'We live next to £85m women's super jail, we're too scared to sit in our garden'

14 September 2023 , 13:38

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The prison and housing estate are separated by a line of trees and fencing (Image: Katielee Arrowsmith SWNS)

Families living in homes that neighbour a new £85m women's super jail have told how they are too scared to sit outside amid threats from the prisoners.

The giant complex in HMP Stirling in Scotland sits alongside a quiet cul-de-sac and was built in a campus style with no bars on doors or windows. A line of trees and clear fencing separate the prison from the local housing estate. Since the prison opened in May, residents claim their lives have been plagued by noise and disruption.

Locals say they can hear prisoners making threats to kill one another, and children in the housing estate are constantly being exposed to loud shouting and swearing. One resident said he was shouted at while taking his dog for a walk. Some say they are too scared to sit in their own back gardens as a result.

Morris Anderson said he was shouted at while out walking his dog (Daily Record)

Resident Morris Anderson, 67, said: “There is shouting and screaming on a daily basis and I can actually hear loud conversations between prisoners from my garden. There has been one woman in recent weeks who has been wailing and screaming in a distressing way and I really don’t think she should be in a jail because there has got to be mental health issues affecting her behaviour. I can hardly believe that they could house prisoners so close to homes, with windows open all day and night and people screaming at each other.”
Morris said he had been shouted at by one woman as he walked his dog.

He said: “I looked to my right and could actually see the woman looking at me. She shouted ‘all right big yin, what you up to? It just seems mad that residents can walk down their own streets and actually get involved in interacting with people in prison cells. They can also get talking to people they know on the outside and that doesn’t seem right either.”

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People say they're too scared to sit in their gardens (Katielee Arrowsmith SWNS)

One mum added: “We lived alongside the old Cornton Vale prison with no problems, nothing, and we were assured life would be much the same when the new prison was built. But it has been a disaster and it has wrecked our lives in the last couple of years, through the building problems and now with the opening of the jail. It has been hell. We have two young children and the constant shouting and screaming, with the worst kind of language and threats, just isn’t fit for any child’s ears. They are petrified and they know they are living next to a prison, so they get a real dread about what is going on.”

It houses just 100 inmates, and is also home to a young offender's institute. Despite the low number of offenders at the prison, Mr Anderson said that neighbouring streets are plagued with serious noise issues. He also claims that residents were misled as to how much of an impact the prison would have on the local area.

There are currently 100 inmates at the prison (Katielee Arrowsmith SWNS)

"We got sent a leaflet that showed us the plans – it wasn't that monstrosity there. It never showed you how close it would be to the fence. I can hardly believe that they could house prisoners so close to homes, with windows open all day and night and people screaming at each other," Mr Anderson continued.

Another resident said that while they are used to having a prison nearby, the new HMP Stirling has caused a lot of disruption. They said: "There's always been a prison nearby, but it's got a lot worse. The construction caused problems with houses, and the prisoners are uncontrollable. It's driving all of us crazy."

A further unnamed resident told how they can hear "screaming and shouting, swearing and carrying on." They described it as "horrible". A mother who lives nearby spoke of her concern for her children, she said: "I've got two little kids and they should not be hearing all the foul language and aggression."

Alexander Stewart, MSP for the area has wrote to the Scottish Justice Secretary Angela Constance to demand answers. A Scottish Prison Service spokesperson said: "HMP & YOI Stirling has delivered a significant step change in the way in which we support women in our care, many of whom are vulnerable and have experience of trauma and adversity. Our relationship with the surrounding community is crucial to this and we have met with neighbours to listen to their concerns about noise from the establishments. We are looking at a number of infrastructure and operational measures, with an aim to reduce noise levels."

Lydia Stephens