RESIDENTS who live beside an £85m women’s superjail say their lives are being ruined by “constant screaming”.
Families staying near HMP Stirling, Bridge of Allan, claim to hear shouting and wailing on a daily basis, leaving their kids “petrified”.
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The state-of-the-art facility was launched in May to replace the HMP Cornton Vale nick.
The jail has been built without bars on its windows and cells.
It features a laundry, hairdressing salon, medical centre and a barista bar.
Prison governor Paula Arnold is facing pressure to remove inmates from the block nearest to the affected homes following a string of noise complaints.
One mum told The Daily Record: “We lived alongside the old Cornton Vale prison with no problems, nothing, and we were assured life would be much the same when the new prison was built.
“But it has been a disaster and it has wrecked our lives in the last couple of years, through the building problems and now with the opening of the jail. It has been hell.
“We have two young children and the constant shouting and screaming, with the worst kind of language and threats, just isn’t fit for any child’s ears.
“They are petrified and they know they are living next to a prison, so they get a real dread about what is going on.”
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One resident also claims they were approached by an inmate while walking their dog.
Morris Anderson, 67, added: “I looked to my right and could actually see the woman looking at me. She shouted ‘all right big yin, what you up to?”
“It just seems mad that residents can walk down their own streets and actually get involved in interacting with people in prison cells.
“They can also get talking to people they know on the outside and that doesn’t seem right either.”
Families say building works for the nick has caused “earthquake” vibrations and thousands of pounds of damage to their homes.
And they have threatened a civil court action to pay for the cracks to be fixed, which could affect up to 20 homes and cost six figures.
One local said: “Fighting them for the damage to property has been hugely frustrating but since the place opened for prisoners things have taken a massive turn for the worse, with all the screaming.
“It is making it impossible to raise a family here and I am unsure why they’re not able to immediately move people away from the residential area. It’s an absolute disgrace.”
A Scottish Prison Service spokesperson said: “HMP & YOI Stirling has delivered a significant step change in the way in which we support women in our care, many of whom are vulnerable and have experience of trauma and adversity.
“Our relationship with the surrounding community is crucial to this and we have met with neighbours to listen to their concerns about noise from the establishments.
“We are looking at a number infrastructure and operational measures, with an aim to reduce noise levels.”
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