The Mirror’s Sophie Huskisson recounts her visit to HMP Millsike, a new 1,500-place jail in Yorkshire with a focus on rehabilitation to try to get offenders out of a life of crime
One thing I did not expect in a prison was a Dolly Parton quote to be written on the walls. But a new site in Yorkshire is a jail trying to make sure prisoners turn their back on crime – and to remind them of a better life on the outside.
HMP Millsike is a resettlement prison, where most offenders go at the end of their sentence, focusing on rehabilitation and training. And motivational quotes from country singer Parton, along with comments about learning from actress Audrey Hepburn, former PM Winston Churchill and author CS Lewis showed the inspiration of the outside world written on the walls inside. The stand out quote from boxer and activist Muhammad Ali summed up the point of the jail perhaps the most: “Don’t count the days, make the days count.”
But that’s not to say it didn’t feel like a prison. As you approach the site, the first thing you notice about it is its colossal size. As we walked in, one journalist compared it to a huge Amazon warehouse – non-descript and huge (the size of 39 football pitches, we were told). We were ushered in, where we parted with our phones and laptops – left in a locker – before heading through airport-style security scanners and receiving a thorough pat down.
From there, the daunting feeling of being at a prison couldn’t be denied. The jail, which will get its first tranche of around 200 offenders next month and can hold up to 1,500 inmates in total, has been fitted with more than 1,800 CCTV cameras, 5.2m barbed wire fences and ultra-strong windows, which can endure being bashed by a fire extinguisher for 90 minutes (the hope is that a prison officer intervenes before the 91st minute…).
Doors were fitted with signs reminding staff to LOCK IT and then PROVE IT was locked. And a watch desk in the accommodation area was situated so prison guards can see all that is happening, with prisoners unable to hide any wrongdoing. It is a huge difference to Victorian jails which are full of nooks and crannies that create a huge barrier to officers trying to keep tabs on everyone.
But while some elements have a clear prison-feel to them, many others are focused on creating a “calm” environment for inmates, which is hoped to be conducive to rehabilitation. Most windows are without bars in the prison but those that do have them have horizontal bars to look more like shutters, creating a less harsh atmosphere for those inside. And the interior design of the buildings felt more like a health centre, with dark blue seats and purple sofas.
The six house blocks, which can each house up to 240 prisoners, included mobility cells (with more space for offenders who need extra support getting around), single and a few double cells (often for prisoners who need a trained person for emotional support with them). They also included a cardio room with gym equipment, a laundry room and health rooms.
The building holding the workshop spaces was where the inspirational quotes could be found. Data shows that offenders employed six weeks after leaving prison have a reoffending rate of around half of those out of work. And HMP Millsike’s workshops will enable 500 offenders at any time to train in skills such as cleaning, bricklaying, barbering and carpentry.
We were shown one large workshop, which was a cleaning and hygiene centre, which had mock-up offices with cleaning machines where prisoners can gain a qualification in cleaning – giving them a pathway to work on the outside. Another workshop focused on waste management, where inmates could learn how to use a food bio digester machine, making fertiliser out of leftover food from the prison’s house blocks.
Many critics will argue that prison should feel like prison – throw them inside and lock away the key, they say. But the reality is that prison isn’t working. Some 80% of crimes are committed by someone who has offended before and people leave jail addicted to drugs, with no qualifications and no hope of a new life. And more crimes ultimately means more victims – nobody wins.
Cutting reoffending has been the focus of Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood and Prison Minister James Timpson as they try to fix a deep-rooted prisons capacity crisis, which last summer saw available space dwindle to just 80 places. An independent sentencing review, due to be published in May, is looking at how reforms can be made to sentencing – such as increasing punishments outside prison – to ultimately cut reoffending.
As Ms Mahmood frequently points out, we don’t want prisons to be churning out better criminals, we want them to be creating better citizens. HMP Millsike might be a start.
