Barlinnie in a “wretchedly poor state” say inspectors

Responding to a new report from HMIPS in which inspectors have described Scotland's largest prison HMP Barlinnie as being in a "wretchedly poor state" following a review which also found the facility to be over 30% above its capacity, Scottish Liberal Democrat deputy leader Wendy Chamberlain MP said:

“A replacement for Barlinnie is urgent but SNP ministers just can’t be trusted to get this done.

“Their government have monumentally mismanaged the replacement for Scotland’s biggest prison since day one.

“After spending years ignoring prison overcrowding, the SNP are now having to let out serial offenders. Inside prisons, assaults and violent incidents are rife, with staff having less time to work with individuals to cut the chances of reoffending.

“Ministers have even given themselves the powers to let out certain prisoners against the wishes of prison governors. They’ll do anything rather than ensure that major projects like Barlinnie are delivered on time and on budget.”