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New prison to house 1,500 on old Ford site
Martin Bentham27.04.09
A new prison is to be built in Barking and Dagenham under government plans announced today to expand the number of cell spaces for London convicts.
The 1,500-capacity jail for adult men will be built on a former Ford Motor Company site at Beam Reach business park and is to open by 2014.
The plan, part of a wider drive to boost the number of prison places nationwide to 96,000, was unveiled today by Justice Secretary Jack Straw in a statement to Parliament.
He told MPs the new prison, and a second similar sized jail to be built in Chelmsford, would offer up-to-date facilities including health and education, would boost the chances of rehabilitating offenders.
Thousands of convicts are sent out of the capital to serve their sentences, making it more difficult for them to keep in touch with their families and officials such as probation staff. Ministers believe this makes it harder to ensure convicts do not return to crime once they leave jail.
A significant number of jobs, both within the new prison and in its construction, are likely to be created.
Today's announcement follows Mr Straw's decision to abandon a plan to build three new “Titan” jails of 2,500 cells each, including one in London, after the idea was criticised by penal reform campaigners.
Opponents of that plan said these jails would have been “warehouses” that would lead to more, rather than less, reoffending.
Although the new prison in Barking and Dagenham will be considerably smaller, it will still be large in comparison to most existing jails and critics are likely to have similar reservations about its effectiveness.
Ministers say the new prison will be split into separate units within the site, leaving inmates in small groups in which effective rehabilitation work can take place.
Reader views (6)
I AGREE A NEW PRISON IS NEEDED,BUT NOT RIGHT OUTSIDE MY FRONT DOOR,I HAVE 5 CHILDREN AGE'S BETWEN 2 & 15 ,4 GIRL'S & 1 BOY. ITS PUT A HUGE AMOUNT OF PRESSURE ON ME & MY FAMILY SINCE FINDING OUT ABOUT THE PRISON!
THE FIRST THING I WILL SEE MORNING NOON & NITE WILL BE THE PRISON,IT'S VISITOR'S,THE STAFF,.
THINKING WHAT IF IT IS CLOSE ENOUGH THAT ANYONE OF THE INMATE'S COULD BE WATCHING MY KID'S.IT'S NOT ON NOR IS IT FAIR.
WE WILL FIGHT WITH EVERYTHING WEVE GOT TO TRY TO STOP THIS MADNESS.WE NEED TO STICK TOGETHER ON THIS.........
- Kerry Wise, BARKING & DAGENHAM
Every project jack straw has been involved with has been a total failure ( euro human rigts , immigration ,failed asylum seekers , ect) What can you expect? .
- E K, Dagenham Essex
I have lived in Barking and Dagenham all my life, its not the best area to live in but we thought that with the Olympics come to us that things would pick up. It has just had a hugh hole put in it with this new prison over the road to me and my family. Yes they have to go somewhere but in such a area where you are going to have people from all over the world coming to in 2012 its not a very good advert is it. I bet that Jack Straw hasnt got a prison on his doorstep and he properly never will because he has got the money to move away from them we havent.
- Tina Bennett, Dagenham
Why Barking and Dagenham? I hope this new 'luxury development' does not reduce house prices further!
- Hb, Barking
The Ford Plant was demolished and the locals were told that there would be houses and a hotel built on the site. That was years ago?
Then it was to be the site for a new Ford dealership. Now we have a prison?
Seeing will be believing?
- P. C., rainham. essex.
Cortina Trap? Will the Escorts be armed?
- Gary, amersham
