HM Prison Kilmarnock
HM Prison Kilmarnock is a prison in Bowhouse, Hurlford near Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire, Scotland. It is situated 3 miles (5 km) south-east of Hurlford on the Mauchline Road. Its location means it is locally known as Bowhouse Prison.
| Location | Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire |
|---|---|
| Status | Operational |
| Capacity | 500 |
| Population | 493[1] (as of October 2021) |
| Opened | 1999 |
| Managed by | Scottish Prison Service |
| Governor | Craig Thomson |
The prison was opened 25 March 1999 by Premier Prison Services and was privately run by Serco (who acquired Premier in 2002[2]) until the expiry of their contract in March 2024 at which point the Scottish Prison Service took over direct management of the prison.[3]
In 2005 the BBC program Panorama uncovered several failings in the operational running of the prison, resulting in the prison carrying out internal investigations.
The prison has a design capacity of 500 places and holds short-term, long-term and remand male adults.[4]
References
- His Majesty's Inspectorate of Prisons for Scotland (October–November 2021). HMP KILMARNOCK FULL INSPECTION (PDF) (Report).
- Moore, Malcolm (5 June 2002). "Serco locks on to prisons manager". The Daily Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
- Dunn, Ross (19 March 2024). "HMP Kilmarnock goes public after being taken over by Scottish Prison Service". Daily Record. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
- "HMP Kilmarnock". www.sps.gov.uk. Retrieved 27 March 2024.