News emerged from the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) that new funding for Gartree Prison based in Harborough will enable a new overhaul of the prison. The plans are to improve the fire safety of the prison.
Plans to overhaul the Prison have now been drawn up by The Ministry of Justice (MOJ). The plans include the replacement of six old staircases in three of the prison’s wings, as well as new fire alarms and even a better smoke extraction system and modernise ventilation.
These plans are even being backed by the 56-year-old prison’s watchdog chef Tim Norman.
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) have also said that if the planning gets the go ahead from Harborough District Council then works will be carried out by October 2022.
It has also been announced that contractors hired for the job have been given the task to install a new emergency power supply system. This is should the Category-B prison suffer a black-out suddenly.
When asked his thoughts, Tim Norman said “This is an old building dating back to the mid-1960s – and it’s been showing its age for some years now.”
A spokesman for the Prison then continued to say “It’s going to make life so much better and safer for over 600 inmates as well as the staff who work here. Everyone wins”.
The upgrade for the prison based in Harborough could begin over the next 14 months.
Tim Norman who is backing the project said that the project could not come soon enough, especially for the 630 inmates and the staff that support them within the Prison.
He continued during his interview to say “The rooves of the wings and the shower blocks are all pretty poor and need urgent attention. We’ve had a leak in one of the kitchens but that’s now been fixed.”
“Just like our homes Gartree jail needs maintenance too as well as being modernised and hauled into the 21st century.”
Since the pandemic, the IBM Support Staff had been forced to leave due to the COVID outbreak. And now are returning back to the Prison.
The staff were asked to leave last March and then only returned temporarily September last year. Now, as the staff return to work, works to create a safe environment is now vital for the Gartree Prison.
Tim finished by announcing that there would be up to nine new recruits on the staffs return to the Prison, as well as the new works to the Prison itself, it is all heading in the right direction.
