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| Spending review: Nine new prisons to replace Victorian jails | Spending review: Nine new prisons to replace Victorian jails |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Nine new prisons will open in England and Wales - five by 2020 - under plans to close Victorian jails and sell them for housing, the government has said. | Nine new prisons will open in England and Wales - five by 2020 - under plans to close Victorian jails and sell them for housing, the government has said. |
| About 10,000 inmates will be moved to the new institutions in an attempt to save an estimated £80m a year. | About 10,000 inmates will be moved to the new institutions in an attempt to save an estimated £80m a year. |
| The move will form part of Chancellor George Osborne's spending review due on 25 November. | The move will form part of Chancellor George Osborne's spending review due on 25 November. |
| It will make the country's prison system "fit for purpose in the 21st Century", the Treasury said. | It will make the country's prison system "fit for purpose in the 21st Century", the Treasury said. |
| Government sources say the prison building programme will cost more than £1bn, BBC political correspondent Norman Smith reports. | |
| In addition to the nine new jails, a new prison is currently being built in Wrexham and expansions are taking place at HMP Stocken, in Rutland, and HMP Rye Hill, in Warwickshire. | |
| Spending review: Osborne 'secures deals' on 30% cuts | Spending review: Osborne 'secures deals' on 30% cuts |
| 'Victorian relics' | 'Victorian relics' |
| More than 3,000 new homes could be built on the city centre sites of the old jails, the government said. | More than 3,000 new homes could be built on the city centre sites of the old jails, the government said. |
| Grade II-listed HMP Reading, built in 1844 and closed in 2013, will be first to be sold, according to the Treasury announcement. | |
| However, this comes just a month after Reading Borough Council was told by the Ministry of Justice that the prison would be retained "in case of contingencies". | However, this comes just a month after Reading Borough Council was told by the Ministry of Justice that the prison would be retained "in case of contingencies". |
| The other sites being sold have not been revealed but there has been speculation in the past that they might include Pentonville and Brixton prisons in London. | |
| BBC News home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw says Justice Secretary Michael Gove made clear he wanted to modernise the prison estate shortly after taking up his role. | |
| New prisons are cheaper to run and easier to equip with the training and work facilities needed to help the rehabilitation of offenders, our correspondent added. | |
| Mr Osborne said: "This spending review is about reform as much as it is about making savings. | Mr Osborne said: "This spending review is about reform as much as it is about making savings. |
| "One important step will be to modernise the prison estate. So many of our jails are relics from Victorian times on prime real estate in our inner cities. | "One important step will be to modernise the prison estate. So many of our jails are relics from Victorian times on prime real estate in our inner cities. |
| "So we are going to reform the infrastructure of our prison system, building new institutions which are modern, suitable and rehabilitative. | "So we are going to reform the infrastructure of our prison system, building new institutions which are modern, suitable and rehabilitative. |
| "And we will close old, outdated prisons in city centres, and sell the sites to build thousands of much-needed new homes." | "And we will close old, outdated prisons in city centres, and sell the sites to build thousands of much-needed new homes." |
| Increasing violence | Increasing violence |
| The chancellor and Mr Gove made the announcement ahead of a visit to Brixton prison - a Victorian prison in south London. | |
| Mr Gove said: "We will be able to design out the dark corners which too often facilitate violence and drug-taking. | Mr Gove said: "We will be able to design out the dark corners which too often facilitate violence and drug-taking. |
| "And we will be able to build a prison estate which allows prisoners to be rehabilitated, so they turn away from crime." | "And we will be able to build a prison estate which allows prisoners to be rehabilitated, so they turn away from crime." |
| In July, Chief Inspector of Prisons Nick Hardwick said in his annual report that jails in England and Wales were in their worst state for 10 years, with increasing violence. | In July, Chief Inspector of Prisons Nick Hardwick said in his annual report that jails in England and Wales were in their worst state for 10 years, with increasing violence. |
| He said the use of legal highs was fuelling violence, while inmate deaths and self-harming were rising, and staff attacks were also up. | He said the use of legal highs was fuelling violence, while inmate deaths and self-harming were rising, and staff attacks were also up. |