The former Rainsbrook Secure Training Centre is set to reopen as
a Category C men’s prison, in the latest of a string of measures
to boost jail capacity, Prisons Minister has announced today.
- former Secure Training Centre to become Category C men’s
prison
- refurbishment to create up to 130 new prison places
- construction to create 100 jobs and boost local economy
The refurbishment of the Rainsbrook site will create up to 131
new prison places – helping to put serious offenders behind bars
and provide a boost to the local economy with 100 new jobs.
The new jail will operate as an annexe of neighbouring HMP Onley,
a Category C prison that helps offenders turn their backs on
crime by giving them the skills through workshops and additional
support to find work on release – an approach proven to cut crime
and save the tax-payer money.
This is the latest step in the government’s commitment to boost
prison capacity, which includes creating 20,000 modern prison
places, the largest prison-building programme since the Victorian
era – with 5,400 of these places already delivered.
The 20,000 places are being delivered through the construction of
six new prisons, alongside expansions and refurbishments at
existing jails and the delivery of 1,000 Rapid Deployment Cells.
HMP Fosse Way in Leicestershire, the second of these new
state-of-the-art prisons, opened its doors last month.
Prisons Minister said:
Redeveloping Rainsbrook is the latest step in our plans to create
more prison places as we continue to take serious criminals off
the streets.
Alongside vital taxpayer savings and creating more jobs for the
local economy, we are making sure that every acre of the prison
estate is being used effectively to rehabilitate offenders and
help them turn their backs on crime for good.
Rainsbrook Secure Training Centre was previously a secure unit
for children aged between 12 and 17 and closed in 2021. The
redevelopment of the former Rainsbrook site is due to be
completed by early 2025.
Notes to editors
- HMP Five Wells opened last year with a capacity of c.1,700
prisoners. HMP Fosse Way will also hold around 1,700 prisoners
when full
- HMP Millsike – the new prison adjacent to HMP Full Sutton -
will open in 2025 and will be our first all-electric prison with
a capacity of nearly 1,500
- To quickly create additional capacity across the system, we
have begun the installation of 1,000 Rapid Deployment Cells
across the prison estate – the majority of which will be
delivered this year
- We are also undertaking major refurbishments at HMP
Birmingham, HMP Liverpool and HMP Norwich, delivering
approximately 800 places between them. Construction has started
on new house blocks at HMP Stocken, HMP Rye Hill, HMP Sudbury and
HMP Hatfield, which will add approximately 850 places
- Since September 2022, the government has boosted prison
capacity by an additional 2,300 places. This has been achieved
through measures including greater use of double occupancy of
cells where it is safe to do so and delaying non-urgent
maintenance work
