After over a year of prep work Highpoint has started on the planned prison expansion. Roads have been widened and extended to provide access for the construction traffic. There has been considerable consultation between the community and the Ministry of Justice which has led to much less impact on the community than it would have been otherwise. I am pleased to have contributed to these negotiations over the last two years.

Today there was a ceremony to celebrate the breaking of ground. Lord James Timpsom, the prisons minister, staff from the MoJ, contractors, suppliers and myself had briefings and visited various areas of the prison.

There are some fantastic initiatives going on to help prevent reoffending. In one area there is railway track and electrical equipment that inmates are trained on related to the rail industry. It seems jobs are available when they are released. This is a sought after course and there is a long waiting list to get on it. A great incentive.

It was interesting to see the use of converted containers into cells. They are fully kitted out with toilets etc. There is a certain level of trust required for these sought after cells as they are outside of the main prison buildings but still behind the wire of course.

I was able to connect with a number of people who might be able to support my efforts to help the community. More on that another time!