Perth (HM Prison)
Encyclopedia
Located on two sites a half-mile (one km) apart in south east Perth
, HM Prison Perth is a prison
that houses short term adult male prisoners (those prisoners serving under 4 years), mainly fine defaulters and those on remand
from the courts of Angus
, City of Dundee, Perth and Kinross
and the northern part of Fife
. There is also a secure unit for Category A prisoners
who are serving sentences of up to life imprisonment. The prison has a national unit that houses disruptive prisoners, where intensive staff/prisoner interaction occurs.
The main building, a half-mile (1 km) south of the town centre beyond the South Inch, was constructed by architect Robert Reid
(1774–1856) in the early 19th Century to hold French prisoners captured during the Napoleonic Wars
. In 1842, the building began service as a civilian prison and today represents Scotland's oldest prison still in use. It comprises five halls (labelled A to E) and has a capacity of 504 prisoners.
A second building, Friarton Hall, which was until 1999 a separate institution known as HM Prison Friarton, lies opposite the southern end of Moncrieffe Island, 1¼ miles (2 km) south southeast of the town centre. This modern building serves to prepare prisoners for open conditions and has a capacity of 89.
HMP Perth no longer has a D Hall or an E hall. The old C Hall was knocked down in 2006 to make way for a new fit for purpose C Hall which holds 365 prisoners. Jail now holds 700.Perth holds a lot of long term prisoners (4 years or more).
A total of three judicial executions by hanging
took place on the gallows
at Perth prison during the 20th Century:
As was customary, the bodies of executed prisoners were buried in unmarked grave
s within the prison walls.
Perth, Scotland
Perth is a town and former city and royal burgh in central Scotland. Located on the banks of the River Tay, it is the administrative centre of Perth and Kinross council area and the historic county town of Perthshire...
, HM Prison Perth is a prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
that houses short term adult male prisoners (those prisoners serving under 4 years), mainly fine defaulters and those on remand
Detention of suspects
The detention of suspects is the process of keeping a person who has been arrested in a police-cell, remand prison or other detention centre before trial or sentencing. One criticism of pretrial detention is that eventual acquittal can be a somewhat hollow victory, in that there is no way to...
from the courts of Angus
Angus
Angus is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland, a registration county and a lieutenancy area. The council area borders Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross and Dundee City...
, City of Dundee, Perth and Kinross
Perth and Kinross
Perth and Kinross is one of 32 council areas in Scotland, and a Lieutenancy Area. It borders onto the Aberdeenshire, Angus, Dundee City, Fife, Clackmannanshire, Stirling, Argyll and Bute and Highland council areas. Perth is the administrative centre...
and the northern part of Fife
Fife
Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
. There is also a secure unit for Category A prisoners
Prison security categories in the United Kingdom
There are four prisoner security categories in the United Kingdom used to classify every adult prisoner for the purposes of assigning them to a prison. The categories are based upon the severity of the crime and the risk posed should the person escape....
who are serving sentences of up to life imprisonment. The prison has a national unit that houses disruptive prisoners, where intensive staff/prisoner interaction occurs.
The main building, a half-mile (1 km) south of the town centre beyond the South Inch, was constructed by architect Robert Reid
Robert Reid (architect)
Robert Reid was the King's architect and surveyor for Scotland from 1827 to 1839. He is responsible for a number of public works particularly the façade of Parliament Square in Edinburgh, which houses the Court of Session....
(1774–1856) in the early 19th Century to hold French prisoners captured during the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
. In 1842, the building began service as a civilian prison and today represents Scotland's oldest prison still in use. It comprises five halls (labelled A to E) and has a capacity of 504 prisoners.
A second building, Friarton Hall, which was until 1999 a separate institution known as HM Prison Friarton, lies opposite the southern end of Moncrieffe Island, 1¼ miles (2 km) south southeast of the town centre. This modern building serves to prepare prisoners for open conditions and has a capacity of 89.
HMP Perth no longer has a D Hall or an E hall. The old C Hall was knocked down in 2006 to make way for a new fit for purpose C Hall which holds 365 prisoners. Jail now holds 700.Perth holds a lot of long term prisoners (4 years or more).
A total of three judicial executions by hanging
Hanging
Hanging is the lethal suspension of a person by a ligature. The Oxford English Dictionary states that hanging in this sense is "specifically to put to death by suspension by the neck", though it formerly also referred to crucifixion and death by impalement in which the body would remain...
took place on the gallows
Gallows
A gallows is a frame, typically wooden, used for execution by hanging, or by means to torture before execution, as was used when being hanged, drawn and quartered...
at Perth prison during the 20th Century:
- Edward Johnstone - executed 19th August 1908 for the murder of Jane Wallace (Withers)
- Alexander Edmundstone - executed 16th July 1909 for the murder of Michael Swinton Brown
- Stanislaw Miszka - executed 6 February 1948 for the murder of Catherine McIntyre
As was customary, the bodies of executed prisoners were buried in unmarked grave
Unmarked grave
The phrase unmarked grave has metaphorical meaning in the context of cultures that mark burial sites.As a figure of speech, a common meaning of the term "unmarked grave" is consignment to oblivion, i.e., an ignominious end. A grave monument is a sign of respect and fondness, erected with the...
s within the prison walls.