£91m jail ‘will create hundreds of jobs for the area’

A NEW £91m prison for 1,000 men near York should be a boost for the local economy, the Prison Officers Association said.

The new jail will be built on land next to HMP Full Sutton, one of four new developments announced by Justice Secretary Liz Truss as part of plans to reform the crisis-hit jail system.

Documents submitted to East Riding Council revealed a total of 508 staff would be directly employed at the jail. Of them 275 are expected to come from the local area.

However the POA warned there could be problems with recruitment, not only because starting salaries are low at £22,000, but because levels of violence could be a “serious deterrent” to new officers.

Although a Category C prison, POA spokesman Glyn Travis said the category system was “in turmoil”, and claimed there could be higher-risk Category B prisoners mixed in.

He added: “Our concern is will the current levels of pay and remuneration being offered by the Prison Service be fit for purpose in the area where the prison is being built?

“All too often staff have joined and left within a very short period of time – they simply did not realise the problems we face.”

The jobs include prison officers, managerial and healthcare jobs as well as in finance and administration. Another 115 jobs could be created indirectly, through the jail purchasing goods and services.

More than 130 people attended exhibitions last month, some raising concerns about traffic on Moor Lane and light pollution.

The Ministry of Justice is applying for planning permission for jails in the North West, Kent and South Wales. The outline planning application is likely to go to East Riding Council’s planning committee in June or July.