(2) how many new prison places became operational in 2007; in which prison each place was located; what type of structure each cell was; what the life expectancy of each cell is; and what the average cost of building each place was.
New prison places delivered during 2007 as part of the Prison Capacity Programme are listed in the following table.
Location Places Construction type Lifetime (Years) Lowdham Grange 106 Houseblock 60 Kennet 342 Conversion 10-15 Featherstone 64 RBRu 40 Garth 180 Houseblock 60 Channings Wood 64 TCM 25 Altcourse 180 Houseblock 60 The Mount 44 RBRu 40 Stocken 120 Houseblock 60 Whatton 60 TCM 25 Haverigg 64 RBRu 40 Lindholme 60 TCM 25 Highdown 178 Houseblock 60 Hindley 60 TCM 25 Total for 2007 1,522 — —
The new places planned for 2008 are listed in the following table. The programme of delivery may be subject to change.
Location Places Construction type Lifetime (Years) Stoke Heath1 60 TCM 25 Ranby 60 TCM 25 Portland 64 RBRu 40 Send 64 RBRu 40 Erlestoke 60 TCM 25 Wayland 300 TCF 25 Acklington 64 RBRu 40 Isle of Wight 68 Conversion Minimum 25 Lewes 176 Houseblock 60 Stocken 64 RBRu 40 Kirklevington Grange 60 TCM 25 Blundeston 60 TCM 25 Highdown 180 Houseblock 60 Brinsford 64 RBRu 40 Wymott 64 RBRu 40 Bullingdon 120 Houseblock 60 Coldingley 124 RBRu 40 Highpoint 64 RBRu 40 Ashwell 64 RBRu 40 Rochester 300 TCF 25 Swaleside 180 Houseblock 60 Onley 64 RBRu 40 Total for 2008 2,324 — — 1 Delivered in January 2008.
There are a further 249 places planned in 2008 for which planning permission is being sought.
Building type Capital cost per place per year of lifespan1 (£) Houseblock 3,660 RBRu 4,400 TCM 4,300 TCF 4,800 1 Published in Lord Carter’s Review of Prisons: Securing the Future. RBRu—Rapid Build Residential unit. TCM—Temporary Custodial Module in a number of different layouts. TCF—Temporary Facility.
The cost per place for conversions is dependent on a number of factors including the nature of the existing buildings, the amount of work required and the time scale for delivery.
No research has been commissioned into the relative performance of larger as opposed to smaller prisons. Latest Prison Service Performance Ratings, published in December 2007, show that the largest prisons are performing satisfactorily.
Between 25 January 2008 and 31 July the Prison Capacity programme is planned to deliver around 1,450 places and a total of around 2,500 by the end of the year.
Current capacity forecasts indicate that the net capacity of the prison estate will be around 83,400 at the end of July and around 84,800 by the end of December.