HMP Highland in Inverness will ‘absolutely’ be completed by 2026, says project manager
HMP Highland will ‘absolutely’ completed by 2026; this is the view of the project manager for the Scottish Prison Service, Lorraine Roughan.
She confirmed this as the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs, Angela Constance visited the site alongside press outlets today, including the Inverness Courier.
Construction of the £209 million prison was awarded to Balfour Beattie in April this year. It is set to replace HMP Inverness, one of Scotland’s smallest and oldest prisons.
Ms Constance said that the 200-prisoner capacity facility is vital for the region.
She said: “We know that we need to replace the HMP Inverness which was built in 1902.
“We know the value of modern fit for purpose facilities, especially in terms of maintaining family contact and links with community services, which assist people’s return to the community and reduces re-offending and ensures our communities are safer.
“It’s imperative that HMP Highland has more capacity and it is almost double that of HMP Inverness, and this site here is almost three times the size of the current prison.”
When the HMP Highland was initially announced in 2011, it was estimated it would cost around £52 million.
Covid and issues with construction inflation have been cited as reasons for the delay.
It will be Scotland’s first net-zero carbon prison, with improved education and health facilities to help with rehabilitation and allow more adult men from the Highlands and Islands to be accommodated in their local area, improving access for families and services.
Ms Roughan said: “The staff group in HMP Inverness weren’t sure this was actually going to happen, and now they can see something tangible is being done.”
