Clarity urged over timescale for Glasgow Barlinnie prison replacement

Opposition politicians have urged the Scottish Government to provide clarity on the timescale for the country’s biggest prison to be replaced.

HMP Barlinnie in Glasgow has been described as not fit for purpose, with the Government pledging to replace the Victorian jail with a new facility – HMP Glasgow.

Initially, 2026 was the target date for the replacement, but a Government press release announcing a new justice strategy on Monday appeared to suggest the start of construction would take place by 2026, rather than that being its opening year.

A spreadsheet published by the Government earlier this year also now lists the start of construction and its opening as “to be confirmed”, while a previous iteration had said these dates were November 1 2023 and November 1 2026, respectively.

When asked for clarification, a spokeswoman for the Scottish Government said: “HMP Glasgow is being designed to deliver safe and secure accommodation.

“Estimated costs and timescales will be set out once a final design is available and will deliver a real and lasting benefit, both in the city and surrounding area.”

In August this year, Barlinnie governor Michael Stoney said the prison was at risk of “catastrophic failure”, with figures suggesting it was running at 140% capacity in July.

Scottish Conservative justice spokesman Russell Findlay said: “The SNP Government previously stated that HMP Glasgow would be built by 2026 – but now seem to suggest that work might not even begin until then.

HMP Barlinnie is a Victorian-era prison which was running at 140% capacity in July. PA Media

“This follows the recent warning from HMP Barlinnie’s governor about imminent catastrophe due to highly dangerous conditions.

“Yet again, ministers have abjectly failed to manage a critical infrastructure project and must now come clean on when the new prison will open and how much it is going to cost.”

Scottish Labour justice spokeswoman Pauline McNeill – a Glasgow MSP – accused ministers of attempting to “blur the lines on a deadline that has already been pushed back time and time again”.

She added: “Scotland’s prisons are already at their breaking point, and further delays to Barlinnie’s replacement will only make things worse.

“It would be an absolute disgrace for a prison serving Scotland’s biggest city and the west of Scotland to be further delayed.

“We need urgent clarity from the Scottish Government on when they expect HMP Glasgow to be finished and what is being done in the meantime to tackle the rampant overcrowding in our prisons at present.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “HMP Glasgow is being designed to deliver safe and secure accommodation.

“Estimated costs and timescales will be set out once a final design is available and will deliver a real and lasting benefit, both in the city and surrounding area.”