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| Seven prison closures in England announced | Seven prison closures in England announced |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Seven prisons are to close and two more will be partially shut in England. | Seven prisons are to close and two more will be partially shut in England. |
| The Ministry of Justice said it would result in the loss of 2,600 places from "old and uneconomic" prisons and is expected to save £63m per year in running costs. | The Ministry of Justice said it would result in the loss of 2,600 places from "old and uneconomic" prisons and is expected to save £63m per year in running costs. |
| It says it also plans to build a new super prison with 2,000 places. | It says it also plans to build a new super prison with 2,000 places. |
| Shadow justice secretary Sadiq Khan said people would want reassurance that there would be enough prison places in coming years. | Shadow justice secretary Sadiq Khan said people would want reassurance that there would be enough prison places in coming years. |
| The proposed super prison would be around 25% bigger than Britain's existing largest facility and a feasibility study into its construction is to begin. | The proposed super prison would be around 25% bigger than Britain's existing largest facility and a feasibility study into its construction is to begin. |
| The super prison would be in London, north-west England or north Wales. | The super prison would be in London, north-west England or north Wales. |
| In 2009, the previous Labour government scrapped its plans for three 2,500-place Titan prisons. | |
| Six entire prisons are closing plus one of the three amalgamated jails on the Isle of Wight. | Six entire prisons are closing plus one of the three amalgamated jails on the Isle of Wight. |
| The prisons that are to close are Bullwood Hall in Essex, Canterbury, Gloucester, Kingston in Portsmouth, Shrewsbury, and Camp Hill on the Isle of Wight. | The prisons that are to close are Bullwood Hall in Essex, Canterbury, Gloucester, Kingston in Portsmouth, Shrewsbury, and Camp Hill on the Isle of Wight. |
| The UK's oldest working prison, Shepton Mallet, in Somerset, is also among those to be shut. | The UK's oldest working prison, Shepton Mallet, in Somerset, is also among those to be shut. |
| Justice Minister Chris Grayling said the prisons would be closed in the next few months. | Justice Minister Chris Grayling said the prisons would be closed in the next few months. |
| Prisons in Chelmsford and Hull are also to be partially closed. | Prisons in Chelmsford and Hull are also to be partially closed. |
| The MoJ said six prisons were to close as it listed the Isle of Wight changes as a partial closure. | The MoJ said six prisons were to close as it listed the Isle of Wight changes as a partial closure. |
| It said: "Our strategy for the custodial estate is to ensure that we have sufficient places to meet the demand of the courts whilst securing best value for money for the taxpayer." | It said: "Our strategy for the custodial estate is to ensure that we have sufficient places to meet the demand of the courts whilst securing best value for money for the taxpayer." |
| Custodial arrangements for women are to be reviewed and the results are expected by the summer. | Custodial arrangements for women are to be reviewed and the results are expected by the summer. |
| The MoJ said women offenders had "particular needs" and facilities for females should be "organised as effectively as possible to meet gender specific requirements whilst also delivering best value for the public". | The MoJ said women offenders had "particular needs" and facilities for females should be "organised as effectively as possible to meet gender specific requirements whilst also delivering best value for the public". |
| Mr Grayling said much of the prison system was "old and expensive". | |
| "But I never want the courts to be in a position where they cannot send a criminal to prison because there is no place available. | "But I never want the courts to be in a position where they cannot send a criminal to prison because there is no place available. |
| "So we have to move as fast as we can to replace the older parts of our prison system." | "So we have to move as fast as we can to replace the older parts of our prison system." |
| The justice secretary added that building a super prison was "not simply about incarcerating lots of people in one place". | The justice secretary added that building a super prison was "not simply about incarcerating lots of people in one place". |
| "If you've got a big centre like that you've got the ability to put good training facilities at the heart of it because it's in all of our interests to make sure that people come out of prison with more education, more skills and they have a better chance of getting a job rather than going back to prison," Mr Grayling told the BBC. | "If you've got a big centre like that you've got the ability to put good training facilities at the heart of it because it's in all of our interests to make sure that people come out of prison with more education, more skills and they have a better chance of getting a job rather than going back to prison," Mr Grayling told the BBC. |
| Following the MoJ announcement, Mr Khan said: "The public will want reassurance that there's enough prison places over the coming years to keep safely behind bars those found guilty of serious crimes, and that enough is being done to rehabilitate and reform prisoners to stop them re-offending." | Following the MoJ announcement, Mr Khan said: "The public will want reassurance that there's enough prison places over the coming years to keep safely behind bars those found guilty of serious crimes, and that enough is being done to rehabilitate and reform prisoners to stop them re-offending." |
| 'Discredited idea' | 'Discredited idea' |
| Mr Khan said the announcement had been "about short-term gain, with vague commitments to the possibility of a new prison being built somewhere down the line". | Mr Khan said the announcement had been "about short-term gain, with vague commitments to the possibility of a new prison being built somewhere down the line". |
| The Howard League for Penal Reform said plans for a super prison were "a titanic waste of money that will do nothing to cut crime". | The Howard League for Penal Reform said plans for a super prison were "a titanic waste of money that will do nothing to cut crime". |
| "Two years ahead of a general election campaign, the Justice Secretary is giving his desire to 'sound tough' a higher priority than giving taxpayers value for money or protecting public safety," said the charity's chief executive, Frances Crook. | "Two years ahead of a general election campaign, the Justice Secretary is giving his desire to 'sound tough' a higher priority than giving taxpayers value for money or protecting public safety," said the charity's chief executive, Frances Crook. |
| Juliet Lyon, director of the Prison Reform Trust, said closing prisons and reducing prison numbers "offers major social and economic gains" but warned that it "would be a gigantic mistake if the justice secretary were to revive the discredited idea of titans and pour taxpayers' money down the prison building drain" instead of investing in crime prevention, healthcare and community solutions to crime. | Juliet Lyon, director of the Prison Reform Trust, said closing prisons and reducing prison numbers "offers major social and economic gains" but warned that it "would be a gigantic mistake if the justice secretary were to revive the discredited idea of titans and pour taxpayers' money down the prison building drain" instead of investing in crime prevention, healthcare and community solutions to crime. |
| She also said small community prisons tend to be safer and better at reducing re-offending than large ones. | She also said small community prisons tend to be safer and better at reducing re-offending than large ones. |
| Joe Simpson, of the Prison Officers Association, condemned the changes. | Joe Simpson, of the Prison Officers Association, condemned the changes. |
| "The government is willing to overcrowd public sector prisons in order to save money," he said. | "The government is willing to overcrowd public sector prisons in order to save money," he said. |
| The BBC's Danny Shaw said the closures were the biggest for many years and would mean job losses among prison officers. | The BBC's Danny Shaw said the closures were the biggest for many years and would mean job losses among prison officers. |
| Smaller prisons | Smaller prisons |
| Our correspondent also said proposals for a super prison were at a very early stage and stressed that this was "a long way" from a new site being built. | Our correspondent also said proposals for a super prison were at a very early stage and stressed that this was "a long way" from a new site being built. |
| Prior to Thursday's announcement, five other jails have been closed since the coalition government came to power in May 2010. | Prior to Thursday's announcement, five other jails have been closed since the coalition government came to power in May 2010. |
| The prison population in England and Wales currently stands at 83,632. | The prison population in England and Wales currently stands at 83,632. |
| The operational capacity is 90,451. | The operational capacity is 90,451. |
| In addition to the super prison being considered, Mr Grayling unveiled plans for four new mini-prisons known as houseblocks. | In addition to the super prison being considered, Mr Grayling unveiled plans for four new mini-prisons known as houseblocks. |
| Those would be built at existing prisons at Parc in south Wales, Peterborough in Cambridgeshire, the Mount in Hertfordshire, and Thameside in London and, in total, would be able to hold up to 1,260. | Those would be built at existing prisons at Parc in south Wales, Peterborough in Cambridgeshire, the Mount in Hertfordshire, and Thameside in London and, in total, would be able to hold up to 1,260. |
| The MoJ announcement comes just days after the government unveiled plans to allow private firms and charities to supervise low-risk offenders on probation in England and Wales. | The MoJ announcement comes just days after the government unveiled plans to allow private firms and charities to supervise low-risk offenders on probation in England and Wales. |
| Are you a Prison Officer or the relative of a prison inmate? Are you affected by the issues in this story? |