A £110 million investment has been announced by Lord Chancellor Alex Norris to accelerate the largest prison building programme since the Victorian era. This funding aims to speed up the construction of hundreds of prison places, contributing to a government plan to add 14,000 extra spaces by 2031.
The investment will facilitate the conversion of existing prison spaces, such as unused offices, laundry rooms, and storage areas, into cells. Ministers have also confirmed that funds will be used to purchase new land for potential future prison sites.
Alongside this, a contract has been signed to initiate the first phase of works on a new 1,700-place prison in Lancashire. The Lord Chancellor is also set to update Parliament today on changes to sentencing reforms, which are intended to prevent more offenders from early release, and will confirm an extra £18.9 million for victim support services.