New prison planned for Merseyside

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/england/merseyside/6278677.stm

Version 0 of 1.

A new 350-place category C prison is to be opened in Merseyside, the government has announced.

It will be based in Maghull on land leased from Mersey Care NHS Trust, which runs the nearby high security Ashworth Hospital.

HMP Kennet will begin operating in spring 2007 and will hold adult convicted male prisoners.

It will focus on providing skills and qualifications for offenders, said Home Secretary John Reid.

'Unlikely escape'

"The new prison will also create jobs and business opportunities for the local community", he added.

HMP Kennet will be on land not currently required by the NHS Trust and is part of an expansion programme that will see the prison capacity in England and Wales rise to more than 81,000 in 2007.

The prison will operate for an initial period of five years with the possibility of extending its use if required.

Category C prisoners are described by the Home Officer as "prisoners who can't be trusted in open conditions but who are unlikely to try to escape."