HMP Millsike is a Category C prison and has a capacity of around 1500. It is the UK’s first all-electric prison and is the first prison in the UK that has been delivered as part of an alliance, The Alliance 4 New Prisons (A4NP).
HMP Millsike runs solely on electricity, making it the first of its kind in the UK, with more than 8,500kwh of renewable energy being generated to power it. Solar panels, heat pump technology and more efficient lighting systems mean that it will use approximately a quarter of the energy used to heat traditional Victorian prisons.
Pick Everard acted as the lead designer on the project, working closely with the MoJ and Kier to deliver a facility with rehabilitation at its core. Pick Everard has a long-standing partnership with the MoJ, spanning over two decades, and has been instrumental in shaping the design of multiple prisons, including HMP Five Wells, HMP Fosse Way, and HMP Oakwood.
Jenny Curtlin, director at Pick Everard, said, “HMP Millsike sets a new standard for sustainable prison design, incorporating biophilic principles and energy-efficient solutions to create a facility that prioritises rehabilitation. Our work on the New Prisons Programme included developing the reference design, a blueprint successfully used across multiple new prisons. This latest project builds on that foundation, focusing on sustainability and innovation.”
The prison will operate on 70% less energy than traditional prison facilities due to air-source heat pumps, solar panels, and energy-efficient lighting systems generating over 8,500kWh of renewable energy on-site.
HMP Millsike features six accommodation blocks, a central services hub, an entrance resource hub, workshops, kitchens, a support building, and a care and separation unit (CASU).
