Overcrowded Barlinnie prison in 'wretchedly poor state'
Inspectors have described Scotland's largest prison as being in a "wretchedly poor state" while operating at 30% over capacity.HM Inspectorate of Prisons for Scotland (HMIPS) said it "strongly urged" the Scottish government to do more to tackle the "fundamental problem" of overcrowding at HMP Barlinnie in Glasgow.The 143-year-old jail was found to be housing nearly 1,400 prisoners, when it was designed for just 987.The Scottish government has committed to building a new prison to replace Barlinnie on the outskirts of Glasgow. It is due to be competed in 2028 at a cost nearly near £1bn.
A week-long HMIPS inspection in November found nearly two thirds of prisoners were sharing cells designed to hold only one person.Its newly-published review said this could also account for a pre-inspection survey finding a high number of prisoners complaining about the behaviour of staff.The survey suggested more than half of prisoners had witnessed staff "abusing, bullying, threatening or assaulting" another prisoner, which HMIPS described as a "serious cause for concern".
In a bid to tackle overcrowding, MSPs passed legislation in November 2024 so that prisoners sentenced to less than four years are released after serving 40% of their sentence.HMIPS said in its report: "The need for a replacement prison through the planned new HMP Glasgow remains overwhelming and urgent."The other deeply concerning factor was the unacceptable level of overcrowding."Overcrowding makes it harder to access basic entitlements. It also makes it harder for staff to build and retain positive relationships, and the additional daily transactional work in dealing with more prisoners than a prison is designed to accommodate can put a strain on services and relationships."Inspectors did not personally witness any unacceptable behaviour, the report said.In fact, it said they had observed staff engaging prisoners in "cheerful but respectful light-hearted banter".But the results were worse than for other closed prisons and gave "serious cause for concern".
Barlinnie governor Michael Stoney welcomed the report which he said recognised the professionalism of all the staff who work in the prison.He said: "They all work really hard to do the best they can, despite the obstacles of the infrastructure in the old buildings."On staff-prisoner relationships, we would ask anyone to walk around the prison on any given day and they would see how friendly, how engaging, how positive these professional-bounded relationships are."Mr Stoney said he was "very surprised" with the survey results about prisoners witnessing abuse or bullying by staff."It's not something I recognise or something visitors recognise when they go round the prison," he said.The governor said any complaints may be down to tough anti-drugs initiatives which have been introduced in Barlinnie.The Scottish government has been approached for comment.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
Urgent warning to Scots drivers over fake parking scam that steals cash
Drivers are being urged to take care when paying using their phones FRAUD ALERT Urgent warning to Scots drivers over fake parking scam that steals cash Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) AN URGENT warning has been issued to Scottish drivers over a fake QR code parking scam which could see them conned out of vital cash. Perth and Kinross Council have urged motorists to be cautious if they are paying online to leave their cars across the city. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 The fake QR codes are being stuck onto parking meters Credit: Perth and Kinross Council Facebook Scammers are now leaving fake QR stickers on parking meters and are designed to look like they were placed by operator RingGo. The instructions are being stuck to meters and prompt drivers to scan and pay for parking. But the fake codes actually redirect drivers to a website mocked up to look like the real operator, where bank details are then harvested. Perth and Kinross Council reminded motorists not to scan them and insisted that RingGo never take parking payments by QR code. The operator only takes payments through the official app, which uses a secure, encrypted service. The local authority reported the stunt and said that parking attendants are regularly checking the machines for the stickers. Any codes found are being removed, and any drivers who come across them are being asked to report them to the council. Perth and Kinross Council shared a post about the scam on social media to alert locals. The message on Facebook reads: "Scam Alert: Beware of Fake RingGo Parking Websites. "Using the RingGo app is a safe and convenient way to pay for parking in Perth and Kinross. I was SCAMMED out of £100s by hidden sticker parking fee con - know the signs "However, please ensure you only download the official app from the App Store or Google Play. "Remember, RingGo never uses QR codes for parking payments. The official app allows you to pay via a secure, encrypted service. "If you spot any QR codes claiming to let you pay for parking, or see any websites asking for parking payments that don't direct you to the official app, please do not use them. "Report these to us at: parkingservices@ Stay safe and protect your personal information!" In the comments, staff added: "The team have been checking our machines and any detected QR Codes will be removed. "They will also continue to monitor the situation. Thank you." Users flocked to the comments to share their frustration at the scam, with many urging the council to revert to cash-only parking meters. One person said: "This is valuable advice. Take notice. We fell for the barcode scam, and got signed up to a random service for £100s." Advice for victims of fraud POLICE Scotland has issued some advice on what victims of fraud can do if they think they have been compromised. They said: "If your bank or credit card accounts have been compromised contact your bank and tell them you suspect you have been the victim of a fraud. "If you receive correspondence from companies about applications or accounts that you do not recognise, contact the relevant companies immediately and advise them. "Report the fraud to Police Scotland on 101. Keep a note of any telephone numbers, emails or other correspondence you have had with the fraudster. "Consider contacting a credit reference agency to review your credit report. If you notice any unauthorised activity contact the organisations involved, as soon as possible. "If you have been a victim of fraud be aware you details might be sold on to other fraudsters who might make contact with you in an attempt to make you part with more money. This is most common in the case of victims of share scams. "Fraudsters often call up the victim of such a scam advising they can get their money back for a fee.' Another added: "Bring back cash only. Will stop all scams". Someone else wrote: "Shambles - coins are safer". A fourth posted: "This is good advice for anything QR Code related. Never use a QR code that you cannot be absolutely sure is genuine." While a fifth chimed in: "That's why it's better if they stick to cash!" It's not the first time that similar schemes have been discovered across the UK. In June last year, another QR parking scam was discovered in Aberdeen. And Charity Action Fraud revealed it had investigated 1,200 cashless parking scams between 2020 and January 2024.
Daily Record
an hour ago
- Daily Record
Second UK tourist found dead and 'naked' in Albufeira after Greg Monks body find
The latest death comes just days after Greg Monks, 37, from Glasgow, was discovered dead in the Cerro de Aguia. A "naked" British tourist has been found dead in the party resort of Albufeira just days after a Scottish man was found dead in the same town. The male, in his 20s, is thought to have died in a drunken fall after crashing down steps in the Algarve holiday resort's Old Town of Albufeira. The alarm was raised just before 7am on Wednesday, with news of the incident only emerging today. Respected Portuguese daily Correo da Manha reports the tourist was 'completely naked' when he was found at the bottom of the steps in an avenue called Avenida da Libertade. An autopsy has already taken place but the results have not been made public. Portuguese police are understood to have ruled out any link to a crime and are said to be treating the death as a tragedy linked to excessive alcohol consumption. It was not immediately clear today where the tourist had been heading from and to and whether he was staying at a hotel in Albufeira. No explanation has been given as to why he might have been naked, although police have not yet confirmed he had no clothes on. It comes after the body of Greg Monks was discovered in the Cerro de Aguia area on Wednesday. The 37-year-old, from Glasgow, had been missing for seven days after vanishing following a night out on a stag do. He is thought to have jumped over a wall and fallen down a steep cliff after becoming disoriented as he tried to head back to his holiday hotel. Police in Portugal said earlier this week he is likely to have died after falling into a ravine from attempting to scale a fence. Albufeira has increasingly been coming under the spotlight over the way it has gone from a family-focused resort to a partying Mecca that has reportedly brought more violence, drugs and loutish behaviour. British tourists holidaying in the resort were warned at the start of the year local town hall chiefs were planning on bringing in fines of up to £1,250 if they got caught walking along the street in their bikinis or swim shorts. Albufeira's mayor Jose Carlos Polo said he also wanted to tackle street drinking and the problem of holidaymakers urinating in public by introducing new penalty fees. Last summer a group of partying British tourists put on a shocking display of public nudity which led to locals questioning the type of visitor the town attracted. Footage of their drunken antics, showing them starkers on their knees in a line on top of a bar counter, went viral as Mr Rolo called the display 'deeply negative' and said he would call for police reinforcements. Eight British holidaymakers were later identified by cops. The GNR police force is understood to have discovered who they were following an investigation after failing to catch them in the act with their pants still down. The jaw-dropping scenes happened at Route Caffe 66 on the Oura Strip, Albufeira's equivalent of the infamous Punta Ballena party strip in Magaluf. One of the revellers was seen slapping the bare backside of a pal who was part of the bizarre party train the holidaymakers formed on the bar top on their knees. It was not immediately clear today what action had been taken against them following an investigation which was announced at the time.
Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Second Brit tourist found dead and 'naked' in holiday resort horror
A "naked"British tourist has been found dead in the party resort of Albufeira. He is thought to have died in a drunken fall after crashing down steps in the Algarve holiday resort's Old Town. The alarm was raised just before 7am on Wednesday, with news of the incident only emerging today. Respected Portuguese daily Correo da Manha is reporting the tourist was 'completely naked' when he was found at the bottom of the steps in an avenue called Avenida da Libertade. An autopsy has already taken place but the results have not been made public. Portuguese police are understood to have ruled out any link to a crime and are said to be treating the death as a tragedy linked to excessive alcohol consumption. It was not immediately clear today where the tourist, who is aged in his twenties, had been heading from and to and whether he was staying at a hotel in Albufeira. No explanation has been given as to why he might have been naked, although police have not yet confirmed he had no clothes on. On Wednesday the body of a Scottish tourist who had been missing for seven days after vanishing during a night out in Albufeira was found. Greg Monks, 37, from Glasgow, had been gone out drinking at bars in the raucous Albufeira strip after flying to the resort hours earlier with friends for a stag do. He is thought to have jumped over a wall and fallen down a steep cliff after becoming disorientated as he tried to head back to his holiday hotel.
