Former prisoners hired to build Scotland’s troubled new prison
Kier Construction has pledged to employ up to 40 "prison leavers" on the construction site of Scotland's new HMP Glasgow, which will eventually replace Barlinnie prison, as part of its "Making Ground" scheme to provide training and employment for former offenders. There is no exclusion barring sex offenders from taking part, though none are currently involved in the project, prompting criticism from opposition politicians who argue public money should prioritise delivering the delayed, over-budget prison rather than funding such initiatives.
Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay said the project is already years late and roughly ten times over its original budget, with costs now expected to exceed £1billion, and argued former prisoners should only be employed where there is a clear benefit. HMP Glasgow, designed to be "net zero" and "trauma-informed", will add only around 350 spaces to the prison estate. The Scottish Prison Service defended the scheme, saying it creates valuable employment opportunities for people from diverse backgrounds, including those with experience of the justice system. Kier Construction did not respond to requests for comment.
- Kier to hire 40 ex-prisoners to build new HMP Glasgow
- Sex offenders not barred from taking part, though none currently involved
- Critics say prison is years late and over £1billion, ten times over budget
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Kier Construction, the company building HMP Glasgow, has said it will employ up to 40 former prisoners on the building site as part of a scheme called Making Ground, aimed at giving ex-offenders training and work experience. HMP Glasgow is a new prison being built to eventually replace Barlinnie, one of Scotland's oldest and most overcrowded jails.
The prison itself has become controversial because it is running years behind schedule and its cost has risen sharply, with estimates now put at more than £1billion, despite only adding around 350 extra spaces overall. It is being designed with environmental and welfare-focused features, described as "net zero" and "trauma-informed".
The employment scheme has drawn criticism from opposition politicians, including Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay, who argue that public money should be focused on delivering the delayed project rather than funding additional initiatives, and that any such scheme should have clear benefits. The Scottish Prison Service, the public body responsible for running Scotland's jails, has defended the scheme as a way of creating employment opportunities for people with experience of the justice system.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Advocates of the scheme argue that giving prison leavers real construction jobs and training is one of the most effective ways to cut reoffending, since stable employment is consistently linked to reduced recidivism and safer communities in the long run. They see it as a practical, evidence-based use of a major public construction contract to deliver social value at no extra cost to the build itself, helping address skills shortages in construction while giving people a genuine second chance. Supporters would add that vetting decisions are made case by case, and blanket exclusions would undermine the scheme's purpose without necessarily improving safety.
The case against
Critics argue that with HMP Glasgow already running years behind schedule and reportedly around ten times over its original budget, public attention and resources should be focused squarely on delivering the prison itself, not on ancillary employment schemes, however well-intentioned. They contend that taxpayers and future prisoners alike are being let down by chronic delays and cost overruns, and that any workforce initiative on such a troubled project must be able to demonstrate clear, specific benefit rather than being adopted as a matter of course. Some also raise concern that the absence of a formal exclusion for sex offenders, even if none are currently employed, reflects a lack of rigour in a project already criticised for poor management, and that safeguarding policy should be explicit rather than left to informal practice.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “New jail is being built by… convicted criminals”.