More jails going into private sector

The Government said four of the region’s jails, Lindholme, Moorland, Hatfield and The Wolds, will be put out for competition along with Acklington and Durham in Northumberland, Onley in Northamptonshire and Coldingley in Surrey.

Two others – Latchmere House in west London and Brockhill prison in the West Midlands – will shut in September with the loss of 377 prison places.

Mr Clarke said: “The public have a right to expect continuing improvement in the quality and efficiency of public services, without compromising public safety. The competition strategy and adjustments to the prison estate will help ensure that this is the case.”

The prisons were selected based on “the potential for efficiency improvements, service reform and innovation, not on the basis of poor performance”, the Ministry of Justice said.

The Wolds is already run by security firm G4S and is coming to the end of its current contract, while the others are all being put out for competition for the first time.

Closing the two prisons is expected to save £4.9m this year and £11.4m annually, with staff “absorbed” elsewhere without the use of compulsory redundancies, the MoJ said. A further 2,500 prison places are expected to become available over the next year.

Leaders of the Prison Officers Association (POA) are seeking urgent meetings with Mr Clarke.

National Chairman Peter McParlin, said: “We are extremely disappointed. Privatisation is about profit and we cannot allow this Government to abdicate its responsibilities to public sector workers, prisoners and the public.

“Public sector prisons ensure safe, secure and decent establishments in which prisoners are treated humanely and within the law.”