Thousands of new prison places to rehabilitate offenders

Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab has announced an unprecedented expansion and refurbishment programme will create more than 4,000 new prison places across the country.

The new places are part of the government’s £4 billion investment to create 20,000 modern and innovative prison places, ensuring the right conditions are in place to truly rehabilitate prisoners. The 4,000 places will be created across 16 prisons through the building of new wings and refurbishing jails.

Subject to planning permission, eight prisons will receive new houseblocks while HMP High Down in Surrey will get a brand-new workshop. The innovative designs will mean easier access to supporting facilities such as healthcare, kitchens and staff offices which will help to protect frontline staff and clamp down on crime behind bars.

Seven other prisons will also receive comprehensive refurbishments part of a wider £150 million investment in the estate to help bring all jails into the 21st century.

The prison population is expected to increase by 19,000 by the mid-2020s as the government cracks down on crime and recruits 20,000 new police officers.

Raab said: “Our unprecedented prison-building programme is the largest in more than a century and will deliver an additional 20,000 prison places by the mid-2020s. We are improving our existing prison estate, putting more offenders behind bars, training them for release and protecting the public.”