Major investment in small businesses through justice system improvements
An extra 拢285 million-worth of improvements to courts and prisons this year will see hundreds of businesses supported and thousands of jobs created, as part of the Prime Minister鈥檚 plan for economic recovery.
- extra 拢285 million spending on courts and prisons will go to local businesses
- funding boost will create thousands of jobs and sustain thousands more
- improvements will help speed up justice and reduce reoffending
The funding comes on top of an聽estimated聽拢600 million聽already earmarked for聽capital projects聽this year, including the construction of 2 new prisons.
With courts and prisons spread across England and Wales, this funding boost will create and sustain聽thousands of聽jobs nationwide聽in the construction聽and digital聽industries聽and related sectors.
Over 拢140 million will be spent installing temporary prison cells,聽repairing and refurbishing prisons, approved premises聽and young offender institutions,聽and聽improving IT聽in jail.
A further 拢142聽million will be pumped into the courts system聽to speed up technological improvements聽and modernise courtrooms, building on the聽rapid progress made to keep the system running during the coronavirus pandemic.聽Combined with the 拢48 million already set aside this year, there will be 拢153 million for improvements to court and tribunal buildings - the biggest single investment in maintenance of the court estate for over 20 years.
The聽investment聽will end up in the hands of聽hundreds of small and medium-sized businesses, their suppliers聽and,聽ultimately,聽in the pay packets of聽tens of聽thousands of聽people聽across the country.
The Lord Chancellor, Robert Buckland QC MP, said:聽
We have already launched the most ambitious prison building programme for generations, delivering over 13,000聽places聽by the mid-2020s, and聽have聽dramatically increased the use of technology in the courts system.
This extra聽spending聽will聽keep thousands of people in work and generate jobs for thousands more,聽helping the UK recover from the economic freeze brought on by coronavirus.
These improvements will also help to speed up justice through the courts and improve education in prisons and youth custody聽so that offenders leave less likely to reoffend.
One thousand temporary cells will be installed to聽increase capacity and聽help speed up maintenance work, allowing the Prison Service to close wings at other prisons for refurbishment. Sixty million pounds of funding will go towards the UK-based small and medium companies which produce this specialist accommodation.聽聽
A聽further 拢40 million聽will be spent聽on repairs outside the prison gate generating immediate employment for local maintenance companies across England and Wales. The former HMP Camphill site on the Isle of Wight will be demolished so the area can be regenerated聽with new housing and聽former聽aircraft聽hangars聽near prisons on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent will be restored聽to safeguard these聽historically important聽buildings.
Over聽100聽courts聽will see improvements as part of the extra investment, with聽at least 2,250 jobs created in the process nationwide.聽A further 拢30聽million will be spent to give 750 more court rooms the ability to hold remote hearings within聽six聽months.聽Around聽拢10聽million聽extra聽will be spent聽building new court聽facilities and 拢95聽million on maintenance聽this year, on top of the 拢48聽million already聽planned.聽
This聽includes聽courts such as Wrexham, Hull, and Leeds聽which聽will benefit from new court cells, court rooms, and improved accessibility as part of this investment.聽Maintenance at over 100 courts will see buildings across the country refurbished and become more energy efficient.
An extra 拢20 million will be spent improving IT in prisons so that more court and parole hearings can be heard remotely via video conference suites. The funding will also go towards technology which improves prisoners鈥� digital literacy and education so that they are better able to find work on release and move away from criminal behaviour.
Some 拢10聽million聽has been set aside to聽refurbish聽the聽youth custody estate, installing in-room showers,聽improving existing and聽building new聽education facilities聽and聽to聽roll聽out secure in-room聽learning聽technology.聽The projects will聽help聽rehabilitate聽young offenders, while聽providing聽millions of pounds of聽contracts聽to聽businesses in Yorkshire, the West Midlands and the South East where聽these聽establishments聽are based.
Approved Premises 鈥� which are used by the Probation Service to monitor high-risk offenders recently released from prison 鈥� will see聽拢10 million聽worth聽of building and security improvements, including聽upgrading CCTV and alarm systems.