Though intended as a reformist structure, over time the prison became notorious for overcrowding and poor conditions. The jail housed debtors and petty criminals as well as murderers and political prisoners.
It was also the site of public executions until these were moved behind prison walls. The establishment possessed a sinister windowless cell where condemned prisoners awaited execution. Calton Jail was the site of many executions, including that of Jessie King, the last woman hanged in Edinburgh in 1889 for child murder. It is said that some executed prisoners were buried on-site, with their remains still beneath the current government car park. (https://jamesmclevy.com)

