Historic Environment Scotland (HES) is seeking opinions on the proposal, which would cover the surviving parts of the prison site developed between 1880 and 1908.
Dara Parsons, head of designations at HES, said: “Listing is a way of ensuring that the importance of Scotland’s most historically, culturally and architecturally significant buildings is taken into account in decisions about their future.
“Barlinnie certainly holds a place in the national consciousness and is a rare and outstanding example of a purpose-built prison complex in Scotland, significant as the largest and most complete surviving example of its building type.
“We have not yet decided whether to list Barlinnie and we would encourage anyone with views on the building’s significance or any information that may help inform our final decision to review our report and take part in our consultation.”
Barlinnie, in the northeast of Glasgow, is Scotland’s most complete surviving example of a 19th-century prison, considered important in the history of Scottish prison design and criminal justice.
Construction started in 1880 and the site opened two years later.
It was the first prison to be built in Scotland after the nationalisation of the prison system.
The large parallel prison blocks at Barlinnie displayed the influence of new prison designs established in the UK during that period, moving away from the fortified architectural elements seen in earlier prisons.
This reflected the thoughts of the time about how best to look after and reform prisoners.
Building at Barlinnie continued throughout the late 19th century, and the prison continued to expand in the 20th and 21st centuries with a number of alterations and modernisations.
Significantly, the majority of the early prison buildings – including the halls, chapel, hospital, workshops, gatehouse and sections of boundary wall – survive and retain their historic character as imposing, late 19th and early 20th century institutional structures.
These buildings at Barlinnie are also significant for what they reveal about changing attitudes to prison discipline and reform in Scotland, from the late 19th century to the present day.
In the late 19th century prisoners at Barlinnie carried out hard labour, breaking rocks from a local quarry.
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Barlinnie soon developed a reputation for being a tough prison with harsh punishments, including the restraint of prisoners in handcuffs and canvas jackets overnight.
In the mid-20th century, Barlinnie was also a place of capital punishment with 10 men executed by hanging at the site in the period between 1946 and 1960, before its abolition in 1965.
In contrast, the later 20th century saw a pioneering experimental facility opened at the prison called the Barlinnie Special Unit, which attracted international interest.
Operating from 1973 to 1994, the Special Unit took a new approach to reforming some of Barlinnie’s most violent inmates, allowing them greater freedoms.
Prisoners could wear their own clothes and had increased access to their families.
They were also encouraged to explore creative activities and the Unit achieved high-profile success stories, such as Jimmy Boyle who became a sculptor and writer.
The consultation will run until January 22, 2025.
Listing is the process that identifies, designates, and provides statutory protection for buildings of special architectural or historic interest.
It is intended to ensure that what is special about a structure is taken into account in decisions about its future.
For more information and to take part in the consultation, visit the HES website HERE. Historic Environment Scotland (HES) is the lead body for Scotland’s historic environment, a charity dedicated to the advancement of heritage, culture, education, and environmental protection.
