A prison in Greater Manchester is being expanded as part of major plans to increase jail capacity across the country.
Hindley Prison, near Wigan, is one of nine set to have new blocks built, the government has announced today (February 18).
It comes as the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) expects the prison population to expand by 19,000 over the next few years, amid further efforts to crack down on crime and the recruitment of new police officers.
As well as the nine prisons set for new blocks, seven are being expanded, with 4,000 new prison places being created across the 16 sites.
The government expects to spend £4 billion on upgrading prisons by the middle of the decade, with the aim of creating 20,000 new prison places in that time to meet demand.
Justice Secretary Dominic Raab said: "Our unprecedented prison-building programme is the largest in more than a century and will deliver an additional 20,000 prison places by the mid-2020s.
"We are improving our existing prison estate, putting more offenders behind bars, training them for release and protecting the public."
The MoJ says the upgraded prisons will have the right conditions 'to truly rehabilitate prisoners' in the 21st century - with new workshops and classrooms to provide prisoners with skills to help them find work after their release.
Modern healthcare, kitchens and staff offices are also expected to be provided at the sites, and the government hopes the project will create thousands of jobs nationwide.
The MoJ has been approached for further comment on the Hindley project.
