Mitie, the company that runs HMP Millsike, has formed its own Independent Prison and Immigration Review Board. The step follows criticism of the jail from its Independent Monitoring Board (IMB).
Millsike opened last year and marked the company’s first move into running a prison. The jail sits in the Yorkshire and The Humber region. Mitie already operates several immigration detention centres and runs transport systems for the Ministry of Justice.
According to the company, the new board brings together independent specialists from prisons, justice, safeguarding and operational assurance. Mitie said they would provide “external expert scrutiny, advice, support and challenge” so that its prison and immigration work meets the highest standards.
Monitors’ concerns
The board’s creation became public after the IMB at Millsike wrote to Prisons Minister Lord Timpson. The monitors also sent their concerns to the House of Commons Justice Select Committee.
The IMB listed a series of problems with the way the prison operates. It said regimes were inconsistent. Roll checks could take up to five hours to complete. Staff had left doors and gates open, the monitors said.
New arrivals could wait up to eight hours in reception before admission to the prison. The IMB also reported that prisoners on ‘constant watch’ had managed to make ligatures.
Who sits on the board
Four prominent figures from the justice world have joined the review board. Nick Hardwick previously served as HM Chief Inspector of Prisons and later chaired the Parole Board. Phil Wheatley once led the National Offender Management Service as its director general.
Professor Alison Liebling holds the post of Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Cambridge. Peter Dawson formerly ran the Prison Reform Trust as its director.
Company response
Responding to the IMB’s letter, a Mitie spokesperson said the company valued the board as part of the independent checks on prisons and took the letter seriously. The spokesperson pointed to Lord Timpson’s own reply to the IMB. In it, the minister noted that opening a new prison is a major task and that early operational problems are to be expected.
Mitie said Millsike is increasing its operations in planned phases, in line with targets agreed with the Ministry of Justice.
The spokesperson also noted that the letter had not gone through the formal factchecking process. “We would have welcomed early engagement to support ensuring its accuracy, but we remain committed to constructive dialogue,” the spokesperson said.
The company added that it works openly with the IMB and HM Inspectorate of Prisons. It praised its staff for providing professional care in often difficult conditions. “We remain focused on maintaining a safe, secure, and supportive environment for prisoners and colleagues,” the spokesperson said.
