Governor Michael Stoney envisions a £1bn HMP Glasgow as a community hub, similar to Costa Coffee, ready by 2028.
He spoke of the £1 billion Provanmill jail replacement. It will be named HMP Glasgow; Stoney shared his vision. The new prison will house 1,344 inmates and should be ready by 2028, Stoney said.
He hopes the prison can be a community space where groups could meet and even MSPs could hold meetings. Inmates might walk in and out easily. Stoney said they want local integration and to support local needs. This includes poverty, age, and youth work.
He hopes to provide needed resources. The prison won’t just be a prison, he thinks, but a place to walk into daily. The new complex will cost nearly £1 billion, replacing the 143-year-old jail.
Stoney mentioend the challenges of maintaining the old building. He promised inmates en-suite showers in each cell. Victorian prisons waste much time, he said, with meals taking 90 minutes in one block now and showers taking all day.
There are eight showers per block currently, and they must safely move people back and forth. The new building will have showers in each cell and food service on each level, allowing staff to gain much more time.
Stoney says the new prison will feel safer. He warned inmates not to expect luxury, adding that cells are very basic and functional. They are not overly nice because people damage cells when upset, he explained, making easy, cheap replacement the goal.
HMP Glasgow should be done by 2028. Stoney revealed asbestos issues in the old jail. He warned that anything can go wrong now because fixing one thing can break something else. They often don’t know what they face, he stated.
It could cause more failures that they can’t risk at times. This stresses them since issues can impact others. The prison service relies on them too. In conclusion, the new prison solves many old jail problems.