The UK’s Ministry of Justice (MOJ) has announced that His Majesty’s Prison (HMP) Highpoint Prison in Suffolk is set to become the country’s largest prison following a substantial expansion.
The prison’s capacity will increase by more than 50% with the addition of three four-storey house blocks.
MOJ has detailed that the new facilities will include workshops and teaching spaces designed to assist prisoners in securing employment upon their release.
Construction has commenced on the 700-place expansion at HMP Highpoint and the new cells are expected to be fully operational by mid-2027.
HMP Highpoint Prison governor Nigel Smith said: “The expansion at Highpoint will provide much-needed prisoner places in our region.
“The new accommodation will provide a safe and secure environment for us to rehabilitate prisoners and get them ready for release.
“We are pleased that the construction work has officially begun and we look forward to working with our contractors to get things delivered.”
This expansion is a key component of the UK government’s strategy to create 14,000 additional prison places by 2031.
Wates Group, a family-owned construction and property maintenance company, has been tasked with delivering the build.
Upon completion, HMP Highpoint will not only be the reportedly largest public sector prison by land size in North-West Europe but also based on prisoner population.
The project is anticipated to provide an economic uplift to East Anglia in England, creating hundreds of jobs during the construction phase and more than 200 permanent positions at the prison.
The construction project is poised to support local businesses, with 30% of materials and subcontractors being sourced from within a 50-mile radius.
This development is part of the government’s wider ten-year prison capacity strategy, which was published last December.
The strategy outlines the addition of 6,400 prison places through new house blocks and 6,500 places via new prisons.
