Almost 600 incidents of self-harming were reported at Addiewell - Scotland's only private prison - in less than four years, almost double that of any other Scottish jail.

The number of incidents, revealed in a freedom of information request, were for self-harm by cutting, which is associated with emotional distress and poor mental health and wellbeing.

In total Addiewell recorded 590 incidents from January 2021 until the end of August 2024, an average of 13 every month. Critics said the figures should raise alarm bells and called for action.

The prison, run by outsourcing company Sodexo, has been subject to serious concerns about violence, and high levels of deaths in custody. Last year more prisoners died in Addiewell than at any other prison.

Earlier this week The Ferret revealed that despite paying penalties to the Scottish Prison Service due to failure to meet agreed standards, Addiewell Limited - the company that owns it - has paid more than £3m to shareholders in less than two years.

Private prison profits: Addiewell pays £3m to shareholders amid safety fears and rising deaths

A spokesperson for the prison said it was "subject to the same range of intensive scrutiny as all prisons" and was "building on progress" made to improve the prison's safety and operation record.

Healthcare at the prison is delivered by NHS Lothian. The health board also serves HMP Edinburgh. That prison logged 208 incidents of self-harm by cutting over the time period - the third highest according to the data.

NHS Lothian has been asked to comment. The Scottish Prison Service said it worked hard to keep prisoners safe and supported.

The Scottish Liberal Democrats, who obtained the figures, said Scotland's approach to imprisonment was "failing" and called for action.

Distressed prisoners made 13,000 calls to Samaritans in six months

Justice spokesperson for the party Liam McArthur MSP added: "Huge numbers of people, many with complex problems, are being sent to a place proven to increase their likelihood of reoffending and where incidents of self-harm are on the rise.

"Addiewell prison has been a magnet for such behaviour with regular reports of assaults and self-harm. Prisons can be a pressure cooker but the government has a responsibility to ensure high safety standards are maintained across the entire prison estate."

He claimed a "properly-funded justice system that also includes greater use of robust and effective community sentences", was needed, striking a balance between punishment and rehabilitation "in order to reduce reoffending and make communities safer."

Despite fears being raised about safety at Addiewell prison, its most recent report from the Scottish prison inspectorate commended management for making progress towards improving the jail. However the prison continued to score a red rating - indicating serious concerns - for health and wellbeing.

Highest level of self-harm annually

The self harm figures show that in the first eight months of 2024 there were 110 incidents of self-harm by cutting recorded at Addiewell.

Most other prisons did not give exact figures, but reported having fewer than five incidents (<5) in many of the months of last year. But the next highest appears to be HMP Kilmarnock with a maximum of 55 incidents in 2024. Kilmarnock was formerly run by private company Serco but handed back to the Scottish Prison Service in March.

Figures for 2023 show 203 incidents of cutting at Addiewell, almost 2.5 the next highest number. That year a whistleblower shared reports with The Ferret which suggested mental health and addiction support were often hard to access or had long waiting lists.

The annual number of reported incidents of cutting in 2021 and 2022 were also significantly higher than the numbers recorded at other prisons.

Sarah Armstrong, a Glasgow University professor of criminology who researches deaths in custody, said: "Addiewell saw more people dying in 2024 than in Barlinnie, a prison of much greater size. T...