The 'scandalous' £1 billion Scottish prison, as costs soar 10 times over the original estimate

The updated cost was part of a Scottish Government announcement the construction contract for HMP Glasgow has been signed and it is expected to be built by 2028 – years behind the initial schedule.

The Scottish Conservatives have accused the SNP of “squandering taxpayers’ money on a scandalous scale” and called for Justice Secretary Angela Constance to make a statement to the Scottish Parliament on the cost.

The new prison will replace Barlinnie on the outskirts of Glasgow, with the 143-year-old jail said to no longer be fit for purpose in the most recent report from HM Chief Inspector of Prison in Scotland, amid concerns about overcrowding.

HMP Glasgow, at nearby Provanmill, will be able to hold 1,344 prisoners, 357 more than Barlinnie.

Ms Constance said the £998.4 million cost is comparable to similar projects elsewhere in the UK and had been affected by inflation caused by Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic.

She said: “It is undoubtedly a very significant capital investment that will be made by the Scottish Government. Earlier estimates were made prior to the site and the design, final design being completed, and it was also based on a much smaller prison.

“Everybody will understand the devastating impacts on the construction industry in terms of price inflation for materials that have been a result of Covid and Brexit.

“But there is no doubt about it, the best part of £1bn investment is critical investment for the sustainability of our prison service going forward.”

She said the costs had been “extensively scrutinised”, with independent benchmarking analysis finding they were “comparable with similar prison projects elsewhere in the UK”.

The announcement comes as hundreds more prisoners are set to be released early in a bid to ease overcrowding in the country’s jails as a new law comes into force on February 11.

It will change the release point for those serving sentences of less than four years from 50 per cent of their sentence to 40 per cent. However, those convicted of domestic abuse or sexual offences will not be released early under the changes.

Up to 390 short-term prisoners who have served 40 per cent of their sentence will be released by the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) in three tranches over six weeks.

Ms Constance said when HMP Glasgow was ready, it would “put us on a stronger footing in terms of tackling the prison population”.

However, she stressed Scotland could not “build our way out of our very high prison population” and other measures must be taken to lower the level, such as investing in “robust community justice”.

Ms Constance said: “HMP Glasgow is a bold vision for the future of Scottish prisons that will help reduce reoffending, contribute to less crime, while delivering 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.”

She said the project would provide £450m worth of economic benefits, including jobs and contracts for businesses in Scotland.

The most recent estimated delivery date for the prison was November 2026 at a cost of £400m, with the £100m 2014 estimate cited by an auditor at a Holyrood committee.

Scottish Conservative justice spokesman Liam Kerr said: “The SNP are squandering taxpayers’ money on a scandalous scale and the public are going to pay a colossal price for the nationalists’ financial incompetence.

“It is scarcely believable that the costs to replace Barlinnie are now set to hit nearly a billion pounds and that the new prison won’t be open for another three years.

“That is a total dereliction of duty at a time when the SNP are about to release hundreds of dangerous prisoners due to their failure to invest in Scotland’s prison estate over 18 years in power.

“Angela Constance must give an urgent explanation to Parliament as to why Glasgow’s new prison will now cost taxpayers ten times more than first thought.”

SPS chief executive Teresa Medhurst said: “HMP Glasgow will have a transformative impact in how we support and rehabilitate people. It is an investment in our staff, in those in our care, and in Glasgow and Scotland as a whole, as we work with our partners to improve people’s futures and together build safer communities.”

Developer Kier Construction has committed to providing local employment, including apprenticeships, training and work placements for ex-offenders, as well as supporting local businesses.

But Scottish Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson Liam McArthur MSP accused the Scottish Government of “monumentally” mismanaging the replacement project from day one.

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