- UK’s first all-electric prison named HMP Millsike by public
- jail to create over 500 jobs in local community
- naming marks latest milestone in government commitment to
create 20,000 modern places
The new prison – opening in 2025 – will hold nearly 1,500
prisoners who will spend their time behind bars learning the
skills they need to find work on release as part of the
government’s drive to cut reoffending and keep the public safe.
HMP Millsike – situated on land opposite the existing HMP Full
Sutton – has been named after Millsike Beck, a local river that
runs adjacent to the new jail, firmly embedding the prison into
its local community.
The jail will be the first in the UK to run solely on
electricity, with solar panels and heat pump technology meaning
it will use approximately a quarter of the energy used to heat
traditional Victorian prisons such as HMP Wormwood Scrubs.
This will slash energy costs to taxpayers by over £1 million a
year – ensuring the new prison protects both the public and the
public purse.
Prisons Minister, , said:
Naming this site puts us one step closer to our new prison
playing its vital role in protecting the public and cutting
crime.
This is a vital advancement towards our goal of creating 20,000
modern, innovative places.
The new infrastructure project is also playing an integral role
in boosting the local economy - creating over 500 new jobs within
the prison when completed, on top of hundreds more during
construction.
In addition, over 40 per cent of construction orders fall within
50 miles of the site – filling order books for local supply chain
businesses.
Construction firm Kier, leading the way on the building of the
jail, is also employing approximately 50 ex-offenders – helping
former prisoners turn their back on crime through meaningful work
before the prison has even opened its doors.
Today’s news follows hot on the heels of the opening of HMP Five
Wells in Wellingborough, Britain’s first ‘smart’ prison which
opened last year. Work is also nearing completion at HMP Fosse
Way, the new 1,700-place prison set to open in Leicestershire
this spring.
The government has committed to creating 20,000 modern,
innovative prison places that rehabilitate offenders and cut
crime as part of its ambitious Prisons Strategy White Paper,
published last year.
Further information:
- The name was agreed upon by the Deputy Prime Minister, who
was presented with a shortlist decided by a panel made up of MOJ
representatives and local residents.
- The final shortlist of options was chosen following a 6 week
consultation, which involved asking local residents to submit
suggestions for what they thought the new prison should be
called.
