Kier to build replacement for Scotland’s largest Victorian prison

The £683.8m contract is the latest in Kier's prison portfolio, which includes HMP Millsike in Yorkshire and HMP Five Wells in Wellingborough, both of which were built using a houseblock design manufactured offsite.

HMP Barlinnie, in the northeast of Glasgow, was constructed in 1880 and is considered the most complete surviving example of a 19th-century prison in Scotland.

Its infrastructure was deemed not fit for purpose by HM Inspectorate of Prisons in a report released last year, a finding which “emphasised the importance of a new prison”.

Rebecca Boundy, public sector director at Kier Construction, said: “Using the latest techniques and modern methods of construction, we will harness the very best of our team’s significant experience in the justice sector to provide a high-quality, more efficient prison for Scotland which has rehabilitation at its core.”

Justice secretary Angela Constance said: “HMP Glasgow is a bold vision for the future of our prisons that will help reduce reoffending and deliver a considerable economic boost for the city and beyond.

“The new modern establishment will replace a Victorian-age prison that is no longer fit for purpose. It will increase prison capacity and transform how prisoners are rehabilitated, as well as considerably improving staff working conditions.”