Fourteen thousand new prison places, with a target to open by
2031, form part of a ten-year Prison Capacity Strategy to make
sure we always have the spaces needed to keep the public
safe.
Part of the Government's Plan for Change, and its mission to make
our streets safe, four new prisons will be built in the next
seven years, opening up 6,400 places to lock up dangerous
criminals.
Under the 10-year prison capacity strategy, unveiled by the Lord
Chancellor today (11 December), a
further 6,400 places will be built in new blocks on current
sites, 1,000 rapid deployment cells will be rolled out and over
1,000 existing cells will be refurbished.
£2.3 billion will be invested to back this prison build, while a
further £500 million will go towards vital building maintenance
across prisons and the probation service.
The strategy out today also reveals the scale of the problem this
Government is facing, after capacity of the prison estate
increased by less than 500 places in the 14 years to April
2024.
To get shovels into the ground fast, changes to planning rules
will see prisons deemed as sites of national importance,
reflecting their critical importance to public protection. This
will put an end to lengthy delays in the planning process which
are stopping new prisons from being built as quickly as
needed.
The Government will also get ahead of demand with an ambition to
acquire new land for potential future prisons and to make sure
the supply always keeps up with demand.
Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary
said:
“The last Government pretended they could send people away for
longer and longer without building the prisons they promised.
This strategy reveals that their prison building plans were years
delayed and nearly £5bn over budget. They left our prisons in
crisis, on the edge of collapse.
“Part of our plan for change, this capacity strategy, alongside
an independent review of sentencing policy, will keep our streets
safe and ensure no government runs out of prison places
again.”
In just a few short months, this Government has already added
around 500 places, as part of the 20,000 place prison expansion
programme.
Last week, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local
Government also gave the go ahead for a new prison next to HMP
Garth in Lancashire, on greenbelt land, after three years and
four months stuck in the planning system. This will allow for
around 1700 prison places to be built on the
site.
In the last decade, despite significant increases in the time
offenders spent in prison, there was no transparency with the
public over the growing gulf between supply and
demand.
To make sure this Government, and future administrations, are
always properly held to account on prison building and the
long-term impact of changes to sentencing, from now on an Annual
Statement on Prison Capacity will be published, providing clarity
to Parliament and the public on the availability of prison
places.
Today, the Lord Chancellor has published the first statement of
its kind.
The ten-year Prison Capacity Strategy will work alongside the
Independent Sentencing Review to ensure there is always space in
prison and the country never runs out of prison spaces ever
again.
The Independent Sentencing Review, chaired by the Rt Hon , will make sure the most
serious offenders can always be sent to prison to protect the
public.
END
Notes to Editors
· The Government has
committed to strengthening the approach to national planning
policy to make clear that significant weight should be places on
the importance of new, expanded or upgraded infrastructure –
including prisons.
· The Ministry of Housing and
Local Government intends to publish the response to an ongoing
consultation and revised National Planning Policy Framework later
this year.
· We are investing £220
million in prison and probation service maintenance in 2024-2025
and up to £300 million in 2025-26, to improve conditions and keep
prisons safe and secure.
