The director of HMP Millsike, the UK’s newest prison, has admitted it still has work to do. His response follows a highly critical watchdog report.
Millsike, near York, opened in April 2025. The Ministry of Justice chose the private contractor Mitie to run it. It was the first UK jail the company had managed.
On 3 September the prison’s Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) published its first annual report on the jail. The board found that Millsike had opened chaotically. Basic processes such as counting prisoners and locking doors had not been properly put in place.
The report also said that most staff lacked experience and were unsure of regimes. Design faults seen at other new prisons, including blind spots on landings, had appeared again at Millsike.
Prison running below capacity
Millsike has room for 1,468 men but currently holds 350 fewer. That has attracted criticism at a time when the Government is releasing prisoners early because of a national shortage of places.
Mitie and the MoJ have said the prison is filling up gradually to keep it stable, as part of a “ramp-up”. It is understood, however, that the two agreed to slow that process because the company could not recruit enough staff.
Director’s letter
A day after the report appeared, Paul Newton, the prison’s director, sent a letter to all staff. He accepted the board’s criticisms but said many of the main problems were now resolved.
In the letter, Mr Newton listed the issues the report raised from the prison’s first year. They included staff shortages, inexperienced staff, problems with processes and systems, delays in some services, and concerns about the prison’s design and operation.
He thanked the IMB volunteers and said the report only covered the period up to April. He said the prison had improved significantly since then. The report itself, he noted, recorded gains in stability, consistency, staff morale and safety.
According to Mr Newton, Millsike now has more operational staff than it did during that period. He said recruitment and training were continuing. He added that the prison would carefully consider the board’s recommendations.
Joe Chapman runs the Millsike Community Forum, a group of prisoners’ families and former staff. Responding to the letter, he accused the prison of playing down its current problems and its poor first-year performance.
