Angus killer Tasmin Glass spent time before release in a women’s custody unit in Dundee.
Glass, who was jailed in 2019 for her part in the death of Steven Donaldson in Kirriemuir, was moved to the Bella Centre in the Hilltown to prepare for her move back into the community.
It is unclear exactly how long she was resident at the Bella Centre, but she was granted parole at the end of last week.
One of her conditions is that she must not be in Angus or Dundee.
We take a closer look at the innovative facility that provoked controversy when it opened.
What is the Bella Centre in Dundee?
The Bella Centre opened in August 2022 on the site of the former Our Lady’s RC Primary School.
Said to be a UK-first, it is a purpose-built custody facility with accommodation for up to 16 female prisoners.
The award-winning centre – run by the Scottish Prison Service – consists of three ‘shared houses’.
It caters for women who have been assessed as suitable for serving part of their sentence closer to the community.
What happens at the Bella Centre?
While resident at the Bella Centre, women are supported to live independently in their shared accommodation.
The idea is to help the prisoners develop a range of independent living skills, which are reflective of real life, before they are released into the community.
Women are often trusted to walk or travel to places of work in the community themselves, returning when their job is done.
Glass is known to have been let out on day release during her time in custody.
What does the Bella Centre look like inside?
A few days before the centre opened in 2022, The Courier was given an exclusive look around the modern and bright complex.
The central building has a “community hub”, a spacious room with huge glass windows to let in lots of natural light and a fully-fitted kitchen for the women to cook meals together.
The hub also has a flat-screen TV, a computer, Wi-Fi, a reading corner and space for group activities.
It opens out onto a garden where there are picnic benches and outdoor play equipment for kids.
The central building also houses a gym and a healthcare centre.
The houses the women live in are similar to normal homes with fully fitted kitchens featuring toasters, ovens, washing machines, TVs and dining tables.
The bedrooms are en-suite with some having views over the Tay.
How is the Bella Centre kept secure?
Even though the centre does not look like a prison, it has a lot of security.
The women have their own key cards to go through doors, while anyone coming into the centre needs to go through airport-style measures.
Inside the houses, there are alarms discreetly adorning the walls and security will arrive immediately if one is pressed.
Prisoner visitors have to sign in and show forms of identification.
They are asked to place all belongings in a locker provided and walk through a metal detector before being allowed entry.
Controversy over opening of Hilltown custody centre
After the centre was first proposed in 2015, some locals came out strongly against it.
About 1,300 people signed a petition urging Dundee City Council to reject the proposals.
Arguments centred on the existing issues in the Hilltown such as drug use, crime and problems with anti-social behaviour around the Lily Walker homeless shelter, and fears the new facility would add to those issues.
However, council officials recommended that councillors give the plans the go-ahead with more than 20 conditions in place.
At the time, a spokesman for the Scottish Prison Service said: “The health and wellbeing of all people in our care is a key priority for the Scottish Prison Service.
“The Bella community custody centre marks a significant step change in the way Scotland supports women in custody.
“This will allow us to better support the needs of women in our care, including health and wellbeing needs, as they continue their rehabilitative journey towards reintegration in the community.”
Conversation