New prison opens near York

A new jail that can hold around 1,500 prisoners has been opened near York.

Category C prison HMP Millsike, which is the size of 39 football pitches, is the latest step towards a target to create 14,000 extra prison places by 2031.

The jail was designed to cut crime, with 24 workshops and training facilities aimed at getting offenders back into work and away from crime when they are released, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said.

The opening comes as Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood re-enacted the use of police cells to hold prisoners as jail occupancy reached a six-month high.

The Lord Chancellor has said prisons were operating at more than 99% occupancy, despite thousands of prisoners being freed early in a bid to ease overcrowding since September last year.

Ms Mahmood said: "This Government is fixing the broken prison system we inherited, delivering the cells needed to take the most dangerous criminals off our streets.

"HMP Millsike sets the standard for the jails of the future, with cutting crime built into its very fabric.

"But building jails only takes us so far in ending this crisis, which is why we're also reviewing sentencing so we can always lock up dangerous offenders and make our streets safer."

HMP Millsike has also been fitted with security technology to combat drugs, drones and phones, including barless windows, hundreds of CCTV cameras and X-ray body scanners to stop illicit supplies getting into prison.

Building the prison created 800 jobs and a further 600 jobs will now be created from its operation, the MoJ said.

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