Companies secure £225m Ministry of Justice contract

Kier, Laing O’Rourke and Wates have been appointed by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) to provide up to 1,200 new prison places across the UK with a focus on safety, security and rehabilitation.

Building on the success of the MoJ’s pioneering Alliance model, all three contractors will collaborate and share best practice to provide high quality new facilities, drive down carbon emissions and deliver social value to the prison community. Alliance members will also collaborate on how to support and work most efficiently with supply chain partners across the sites.

The prison places will be in new houseblocks with a standardised design and construction approach maximising quality, efficiency and sustainable outcomes through modern methods of construction (MMC). Each houseblock will include 60 single-occupancy rooms and be supported by larger kitchen spaces and other relevant ancillaries.

A number of the sites will contain educational areas for study and light industrial units where prisoners can take professional courses such as bricklaying. All three contractors will also provide training and employment opportunities for prison leavers to support rehabilitation.

This approach is fully aligned with the government’s Construction Playbook and recognises the significant benefits of Tier 1 contractors working together to drive innovation, maximise social value outcomes and create a contemporary prison estate that will deliver on the UK’s 2050 net zero carbon targets. This programme builds on the success of the Ministry of Justice’s pathfinder projects at HMP Five Wells, HMP Fosse Way, and HMP Millsike.

The three teams will immediately commence an intensive preconstruction period. Construction work is anticipated to begin in 2024, with the houseblocks set to be operationally ready from 2025.

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.

We welcome this pioneering approach from the Ministry of Justice and look forward to working with them on this programme that will see the delivery further safe, modern, sustainable, and fit-for-purpose accommodation for the Justice system.”

In addition to this programme, Kier, Laing O’Rourke and Wates are working with ISG and the MoJ in the separate Alliance 4 New Prisons (A4NP) which will deliver an additional 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.