ISG has been selected for a £155 million programme of work to expand the number of Category D prison places across the Ministry of Justice's (MoJ) estate.

As part of the wider £4 billion investment programme to create an additional 20,000 prison places across the UK by the mid-2020s, this scheme sees ISG deliver 780 new places at three existing prison locations.

Procured through the Crown Commercial Services Framework and delivered via the MoJ's preferred FAC-1 Alliancing form of contract, the prison places will be in new houseblocks with a standard design and construction approach. Each houseblock will include 60 single-occupancy rooms and be supported by other relevant ancillaries. This is subject to approval processes following completion of the pre-construction period that has been awarded for £6.5 million.

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The Category D expansion programme is a critical component in the MoJ's strategy to provide the right type of prison accommodation to meet the forecasted prison population by the middle of the decade. The core focus on a highly sustainable construction methodology and stretching social value targets – encompassing material and product specification, build processes, supply chain engagement and operational performance of the new buildings supports the MoJ's net zero and enhanced rehabilitation ambitions.

Alistair McNeil, sector director at ISG, commented: "The significant expansion and investment in the UK's prison estate is a major undertaking and the MoJ should be recognised for its bold and innovative procurement approach that supports such challenging objectives. Incentivising behaviours that foster collaboration, knowledge sharing, transparency and operational performance creates a culture of innovation leading to consistently better built outcomes, benefiting the prison population and wider society."