By Tom Martin
Emergency callouts to Scotland’s largest prison have reached a three-year high, raising concerns over safety and overcrowding at the ageing facility.
New figures show 62 ambulances were sent to HMP Barlinnie in Glasgow between January and March, more than triple the 17 recorded in the same period in 2023. This is the highest number recorded since at least 2022.
The figures come amid scathing reports from watchdogs about conditions at the Victorian-era prison, with mounting fears over delays to its £1 billion replacement.
Violence at Barlinnie has surged, with nearly 3,000 assaults recorded since 2015/16, including 2,601 between inmates and 365 on staff.
The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) said it is grappling with an ageing prisoner population and a rise in those with complex health and social care needs.
In response, the Scottish Government highlighted a 10 per cent funding boost for prisons, stressing that safety remains a top priority.
However, the Scottish Conservatives, who obtained the figures through a freedom of information request, criticised ministers for allowing the “situation to spiral out of control”.
Liam Kerr, the party’s justice spokesperson, told 1919: “These staggering figures highlight the breakdown of discipline at Scotland’s largest prison on the SNP’s watch.
“Hardworking, overstretched prison officers face an impossible job trying to maintain order and keep themselves and inmates safe in a dangerous environment where drug-taking is rife.
“The SNP’s sustained cuts to justice budgets mean prison staff don’t have the resources to tackle this crisis.
“Nationalist ministers, detached from reality in their Holyrood bubble, have allowed this situation to spiral out of control for too long.
“These figures should act as a drastic wake-up call to stop prisons becoming a hotbed for violence.”
In April, a report from HM Inspectorate of Prisons for Scotland (HMIPS) described Barlinnie as in a “wretchedly poor state”, noting it was operating at 30 per cent above capacity. The watchdog urged ministers to tackle the “deeply concerning” issue of overcrowding.
A recent survey found that more than half of prisoners reported incidents of staff “abusing, bullying, threatening, or assaulting” them.
Work is underway on the new 1,344-capacity HMP Glasgow at Provanmill, but the cost has risen to nearly £1 billion, with the prison now due to open in 2028, three years later than planned.
The original cost estimate for the new jail was £100 million. Justice Secretary Angela Constance said the increase is due to factors like the Covid-19 pandemic, Brexit, and the war in Ukraine.
The new figures show that emergency ambulance callouts to Barlinnie are on the rise, up from 41 in the last quarter of 2024 to 62 in the first quarter of 2025.
Both quarters saw the highest number of emergency and non-emergency responses since at least January 2022.
There were 31 non-emergency callouts between October and December 2024, with a further 22 in the first quarter of 2025.
An SPS spokesperson said: “The health and wellbeing of those in our care is a key priority.
“We work with NHS partners, who are responsible for healthcare in our establishments, to ensure emergency calls to the Scottish Ambulance Service are only made when necessary and appropriate.
“We have seen, in recent years, a steady increase in the age profile of our population, and a significant rise in individuals with complex health and social care needs.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson added: “The safety and wellbeing of staff and people in custody in the prison estate is a priority for this government and the Scottish Prison Service, in collaboration with the NHS and others.
“We are increasing investment in our vital prison service by increasing the Scottish Prison Service resource budget by 10 per cent to £481.5 million in 2025/26.”