Critics slam Britain's newest prison
‘Lovely hotel, be nice for a weekend away!’: Critics slam Britain’s newest prison where windows have no bars, criminals can play on a driving simulator or even launch a pop career with the help of record company executives
- HMP Fosse Way is a new prison in Leicester which will house 1,715 prisoners
- It is designed to help cut crime, rehabilitate offenders and boost the economy
Britain’s newest jail was today compared to a luxury hotel as details emerged of its relaxed set up, including windows with no bars, a driving simulator – and even opportunities to launch a pop career.
HMP Fosse Way, a category C prison in Leicester, was mocked by critics for its similarity to student halls, with inmates also given their own personal computers that double up as a TV.
Among the state-of-the-art facilities is a music classroom where record company representatives can help offenders train in music production for industry qualifications, a brand new library and an astro-turf sports pitch.
Footage from inside the ‘Scandinavian-style’ jail, which will house 1,715 inmates, reveals a ping pong table for prisoners to enjoy and some of the workshops available, including a construction vehicle simulator – an exercise not too far removed from playing video games.
The conditions sparked outrage on social media, with one writing: ‘Lovely hotel, be nice for a weekend away.’
A construction vehicle simulator – an exercise not too far removed from playing video games – is among the facilities available
Prisoners will also get access to computers that can double up as TVs in their ‘luxury’ cells
The new jail, on the site of the old HMP Glen Parva, also has a ping pong table for inmates to use
A fellow Facebook user joked: ‘Looks luxury in there, stayed in worse hotels.’
A third said: ‘Better than student accommodation in many universities.’
Another compared it to a ‘hotel games room’, adding: ‘How do we sign up?’
Fosse Way has been hailed by ministers as Britain’s ‘greenest ever’ prison, by using eco-friendly fuels, renewable energy and electric construction machinery.
The government says the prison – built on the site of the old HMP Glen Parva – includes innovations to bolster security and cut crime behind bars – along with plans to help prisoners find work.
As well as the construction vehicle simulator, it will also feature other workshops to help offenders learn skills such as how to manufacture glasses and construct concrete components and lighting equipment that can be used in future prison builds.
Justice Secretary Alex Chalk attended the official opening of the prison yesterday.
He said the build signals a new approach to prisons by ‘creating safe, modern places that utilise the latest technology to place rehabilitation and cutting crime at their core’ as the Government presses on with its £4 billion construction programme.
There were 71 ex-offenders and prisoners released on temporary licence who were part of the 500 people involved in the construction of the prison.
It will create another 600 jobs, according to the MoJ, and will be operated by Serco following a competitive tendering process.
Prisoners at HMP Fosse Way in Leicestershire will also have access to a brand new library
There were 71 ex-offenders and prisoners released on temporary licence who were part of the 500 people involved in the construction of the prison, which also features an astro turf pitch
The build has also seen £180 million spent with local construction suppliers and will benefit the environment by using greener fuels, renewable energy and electric construction machinery.
Among the security-improving ‘smart’ designs at Fosse Way are X-shaped blocks with wider, shorter corridors and fewer prisoners on each wing – which allows frontline staff to see all cells and offenders quickly at any one time.
Cells have ultra-secure, barless windows, which ministers say will help to put an end to the smuggling of illegal drugs, phones and weapons into jails.
Prisoners will also get access computers that can double up as TVs to access education and learning from inside their cell.
These are kitted out with strong security to ensure they are not abused, while airport-style body scanners are being deployed to try and prevent contraband from getting on to the wings.
Lessons about concrete components in construction backed by a computer-aided design education qualification, LED lighting, an optical lab run by The Prisons Opticians are among a range of state-of-the-art workshops aimed at helping the prisoners find work once they are released.
Mr Chalk, who met with frontline prison staff at HMP Fosse Way, said the opening means the Government is ‘a quarter of the way towards completion of the biggest prison-building programme in more than a century’.
HMP Fosse Way has been ridiculed on social media for its similar look and feel to student halls
Cells have ultra-secure, bar-less windows, which ministers say will help to put an end to the smuggling of illegal drugs, phones and weapons into jails
Justice Secretary Alex Chalk attended the official opening of the prison yesterday
It will create another 600 jobs, according to the MoJ, and will be operated by Serco following a competitive tendering process
The build has also seen £180 million spent with local construction suppliers and will benefit the environment by using greener fuels, renewable energy sources such as solar panels (pictured) and electric construction machinery
He added: ‘The cutting-edge design will give offenders every opportunity to turn around their lives, while also providing a significant boost in this Government’s drive to grow the economy.’
The next new prison will be HMP Millsike, which is being built next to HMP Full Sutton in East Yorkshire. Planning approval is being sought for three other prisons across the country.
The MoJ said work is being done to provide immediate extra capacity, including rolling out hundreds of rapid deployment cells at HMP Norwich and HMP Hollesley Bay.
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