New Prison Opens in Yorkshire as Part of Government’s Plan to Cut Crime
The UK Government’s efforts to tackle crime and keep dangerous offenders locked up have taken a significant step forward with the opening of HMP Millsike in Yorkshire. The new prison, which has a capacity of 1,500 places, is the first of four new jails to be opened as part of the pledge to create 14,000 extra prison places by 2031.
According to the Government’s announcement, HMP Millsike is a Category C "resettlement" prison, designed to help cut crime and reduce reoffending. The prison features 24 workshops and training facilities aimed at getting offenders into work on release and away from crime for good. This, the Government claims, will help reduce the number of victims in the future.
Minister for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending, James Timpson, said: "HMP Millsike is a vital part of our Plan for Change, building 14,000 new prison places by 2031. This modern prison has been designed to cut crime. This prison will force offenders to turn their backs on crime, delivering safer streets and ensuring there are fewer victims in the future." The Minister’s comments, as reported by the Government, highlight the importance of the new prison in the Government’s efforts to tackle crime.
The prison, which is the size of 39 football pitches, comes equipped with state-of-the-art security technology to combat the drugs, drones, and phones that have plagued prisons in recent years and risked the safety of frontline officers. This includes reinforced barless windows to deter drone activity, hundreds of CCTV cameras, and X-ray body scanners to spot and stop contraband entering the prison. The Government’s announcement highlights the importance of these security measures in ensuring the safety of both prisoners and staff.
The prison will be operated by Mitie Care and Custody, with education and workplace training provider PeoplePlus providing offenders with the tools they need to find work on release and stay on the straight and narrow. Russell Trent, Managing Director, Immigration and Justice, Mitie Care & Custody, said: "As the first prisoners arrive at HMP Millsike, our focus is on building safer communities by creating an environment that promotes problem solving and self-determination to help the rehabilitation process enabling prisoners to break the cycle of reoffending." The comments, as reported by the Government, demonstrate the commitment of Mitie Care and Custody to rehabilitation and reducing reoffending.
The opening of HMP Millsike is a major milestone in the Government’s 10-year prison capacity strategy, published in December. This plan includes 6,400 places through new houseblocks and 6,500 places via new prisons. One thousand rapid deployment cells will be rolled out across the estate while more than 1,000 existing cells will be refurbished. The Government’s announcement highlights the significant investment in the prison estate, including a £2.3 billion investment to deliver these prison builds, with a further £500 million going towards vital building maintenance across prisons and the probation service by the end of March 2026.
In terms of background information, the Government’s announcement notes that the first prisoners arrived at HMP Millsike today, and the population will steadily increase each week to ensure a safe and stable ramp-up process. The ramp-up will be strictly monitored and can be adjusted or paused should the safety or stability of the prison require it.
The UK Government’s efforts to tackle crime and improve the prison estate are ongoing. As the Government’s announcement highlights, the new prison is part of a broader strategy to create 14,000 extra prison places by 2031. This strategy, which includes the construction of new prisons and the refurbishment of existing cells, aims to ensure that the country has sufficient prison capacity to keep dangerous offenders locked up.
