Barlinnie visitors unable to use toilets as water supply problems continue

Visitors to Barlinnie prison have been unable to use the toilets as work continues to resolve water supply issues at Scotland's largest jail.

Some inmates at two halls in Barlinnie in Glasgow first experienced problems on Thursday night and had no access to bottled water.

On Friday the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) said the issue was proving more difficult to fully resolve and staff would continue to support people affected.

But the problems have continued into the weekend and one woman, who supports a prisoner, told BBC Scotland News that laundry was mounting up.

She said: "The laundry hadn't been done since before Thursday so the prisoners don't have anything clean to change into.

"They haven't been allowed showers either due to the water issue."

A Scottish Prison Service spokesperson said: "We are continuing to work with Scottish Water to resolve the issues being experienced in HMP Barlinnie."

Barlinnie prisoners face weekend without running water in cells

BBC Scotland News also spoke to another woman outside the prison who had been in visiting.

She said her loved one, a prisoner, had no water at all on Friday.

The supply came on again last night only to go off again later.

The woman said prisoners had been give two-litre bottles of water after initially being handed flavoured water.

She said: "It is ridiculous. It really should not be happening in this day and age."

The woman also criticised what she described as the "poor communication" with prisoners.

She said: "The visits are still allowed to go on but you can't use the toilet or anything like that.

The woman said prisoners often only saw their family for 45 minutes a week but were currently unable to shower in advance.

She added: "They are already in really tough conditions in there because it is so overcrowded."

The SPS said there were no prisoner requests for bottled water overnight on Friday but supplies were distributed.

It is understood that the prison reported a drop in water pressure to Scottish Water at 16:00 on Thursday.

BBC News was first contacted by a concerned relative about the water situation in Barlinnie at about 20:30 on Thursday.

At the time, the SPS said there was a low water pressure problem which was being addressed, but that there was no issue with drinking water.

One woman, who supports an affected prisoner, said that contingency measures should have been put in place immediately.

She said: "Surely distributing bottled water to prisoners should be an immediate priority when the water supply fails?

"These are not luxuries. They are the most basic necessities of life, and prisoners are entirely dependent on the Scottish Prison Service to provide them."

The woman said that she and others had contacted Barlinnie to raise concerns.

The SPS could not say how many prisoners had been affected but it is understood those in A and E halls had problems with their supplies.

A Scottish Water spokesperson said: "We can confirm there are no issues affecting the Scottish Water network in the area.

"The matter relates to an internal issue within HMP Barlinnie and we are supporting the Scottish Prison Service as it works to resolve it."

Last year the late 19th Century and early 20th Century sections of the Glasgow prison were recognised by Historic Environment Scotland (HES) as a Category A-listed building.

Construction of Barlinnie started in 1880 and the site opened in 1882.

It was the first new prison built in Scotland following the nationalisation of the prison system, with the Prison Act of 1877.

Barlinnie was known for being a notoriously tough prison, where prisoners carried out hard labour, breaking rocks from a local quarry.

It also served as a home for capital punishment, with 10 men executed by hanging at the site between 1946 and 1960.

In recent years the prison has been plagued by issues of overcrowding .

The Scottish government has committed to building a new prison to replace Barlinnie and construction is under way.

It is due to be completed in 2028 at a cost of nearly £1bn.

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