Due to open next year, the Category C prison is the third new
prison being built as part of the government's £4 billion prison
expansion programme, delivering 20,000 new places.
The appointment follows a competitive bidding process where Mitie
Care & Custody set out a strong proposal.
When opened, the category C prison in Yorkshire will hold 1,500
prisoners who will spend their sentences learning the skills they
need to find work on release as part of the government's drive to
cut reoffending and keep the public safe.
In addition, Mitie Care & Custody has committed to deliver
drug treatment that supports abstinence-based recovery for
prisoners in prison and after their release, a learning package
tailored to prisoners to help them boost their skills, and 1,000
living wage jobs for prison leavers over the course of the
contract.
Prisons Minister Edward Argar said:
We are creating modern and secure prisons with rehabilitation at
their heart so we can turn offenders lives around for good and
cut crime and reoffending further.
We are building 20,000 prison places now that we are keeping the
most dangerous offenders behind bars for longer and I look
forward to seeing Mitie Care & Custody's innovative approach
in action when HMP Millsike opens next year.
HMP Millsike will run solely on electricity, making it the first
of its kind in the UK. The build will use solar panels, heat pump
technology and more efficient lighting systems to run the prison,
meaning that it will use approximately a quarter of the energy
used to heat traditional Victorian prisons.
The government believes that a mix of public, voluntary and
private sector involvement is key to the success of our prisons
and it has been shown to introduce improvements and deliver value
for money for taxpayers. Appointing Mitie Care & Custody as a
new private operator of prisons helps to increase the diversity
and resilience of the market and brings fresh ideas and
approaches.
The building of the prison has already provided offenders with
valuable work experience, with prisoners on day release
supporting its construction, learning key construction skills, as
well as transferable skills such as teamwork, communication and
organisation that will help them find jobs at the end of their
time in prison.
Over £117 million has been invested in the local community
through the construction so far, and Mitie Care & Custody
will employ over 500 people when the prison is
operational.
Danny Spencer, Managing Director, Mitie Care & Custody,
said:
As proud partners to the public sector, we are pleased to have
been awarded this contract to operate HMP Millsike.
With our experience delivering critical public services to
support the immigration, justice and care sectors, as well as our
expertise in facilities transformation and decarbonisation, we
are excited to bring a modern and caring approach to prison
management at this innovative new site.
The news comes as the Ministry of Justice also confirmed Serco
has been awarded a new contract to continue operating HMP
Ashfield, a Category C prison in South Gloucestershire. The
contract will run for 10 years.
Notes to editors
- Mitie Care & Custody will operate HMP Millsike for 10
years from its opening in 2025.
- The contract with Mitie is worth £329 million. Many
privately-run prisons are among the best performing across the
estate and have been praised by independent inspectors and HMP
Millsike's contract award is reflective of this.
- Through its specialist Care & Custody business, Mitie
delivers a range of critical public services to support the
immigration, justice and care sectors. This includes managing
Immigration Removal Centres on behalf of the Home Office and
delivering healthcare services for custody detention suites.
Mitie also provides facilities management services within the UK
prison estate.
- Situated on land next to the existing HMP Full Sutton, HMP
Millsike has been named after Millsike Beck, a local river that
runs adjacent to the new jail, firmly embedding the prison into
its local community.
- We have embarked on the largest prison building programme
since the Victorian era, creating 20,000 modern places, and are
on track to have delivered around 10,000 by the end of 2025.
