Barlinnie Governor says his jail could become a tourist attraction like Alcatraz

Feb 15 2012 By Paul O'Hare

BARLINNIE governor Derek McGill has called for his ageing jail to be saved from demolition – to become a tourist attraction.

McGill thinks the Victorian jail’s rich history could make it a big draw along the lines of San Francisco’s Alcatraz.

A prisons watchdog has already called for the prison to be replaced or
completely redeveloped.

And McGill believes the existing buildings – which will be 130 years old
in July – will be out of use by 2020 and will be replaced by a new prison nearby.

But he thinks it would be a waste for the buildings to be lost to the city.

He said: “It would be sad to see it demolished completely. There’s a huge amount of history here.

“You could imagine them running tours. This could be the Alcatraz of
Glasgow.”

The San Francisco island prison attracts more than 1.4million visitors a year and has featured in a host of Hollywood films, including Catch Me If You Can, The Rock and Escape From
Alcatraz.

Today, Barlinnie is home to around 1500 inmates, with most of the population held in five, four-storey halls.

Last November, a report from HM Chief Inspector of Prisons said it needs to be demolished and rebuilt or completely redeveloped.

Brigadier Hugh Monro described conditions at the jail as “severely overcrowded” and stressed it needs to be redeveloped “as soon as possible”.

Graeme Pearson, the former director general of the Scottish Crime & Drug Enforcement Agency, last night said a move to turn the pensioned-off prison into a tourist attraction could prove
popular.

Pearson, now Labour MSP for South Scotland, said: “Quite evidently,
prisons do have an attraction for the general public.

“Barlinnie has a history going back more than 100 years, including hangings.

“Some of the most monstrous prisoners have passed through its gates and I suppose there is a possibility it could become a tourist attraction. The buildings, internally, are pretty ­impressive.

“I would imagine the film industry would be interested as well.”

Pearson acknowledged such a project would be compared to one of America’s top tourist attractions. He added: “The boat ride out to Alcatraz adds a bit of glamour. I don’t know if the bus up the road at Carntyne quite matches it.”

Notable recent inmates include gun-runner turned author Paul Ferris,
ex-Scottish Socialist Party leader Tommy Sheridan and Rangers footballer Duncan Ferguson.