Modular builder develops prison cell to tackle jail overcrowding
A Humber-based offsite construction business has developed a modular custodial cell which it says could hold the key to tackling the prisons overcrowding crisis.
Modular specialist Integra Buildings has designed and manufactured the cell, which has been fully tested to ensure it complies with Government standards.
Sir Keir Starmer described prisons overcrowding as “shocking” just days after being elected as Prime Minister and said the situation was “worse than imagined”.
Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood subsequently said thousands of prisoners will be released early to ease the pressure on crowded jails, with many prisons labelled as being “on the brink of collapse.”
Integra says its modular cell offers a “perfect solution” to the challenge of increasing prisons capacity to address overcrowding. It adds the unit is ready to be deployed at pace and scale immediately.
Chris Turner, managing director of the company, said: “Prisons overcrowding is without doubt an issue of significant public concern and a major priority for the new Government.
“We believe modular construction can and should play an important part in addressing this issue.
“Our unit is ready to be manufactured and rolled out right now. Modular construction has numerous advantages over traditional building methods and we have a bespoke, fully-tested unit which can help tackle the prisons overcrowding crisis, as well as being deployed in other custodial settings.”
The unit can be built in a variety of sizes, with the smallest cell measuring 2.6m x 3m, and includes a shower, toilet and washbasin.
It can be provided as a single standalone unit, a conjoined unit or stacked together to create an entire building. Cells can be added to existing prison sites to create much-needed additional capacity, or sited at other secure locations.
The cell is designed for Category C prisoners – those who pose a lower risk to the public and who make up a large proportion of the prisons population.
Ahead of the General Election, the Ministry of Justice had unveiled plans to build six new prisons to create an additional 20,000 places.
The new Government has re-affirmed it wants to build more prisons in the future, but further details – including how those prisons will be built – have yet to be revealed.
