First prisoners arrive at new 1,500-place jail
Source: gov.uk (2025-04-22)

The first prisoners have been locked up at a new jail that will create nearly 1,500 prison places, helping to cut crime and make streets safer today as part of the Government’s Plan for Change (23 April).

New prison built to cut crime and keep dangerous offenders locked up

Part of Government’s Plan for Change to make streets safer

2,400 prison places already delivered since July

HMP Millsike in Yorkshire is now operational, making it the first of four new jails to be opened as part of the pledge to create 14,000 extra prison places by 2031, keeping dangerous offenders locked up.

This extra capacity will help keep the public safe by making sure the country never runs out of space again.

As a Category C “resettlement” prison, HMP Millsike has been designed with a clear aim - cutting crime and reducing reoffending. It includes 24 workshops and training facilities aimed at getting offenders into work on release and away from crime for good, so fewer people become 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 prison is the size of 39 football pitches and comes fitted with 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 prison will be operated by Mitie Care and Custody. Education and workplace training provider PeoplePlus will give offenders 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.

As a resettlement prison, every element including the design, facilities and technology is purposefully structured so that prisoners leave HMP Millsike qualified, employable and ready to integrate and contribute to society.”

With the country still using many of its Victorian prisons, HMP Millsike has been built to also stand the test of time. Its use of modern materials and fittings will keep running and repairs costs to a minimum for taxpayers.

Its opening 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.

It follows 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. The strategy will work alongside the Independent Sentencing Review to ensure the most serious offenders can always be sent to prison to protect the public.

Background information

The first prisoners arrived today, and the population will steadily increase each week to ensure a safe and stable ramp-up process.

Ramp up will be strictly monitored and can be adjusted or paused should the safety or stability of the prison require it.

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