Replacement for decrepit Barlinnie expected by 2025

● Deal to buy land to build new superjail is in it’s ‘final stages’

A replacement for Glasgow’s ailing Barlinnie Prison is expected by 2025, a Holyrood committee has heard.

The Justice Secretary, along with Colin Mcconnell, chief executive of the Scottish Prison Service, told the Justice Committee yesterday that a deal to buy land for the new superjail was “in its final stages”.

In 2018, the Scottish Government announced plans to sell the current site, which was opened in 1882, and re-locate to another area in Glasgow or its surroundings.

Mr Mcconnell said: “We’re in the final knockings, the final stages to buy the land on which to build the new Barlinnie.”

He said the Scottish Government had agreed to fully fund the current plans.

He said: “I’m delighted to say that the Scottish Government has given us every indication that the forward plan for Barlinnie, now that we effectively have somewhere to build it, will be fully funded.

“We expect, with a fair wind, that we should have a new Barlinnie by the end of 2024, perhaps 2025.”

Mr Mcconnell cautioned the committee against sticking too close to the 2025 deadline however, saying “uncertainties in the marketplace” could result in the project taking longer.

A presentation was made to the Scottish Government in 2011 for the replacement of Barlinnie and work has been ongoing since then to secure a suitable site.

Mr Mcconnell denied the process had taken excessive time.

He added: “It’s not like ourselves and the Scottish Government have been sitting on our hands waiting for some magic pixie dust to come in and solve everything. These things take an incredible amount of time.”

In a later session, Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf said he had “grave concern” about the current state of Barlinnie. He confirmed the new prison would take at least five years.

He said: “What I have asked my officials to do with SPS as to whether or not there are some interim measures we can potentially look at around making sure the estate is in a better condition.

“Because I have visited Barlinnie and I am not satisfied that it meets our expectations of what we would expect in relation to the prison estate.”