Plans expected to create 4,000 new prison places, Dominic Raab announces

The change is part of the Government’s pledge to make jail capacity larger.

If planning permission allows for the proposals to go ahead, new wings will be built and refurbishment of old prison space will be taking place, according to the Ministry of Justice (MoJ).

Last year, the Government’s pledge was set out with the idea that 20,000 prison places would be created by the mid-2020s and the plans for the new 4,000 places come under that pledge.

A police officer holding a radio (PA)

Which prisons are set to be refurbished if planning permission allows?

The MoJ has said that the following prisons will be refurbished if planning permission allows: HMPs Norwich, Birmingham, Liverpool, Haverigg and HMP/YOIs Feltham, Aylesbury and Swinfen Hall.

Prisons that could see new blocks being built are as follows: HMPs Bullingdon, Channings Wood, Elmley, Highpoint, Hindley, Wayland, Guys Marsh, High Down – in the form of a workshop – and Stocken.

Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary Dominic Raab said: “Our prison-building programme will deliver an extra 20,000 prison places by the mid-2020s to punish offenders, deter crime and protect the public.

“We are also overhauling the prison regime, using prison design, in cell technology, abstinence-based drug rehabilitation and work to drive down reoffending.”

The Liberal Democrats criticised the plans, describing them as “the cost of the Conservatives’ failure on crime”.

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The plans were also attacked by the Liberal Democrats as they didn’t think enough was being done in order to deal with the prison population which is increasing.

The party’s home affairs spokesperson Alistair Carmichael said: “This is the cost of the Conservatives’ failure on crime. The UK already has more people in prison than any other country in Western Europe, and now the Government is spending an extra £4 billion because crime is rising.

“These new places won’t even do anything to reduce the huge overcrowding in prisons, because of the rising prison population. Only by ending overcrowding can we rehabilitate prisoners properly and break the cycle of reoffending.

“Just building more prison cells won’t do anything to make our communities safer. Instead of trying to sound tough, ministers should focus on restoring effective community policing where officers are visible, trusted and focused on cutting crime.”