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Glenochil manages adult male individuals who are short term prisoners, long term prisoners, life sentence prisoners and extended sentence prisoners (Order of Life Long Restrictions). 

 

The prison has been completely rebuilt in recent years and is a large community facing prison, giving priority to Forth Valley and Fife ("FK" and "KY" postcodes). It is one of the major sites in Scotland for managing sex offenders and those with an Order of Lifelong Restriction (OLR).

 

Prisoners are not committed to Glenochil direct from the courts but are admitted following conviction from other local prisons around Scotland. The current design capacity is 670 and we hold on average a daily population of 660.

Exterior of Glenochil Prison

Visiting the prison

All people in custody are responsible for booking their own visits and informing their visitors of the day and time of the visit.  Individuals are entitled to not less than 2 hours in any period of 28 consecutive days. Each visit lasts 1 hour with a maximum of 3 adults; and a reasonable number of children.

  • Agents must phone the prison on 01259 767282 . All agents are required to give 24hrs notice of any visits or amendments to visit bookings. Agents must produce a valid Law Society of Scotland ID card.

  • Below is a list of identification requirements at Glenochil, including facilities and what you can expect coming to the prison.

    To gain access to the prison for the purpose of visiting, you must have two forms of identification, one of which must be photographic ID.

    Entry to the prison will not be permitted without acceptable identification.

    The following examples shall be accepted as suitable for photographic ID purposes:

    • Valid Passport
    • Photographic Driving Licence
    • Citizen/Validate UK Card
    • Senior Citizens Bus Pass
    • Workplace photo ID card
    • Photographic Bank Card
    • Other official photo ID i.e. membership card

    The following examples shall be accepted as suitable for proof of address provided it is less than 3 months old:

    • Utility bill
    • Council tax bill
    • Benefit book
    • Bank statement
    • Other letter from official source
  • Everyone attending the prison for a visit must book in at least 30 minutes before the visit session starts. This is to allow sufficient time to process your details.

    On entering the main door of the prison there is a front desk staffed by prison officers.

    The staff will log you on to the system and you will require your identification.  

    You may take a small amount of cash with you for purchases in the visit room. You will not be allowed to take in a purse or wallet. All other items will need to be placed in a locker. Lockers are available which take a £1 coin or a shopping trolley token.

    If you have a baby with you, you can take essentials such as a change of nappy, baby wipes and baby bottle with milk – no baby food is permitted.  The baby items must be left with the desk officer in the visit room, but you can access them when you need to.

    Once the booking-in process has been completed you will then walk to the right-hand side of the desk, through a metal detector and a metal turn-style into a secure waiting area where there are toilets, hot/cold drinks and baby changing facilities. There will be staff in this area to help and offer guidance. There is a lift for those who are not able to use the stairs.

    At times, there may be the SPS Dog Unit operating at the visits – it’s nothing to worry about and you will be given instructions by the staff.  If you have any concerns at all – please talk to a member of staff.

    Staff will conduct a rubdown search, you will be taken up to the visits room.  Staff will advise you of where you are sitting. Numbers will be called up in strict numerical order by staff.  At the end of the session visitors will leave first and then people in custody will be asked to exit.

    There is a children’s play area. Please note visitors are responsible for supervising their children at all times.  

    There are also vending machines available which accept cash and card.

  • The Front of House Area at HMP Glenochil has been re-developed to provide a Family Centre area, this includes:

    • Seating Area
    • Children’s Play Area
    • Kitchen Area & Breakfast Bar
    • Staff Office
    • Accessible W/C Facilities

    The opening times for the Family Centre are:

    • Monday - Friday
      • 12:00 - 16:00
      • 18:30 - 20:30
    • Saturday and Sunday
      • 09:30 - 12:30
      • 13:15 - 16:45

     

    Support and information is available from staff and volunteers of Forth Valley Inclusion. For their direct contact details, please follow the link below.

     

    Forth Valley Inclusion - support for families
  • Individuals in custody will complete the relevant form (pro forma) which states the items of property they are seeking. This form can be handed out during a visit. Visitors handing in property require photographic identification and evidence of their home address, as described for visiting identification. Staff will issue a receipt for the property.

    Please note, at present, we can only accept property handed in over the weekend.

  • You can post in property for individuals, but the individual must have completed the pro forma prior to the items arriving. Mark the parcel for the individual's attention. To ensure the parcel arrives safely, you can send it recorded delivery (cost incurred at the post office). 

  • You can post in cash, cheques and postal orders. If you choose to do so, we would strongly recommend using recorded/special delivery (costs incurred at the post office). Cheques and postal orders should be made payable to the Scottish Prison Service, but please note the individual's details on the back.

    The most secure and efficient way of sending money to an individual in custody is via your online banking. For full details on how to set up payments, please follow the link below.

    Sending money
  • Click here for information on the Scottish Legal Aid Board web site for solicitors looking to register for and use video link technology to conduct meetings with their clients in custody.

Visiting times

    • Monday - Friday
      • 13:15 - 14:15
      • 14:45 - 15:45
      • 18:30 - 19:45
    • Saturday and Sunday
      • 09:30 - 10:15
      • 10:45 - 11:30
      • 14:00 - 15:00
      • 15:30 - 16:30
    • Monday - Friday
      • 13:30 - 14:00
      • 14:30 - 15:00
      • 15:30 - 16:00
    • Saturday and Sunday
      • 14:00 - 14:30
      • 15:00 - 15:30
      • 16:00 - 16:30
  • Monday

    • 18:30 - 19:45

    Saturday and Sunday

    • 09:45 - 11:15
    • 14:00 - 16:00
    • Monday - Friday
      • 9:00 - 12:00
      • 13:00 - 15:30

Getting in touch

Family and Friends

If sending a letter to a prisoner, put their name, prison number and location, followed by the prison postal address.

Solicitors

If you are writing to your client, the Scottish Prison Service considers that it is necessary that you adopt the “double envelope” process as recommended by the Law Society. It is the experience of the Scottish Prison Service that adopting this process ensures that your client receives his or her correspondence unopened and assists in mitigating the abuse of the right to receive such correspondence in this way. If you require further information you can contact us as follows:

How to get there

    • From Perth take the M90 south
    • At J7 Milnathort take the A91
    • Continue forward until first roundabout in village of Tillicoultry
    • Take first exit and continue up hill
    • At next roundabout take third exit and follow signs for HMP Glenochil
    • Take the M8 to J13 Stirling and Kincardine Bridge M80
    • Leave M80 at J8 and join M876
    • Continue forward until Higgins Neuk Roundabout, take first exit and cross Clackmannanshire Bridge
    • Follow the signs for HMP Glenochil
    • Take the M9 to J7 Stirling and Kincardine Bridge M876
    • Continue forward until Higgins Neuk Roundabout, take first exit and cross Clackmannanshire Bridge
    • Follow the signs for HMP Glenochil
    • Join M876
    • Continue forward until Higgins Neuk Roundabout, take first exit and cross Clackmannanshire Bridge
    • Follow the signs for HMP Glenochil

    There are public parking facilities, which include disabled spaces, for visitors to Glenochil. For disabled parking, drive down  to the main entrance building and the disabled spaces are in front of the building and in the bottom car park. 

  • Several local bus companies operate from Stirling to Tullibody on a regular basis. Ask to get off at the Abercrombie Arms. As the prison is still over 1 mile away and the pavements are not good it is best to phone a local taxi and arrange for them to meet you and bring you to the prison.

  • The prison can be accessed from Alloa and Stirling stations. Contact Scotrail for further information. From the station you can access public transport and taxis to reach the prison.

History of Glenochil

1960s

The land was purchased from the Coal Board and a detention centre was subsequently built.

1980s

Four house blocks were built housing adult male long term prisoners. The detention centre became a Young Offenders Institution.

2010

The modernisation of Polmont.