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It is now
Scotland's only all-female establishment and so nearly all female prisoners and young offenders in Scotland are housed here. The complex provides 230 places for women prisoners in five blocks. Four of these blocks (or houses) have 178 places and are sub-divided into six or seven-room units
228:
Before 1939, the site belonged to a Church of
Scotland labour colony (common until the Second World War). Opened in 1907, the colony provided a home and training in market gardening for habitual inebriates and others – all male – sent by the Church or by their families. After the First World War, it
220:
The lands of
Cornton Vale were sold by John Christie in 1871 to John Thomson, a farmer from Drumtogle in Perthshire. He built a new farmhouse and steading on the site, thereafter known as Cornton Vale. When he died in 1877 the property passed to his daughter Catherine. She married John Alexander, a
203:
Cornton Vale is replaced by HMP & YOI Stirling, which has been constructed on an adjacent site. The new facilities opened in July 2023. Cornton Vale closed in April 2023 with inmates being accommodated in other establishments across the female estate prior to moving into the new HMP & YOI
327:
and regional custody units each accommodating up to 20 women. The
Government also plans to increase use of non-custodial alternatives such as electronic tagging. The new plan called for the Inverclyde unit to open by 2017 and for Cornton Vale to close entirely by 2018. Responding to a 2016
295:
In 2019 women were found “who clearly were in need of urgent care and treatment in a psychiatric facility, and should not have been in a prison environment”. Among them was one woman who bit through the skin and muscle of her arm down to the bone and another who set her hair on fire.
176:. The facility comprised a total of 217 cells in its 5 houses. It accepted solely convicted women and girls from 1975 until 1978. In 1978 Parliament passed the necessary legislation to allow females to be held there on remand. Cornton Vale houses female adults and
328:
inspector's report, which found unsanitary conditions at
Cornton Vale, the Scottish Prison Service said pressures on Corton Vale would ease with the beginning of its rundown in the summer of 2016 (when some prisoners would move to
351:, a 19-year-old in her care. It was discovered that Fleming had been killed by her and her accomplice in late 1999 or early 2000 in order to secretly claim financial benefits for years. The case featured in the 2020
236:
In 1975 the site was redeveloped as a purpose-built female prison. The layout was unconventional with a series of bungalows forming the basic concept, each with one warden and seven prisoners in individual rooms.
233:, and most of the trainees were helped to emigrate to the Dominions. It continued to train unemployed young men until the Second World War, but was sold off subsequently and re-opened as a male Borstal in 1946.
241:
each with its own dining/sitting room, and almost all have a common kitchen or servery. One of these blocks containing 27 places is currently being renovated to provide a dedicated Young
Offender facility.
275:. It also holds children, in particular the babies of inmates who are imprisoned alongside their mothers and teenagers where there is no suitable accommodation available in young offenders institutions.
260:) declared the prison in a "state of crisis", citing overcrowding, two-hour waits for the toilet, cold meals, lack of activities and a deep problem of prisoner boredom which was impeding rehabilitation.
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announced revised plans. The new
Inverclyde unit will only accommodate 80 high-security women prisoners, with the remaining population housed at smaller units at
498:
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1017:
257:
256:
have taken place there. Eleven women killed themselves while serving sentences at
Cornton Vale between 1995 and 2002. In 2010, Brigadier Hugh Munro (the
716:
304:
Responding to the
Angiolini report, the Scottish Government initially planned to construct HMP Inverclyde, a large women's prison near the existing
48:
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Glasgow cement merchant and they lived in the house until his death in 1897. From then until 1901 it was occupied by Dr David McCosh, son of
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John Field, "Learning
Through Labour: Training, unemployment and the state, 1890–1920", 1992, University of Leeds,
292:
described Cornton Vale as "a miserable place" and that conditions for prisoners were "antediluvian and appalling".
520:
987:
316:
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to a custody officer until second stage labour and immediately re-handcuffed after giving birth, had ended.
252:
It has been criticised for overcrowding, with 340 inmates being held there in August 2004. A high number of
1113:
841:
41:
607:
244:
In 2004 there was a trial period, allowing children up to the age of 5 years to stay with their mothers.
229:
took in unemployed men, mainly veterans at first. From 1926 to 1931, it received public funds under the
769:"Parents of tragic student criticise jailing of former MP and call for more compassion in Scots courts"
230:
197:
457:
1143:
570:
1069:
1037:
892:
717:"WE DON'T WANT THIS BLOODY EVIL MONSTER; Exclusive Jail inmates in threats to 'sub-human' killer"
376:
173:
115:
1032:
743:"House of Blood killer Edith McAlinden takes up poetry and has her work put on display in jail"
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8:
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on Inverkip Road, would have 300 places and would cost £75 million to construct.
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In 2006 it was announced that the practice of "double cuffing" all inmates who are in
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691:"Bail plea of couple accused of murdering Inverkip woman Margaret Fleming fails"
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499:"Cornton Vale Prison: overcrowded, cold meals and a 2-hour wait for the toilet"
200:
was the first Governor. The current Governor at Cornton Vale is Paula Arnold.
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Avril Jones – woman who was convicted after the 2016 discovery of the
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A 2012 review into women's prisons in Scotland, conducted by former
868:
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575:
462:
253:
169:
34:
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571:"Angiolini Commission to call for Cornton Vale to be demolished"
669:"Isla Bryson: What is the transgender prisoners row all about?"
795:"Former SNP MP Natalie McGarry jailed for embezzling £25,000"
272:
365:(as of 2014) – responsible for a triple murder at a flat in
408:
A factual documentation of suicides in Cornton Vale Prison.
649:"Cornton Vale prisoners 'forced to use sink as a toilet'"
590:
Watchdog finds 'emergency' conditions in Scottish prisons
352:
168:
was a women's prison and young offenders institution in
544:
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332:) but that full closure would not happen until 2020.
1119:
Buildings and structures in Stirling (council area)
620:
551:"New women's prison for 80 to replace Cornton Vale"
539:
357:
Murder Trial: The Disappearance of Margaret Fleming
1075:His Majesty's Inspectorate of Prisons for Scotland
599:
452:
450:
1105:
629:"Plan for new £75m women's 'super prison' axed"
475:
473:
435:Logie: A Parish History, Menzies Fergusson 1905
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548:
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308:. The new prison, built on the former site of
192:. In April 1999, the separation of adults and
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458:"New women's prison to replace Cornton Vale"
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856:
842:
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16:Women's prison in Stirling, Scotland, UK
1139:Young Offender Institutions in Scotland
1134:Government agencies established in 1975
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258:Chief Inspector of Prisons for Scotland
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398:Uncomfortably Numb. A Prison Requiem,
521:"Cuffing prisoners in labour wrong'"
13:
627:Chris Marshall (26 January 2015).
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335:
14:
1155:
817:
481:"Inmate mothers to keep children"
349:disappearance of Margaret Fleming
344:was briefly held at Cornton Vale.
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263:In 2006, 98% of the inmates had
1124:1975 establishments in Scotland
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761:
735:
709:
683:
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549:Chris Marshall (22 June 2015).
583:
513:
491:
438:
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267:issues; 80% had problems with
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1:
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523:. The Herald. Archived from
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7:
1129:Women's prisons in Scotland
172:, Scotland operated by the
10:
1160:
824:Cornton Vale Prison Report
679:– via www.bbc.co.uk.
608:"£60m prison plan delayed"
444:McCosh grave Dean Cemetery
315:In 2014 Justice Secretary
271:and 75% were survivors of
231:Empire Settlement Act 1922
166:HMP & YOI Cornton Vale
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83:Due to close in July 2023
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310:St Columba's High School
216:Cornton Vale Farm c.1880
1070:Scottish Prison Service
1038:Old Tolbooth, Edinburgh
180:in Scotland, alongside
174:Scottish Prison Service
116:Scottish Prison Service
1033:The Tolbooth, Aberdeen
217:
998:Duke Street (Glasgow)
215:
400:(Luath Press, 2001)
22:HMP YOI Cornton Vale
1114:Prisons in Scotland
1094:Scotland portal
1028:Stonehaven Tolbooth
829:Cornton Vale Prison
657:. 17 February 2016.
64:56.14099°N 3.9482°W
60: /
23:
697:. 11 November 2017
695:Greenock Telegraph
396:Maguire, Maureen,
306:HM Prison Greenock
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21:
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773:Sunday Daily Post
671:. 25 January 2023
487:. 15 August 2004.
198:Lady Martha Bruce
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69:56.14099; -3.9482
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749:. 25 August 2014
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721:The Free Library
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579:. 17 April 2012.
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466:. 22 June 2015.
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391:Further reading
373:Natalie McGarry
363:Edith McAlinden
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336:Notable inmates
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290:Elish Angiolini
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196:was attained.
194:young offenders
178:young offenders
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1008:Inveraray Jail
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818:External links
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801:. 30 June 2022
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775:. 9 June 2019
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723:. 6 June 2005
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527:on 5 May 2013
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287:Lord Advocate
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993:Cornton Vale
992:
803:. Retrieved
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777:. Retrieved
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751:. Retrieved
747:Daily Record
746:
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725:. Retrieved
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699:. Retrieved
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673:. Retrieved
663:
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634:The Scotsman
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594:The Guardian
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556:The Scotsman
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529:. Retrieved
525:the original
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503:. Retrieved
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384:embezzlement
356:
355:documentary
321:HMP Grampian
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243:
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182:HMP Grampian
165:
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135:Cornton Road
127:Paula Arnold
18:
988:Calton Gaol
753:27 November
727:27 November
701:18 December
342:Isla Bryson
330:HMP Polmont
300:Replacement
223:John McCosh
208:Description
190:HMP Polmont
148:Postal code
67: /
42:Coordinates
1108:Categories
928:Kilmarnock
675:27 January
505:27 January
423:References
204:Stirling.
112:Managed by
52:56°08′28″N
1023:Peterhead
1018:Noranside
983:Bass Rock
923:Inverness
908:Glenochil
903:Edinburgh
888:Barlinnie
883:Addiewell
531:5 January
375:– former
265:addiction
248:Criticism
55:3°56′54″W
1054:Highland
1003:Friarton
978:Aberdeen
953:Stirling
933:Low Moss
918:Greenock
913:Grampian
898:Dumfries
869:Scotland
799:BBC News
654:BBC News
576:BBC News
485:BBC News
463:BBC News
369:in 2004.
254:suicides
170:Stirling
159:Scotland
143:Stirling
123:Governor
88:Capacity
35:Stirling
31:Location
971:Defunct
943:Polmont
865:Prisons
805:30 June
779:30 June
386:in 2022
367:Glasgow
156:Country
151:FK9 5NU
1063:Bodies
1047:Future
948:Shotts
876:Active
415:
404:
280:labour
104:Closed
96:Opened
80:Status
938:Perth
501:. STV
273:abuse
807:2022
781:2022
755:2021
729:2021
703:2021
677:2023
533:2007
507:2010
413:ISBN
402:ISBN
323:and
188:and
140:City
107:2023
99:1975
867:in
377:SNP
353:BBC
91:119
1110::
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541:^
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380:MP
225:.
184:,
857:e
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359:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
