Labour: New HMP Glasgow not fit for purpose

A new £1bn jail being built in Glasgow will not provide enough capacity to alleviate the crisis in Scotland’s prisons, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has said.

The country’s prison population reached its highest-ever level last month, with 8,430 people in custody.

HMP Glasgow was given the go-ahead earlier this year and will replace Barlinnie at a cost of close to £1bn, increasing the number of available prison places by around 350.

But Labour said its analysis showed the construction of the new prison, along with another prison in the Highlands, would not provide enough capacity to address the ongoing crisis.

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said: “The SNP are ploughing ahead with their plans to spend over £1 billion on HMP Glasgow – the same as what it cost to construct the five-star Atlantis Hotel in Dubai, one of the most luxurious hotels in the world.

“Yet, these alarming figures show that despite the eyewatering cost of this new facility, it will not even be fit for purpose by the time it has been completed, with Scotland’s prison population already at a record high.

“That means taxpayers will be paying well over the odds for a prison that was supposed to cost £100m, and which will not even fix the crisis in our prisons estate, with staff warning that they are at a ‘crisis point’.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Replacing HMP Barlinnie is essential for long-term sustainability of the prison estate in Scotland. HMP Glasgow will add 357 places to the overall estate, transform how prisoners are rehabilitated, improve staff working conditions and generate up to £450 million worth of economic benefits, including jobs and contracts for businesses in Scotland.

“We recognise the serious challenges facing the prison system, which is why the justice secretary announced in parliament emergency proposals to tackle prison overcrowding, with stringent safeguards to protect public safety. Our paramount concern is to ensure that those who work and live in prisons are kept safe, so immediate action is now necessary.”