The source said Scott has previously agreed to consultations regarding gender reassignment but then refused to meet appointments.
The officer said Ms Sturgeon and Justice Minister Keith Brown have been in “cloud cuckoo land” in insisting all trans prisoners be treated as women by officers.
He said: “They should try working with Tiffany Scott for a couple of weeks.”
The source said Scott, who is held in segregation, had a “meltdown” after finding out that a planned move from Low Moss was blocked.
The source said: “She had a meltdown and broke a phone box that had been put in the cell. She then used bits of that to disturb a wound from surgery.
“It’s the same chaotic, violent and self-harming stuff that she’s been up to since she came here a few years ago.”
The source added: “Tiffany Scott had most certainly been informed, as had all staff here, that the Scottish Prison Service had cleared her for a move.
“She was expecting to go to Cornton Vale or the new prison in Stirling. The move wasn’t in any doubt.”
Scottish Prisoner Officers Association spokesman Phil Fairley said he was concerned female staff felt pressurised to carry out intimate searches on Scott, and said: “I will be taking this up with management at the prison.”
A Scottish Prison Service spokesman said: “We don’t comment on individuals. The Scottish Prison Service is experienced in conducting searches in a way that supports both individuals and staff.”
