Achi news desk-
If you’ve ever wanted to know more about the types of prisoners held at Barlinnie, here’s everything you need to know.
When was Barlinnie opened and who designed it?
Barlinnie was designed by Major General Thomas Bernard Collinson, an architect for the Scottish Prison Service.
It was opened in the then rural area of ​​Riddrie in July 1882. The prison’s five accommodation areas were built in stages between its official opening and 1897.
A major extension to the perimeter was made in 1967, creating an industrial compound.
How many prisoners are housed at Barlinnie Prison?
According to a report by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons, around 1400 people are housed in the prison, 43% above its design capacity.
Who was the last person to be executed at Barlinnie?
Anthony Miller was the last person to be executed in Barlinnie and he was the second last person in Scotland to meet this fate.
After being tried in November 1960 for murdering John Cremin during a robbery gone wrong, the 19-year-old was hanged the same year.
What kind of prisoners are kept at Barlinnie?
According to the Scottish Prison Service website, Barlinnie houses all categories of male prisoners either on remand or convicted of an offence(s) and serving “all sentence lengths”.
The prison receives prisoners from courts in the West of Scotland and also holds those with sentences of less than 4 years.
It also allocates prisoners to lower security prisons such as Low Moss CEM in Bishopbriggs and CEM Greenock as well as long-term prisoners in the initial phase of their sentence to long-term prisons such as CEM Glenochill and CEM Kilmarnock.
Barlinnie consists of five accommodation units each holding hundreds of prisoners as well as a National Peak Facility for those nearing the end of their incarceration.
