A trio of contractors have been selected to provide up to 1,200 new prison places across the UK by 2025 under the new MoJ contract
Under the MoJ contract, Kier, Laing O’Rourke and Wates will deliver prison places with a focus on sustainability and social value.
The new prison house blocks will be built with standardised design and MMC techniques. Each house block will include 60 single-occupancy rooms and be supported by larger kitchen spaces and other relevant ancillaries.
Training and employment opportunities for prisoners will be provided under the MoJ contract
A number of sites will include educational areas for study and professional courses in trades such as bricklaying will be offered.
Kier, Laing O’Rourke and Wates will also provide training and employment opportunities for prison leavers to support rehabilitation.
This approach is aligned with the government’s Construction Playbook to create a contemporary prison estate that will deliver on the UK’s 2050 net zero carbon targets.
A spokesperson for the Alliance said: “This vital project will deliver much-needed prison places while also providing valuable training and employment opportunities to those leaving prison.
“Working in partnership together and using standardised designs, modern methods of construction, and a shared strategic supply chain enables us to drive efficiency and deliver significant value across multiple concurrent projects.”
Over 8,000 additional prison spaces are also in the pipeline
In addition to the new MoJ contract, Kier, Laing O’Rourke, and Wates are working with ISG and the MoJ in the separate Alliance 4 New Prisons (A4NP) to provide 6,000 new prison spaces.
Kier and Wates are also working as an Alliance to provide up to 2,200 places through the MoJ’s Accelerated Houseblock Delivery Programme.
Construction is anticipated to begin in 2024, with the houseblocks set to be operationally ready from 2025.
