On 03 October 2023, the Cabinet Secretary for Justice made a statement to the Scottish Parliament on Scotland’s prison population. She advised that she was still “absolutely committed to    a replacement for HMP Barlinnie”, however, there is still no finalised timeframe for its delivery (“[o]nce the design plans are finalised, we will have a much better and more accurate estimate of both costs and timescales, but it is a journey that we are determined to pursue”).

HMP Barlinnie’s Governor-in-Charge, Michael Stoney, has recently repeated his concerns, saying, “[w]e sit on a knife-edge of worry that it might not happen … our hearts and souls are in it, but 2026 is looking highly unlikely. It will be 2027 at best.”

On 01 September 2023, SPS published its Corporate Plan 2023 – 28. Overall its tone is noticeably less optimistic than the previous one: only one mention of ‘Unlocking Potential and Transforming Lives’ for example. A corporate ‘vision’ has been replaced by a ‘strategic intent’ which aims to “deliver services in a way that is focused on being person-centred, inclusive, trauma-informed and rights based” and that “better promote(s) the health, safety and wellbeing of all people who live in Scotland’s prison system”.