectively," he said.The situation is further exacerbated by the fact that the chefs often don't know who is coming to work, as some prisoners supposedly employed in the kitchen are also taking education classes elsewhere.Spencer added that the budget to feed prisoners is £11 a week in Scotland. "One of the largest problems of increased prisoner numbers is the prevalence of pilfering," he said. "It does increase the pressure on chefs who are working to tight budgets and timescales."