In recent years, it has become increasingly apparent that a lack of prison space in England and Wales could pose a significant problem in the near future. At present, the prison population stands at 83,632 – worryingly close to the maximum legal capacity of 90,451.
However, the government has proposed a radical new plan to create a brand new “super prison” in Wrexham, North Wales. The £250 million project will create space for a further 2,000 inmates and allow for 1,000 new jobs in the area.
According to government sources, this new prison will be built upon the former Firestone site on the Wrexham Industrial Estate and will bring £23 million to the local economy per annum. The facility will be used as a Category C prison, catering for prisoners who cannot be trusted in an open prison environment but pose no flight risk.
Welsh Secretary David Jones believes that this opportunity will greatly benefit both prisoners and the local community.
He says; “The construction of this much needed facility will bring with it considerable economic benefits for local businesses, and create up to 1,000 employment opportunities across the region.
“It will facilitate the rehabilitation of offenders by making them more accessible to their families, legal advisers and the probation service, enabling a smoother transition back into the community.”
The announcement was made just days after an investigation by the Howard League for Penal Reform highlighted the true problem of overcrowding in English and Welsh prisons. According to the report, 19,140 inmates in the year to April were forced to share cells designed for one person only – equating to around a quarter of the whole prison population.
Yet despite this, the Howard League for Penal Reform spoke out against the super prison, claiming that it is “a titanic waste of money that will do nothing to cut crime”.
Chief executive Francis Cook continued; “Two years ahead of a general election campaign, the justice secretary is giving his desire to ‘sound tough’ a higher priority than giving taxpayers value for money or protecting public safety.”
Unfortunately the super prison, due for completion in 2017, will come at a cost. A total of four prisons in England and Wales will close by March next year in a cost-cutting measure, including Northallerton, Reading, Dorchester and Blundeston.
There are also plans to replace Feltham Young Offender Institution.
With more announcements of prison closures forecast over the coming months, there is some debate over what will happen to these sites once they are no longer required by the justice system. Developers are taking advantage of a property boom at present, so there is a real chance that the facilities will be sold on and redeveloped into out of town leisure centres, hotels or even retail parks; however, industrial units and warehouses are also in high demand at present.
The closure of multiple prisons could certainly prove profitable for the government, both in terms of the money saved on running costs and the sell-off of the sites. However, the real question is whether one new super prison will be able to meet the capacity needs of the UK.
Do you think super prisons are a good idea, or do multiple smaller facilities better meet the needs of the UK justice system?
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