New 1,500-Place Prison HMP Millsike opens in Full Sutton

Attorney General Shabana Mahmoud said, “We cannot build a way out of the prison capacity crisis.”

The 39 football pitch size C prison is next to the existing top security HMP Full Sutton and is the latest step towards the government's goal of creating 14,000 extra prisons by 2031.

24 workshops and training facilities are designed to reduce crimes aimed at returning criminals to work and leaving them away from crime when released, the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) said.

The opening comes when Ms. Mahmood re-enacts the use of police cell phones to hold prisoners when prison occupancy reaches a height of six months.

Attorney General Shabana Mahmood was toured during the official opening of HMP Millsike (Image: Danny Lawson/PA Wire)At the time of the prison's opening, she said the prison is operating at an occupancy rate of over 99%, despite thousands of prisoners being released early on in order to alleviate overcrowding since September last year.

Mahmood said the system was on the “brink of collapse” nine months ago and was facing a complete run through space within a few weeks.

HMP Millsike, Full Sutton near Pocklington (Image: Danny Lawson/PA Wire) She said: “If we hadn't acted, the outcome would have been devastating. Our courts were based on a halt and the police would have been forced to stop the arrest.

“We would have faced a complete breakdown of law and order.”

HMP Millsike, named after Millsike Beck, who runs by the site, will receive its first prisoner at the end of April.

“We can't build a way out of the prison capacity crisis.”

Mahmood took part in a tour of the site's cell block and workshops. This allows 500 criminals to train their skills at any time, such as cleaning, bricks, barbers, carpenters and more.

She said: “We must be honest about the challenges we face.

“We need this new prison, but we can't build a way out of the prison's capacity crisis.

“So new prisons like Mirshikh must go along with long-term sentencing reforms.”

One of the HMP Millsike cells (Image: Danny Lawson/PA Wire) She said: “We need to punish criminals and we have to do so.

“But that punishment must encourage them to turn their backs on a life of crime, that's how we can reduce crime, reduce casualties, and ultimately make our city safer.”

The HMP Millsike is equipped with cutting-edge security technology to combat drugs, drones and cell phones, including burless windows, hundreds of CCTV cameras and x-ray body scanners, stopping illegal supplies from entering prisons.

One toilet in HMP Millsike cells (Image: Danny Lawson/PA Wire) The prison is run by contractor Matier Care and custody, while education and training are run by PeoplePlus.

The construction of the prison will create 800 jobs and another 600 jobs will be created from its operations, MOJ said.