THE boss of Barlinnie jail has been ridiculed for saying he wants the rebuilt nick to be like a “Costa coffee”.
Scotland‘s oldest and most notorious prison is set to be replaced by the delayed and over budget £1bn HMP Glasgow.
HMP Barlinnie is set to be replaced[/caption]
The prison governor was slammed for comments about the new jail[/caption]
HMP Glasgow is years late and well over budget[/caption]
The prison boss said HMP Glasgow could be like a Costa Coffee[/caption]
But fresh fury has rocked the new jail as the prison’s boss said he wants the nick to be like a community hub.
It is set to be built in the city’s Provanmill and will be able to hold 1,344 prisoners, 357 more than 143-year-old Barlinnie.
Violent prisoners will also be able to enjoy luxuries such as en-suites in their cells.
Barlinnie governor Michael Stoney said he wants local people to be able to walk in and out of the jail as if it is a local coffee shop.
He told The Glasgow Times: “We are hoping it won’t just be seen as a prison but a place that you could walk into on any normal day, like a Costa Coffee.
“We have all sorts of ideas on how to utilise it.
“Could councillors and MSPs use it for surgeries? Could community groups use it as a meeting space?”
And he said the jail could be used to house other inmates moved from older jails that could close in the future.
He added:
“I would always envisage, regardless of the population level, that this building should always be full because it’s the newest and the most effective.
“So, we should utilise our best resource.”
But his suggestions were blasted with an MSP saying money was being wasted building a “luxury hotel” rather than a vital replacement for the ageing Barlinnie nick.
Scottish Conservative Glasgow MSP Annie Wells said: “These remarks will astound Scots living in the real world.
“John Swinney’s rotten SNP government are now set to squander £1 billion on building what sounds more like a luxury hotel than a replacement prison for Barlinnie, while simultaneously releasing more dangerous criminals back onto our streets.
Barlinnie’s future in limbo
EXCLUSIVE BY OLIVER NORTON
DECISION over the future of Scotland’s largest prison is in limbo as heritage bosses consider whether the building should be listed.
Historic Environment Scotland is seeking views from the public on whether HMP Barlinnie should become a Category A listed building.
A survey launched last year was meant to have closed by January 22, but we can now reveal it’s been extended to ensure more voices are heard.
An HES spokesperson said: “The HMP Barlinnie listing consultation has been extended until 31 March 2025.
“We were asked to extend the consultation to give more time for all interested parties to feed in.
“After the consultation closes, we will review all of the responses before reaching a decision.
“We will then publish a report that will provide some detail about the comments received as well as explain our final decision.”
Barlinnie, in the northeast of Glasgow, is considered the “most complete surviving example of a 19th century prison in Scotland”.
HES bosses said it was “exceptionally important” in the history of criminal justice.
A proposed listing would cover the surviving parts of the earliest layout of the site developed between 1880 and 1908.
“It is scarcely believable that the governor is talking up the prospect of this new prison being akin to a Costa coffee shop.
“Scots expect it to be a high-security, no-frills jail, but instead it’s being talked up as a tourist attraction or a place for politicians to meet constituents.
“This soft-touch justice approach has been the hallmark of 18 years of the SNP relentlessly weakening Scotland’s justice system.
“It is just common sense that taxpayers and victims should be the priority upon building this prison, instead of making life as cushy as possible for hardened criminals.”
The replacement for Barlinnie was supposed to be completed in 2019.
But costs have ballooned to a staggering £1billion and it isn’t expected to be open until 2028.
HMP Glasgow is set to open in 2028[/caption]
