‘Will be looked at’: Andy Burnham responds to empty places at Yorkshire ‘super-prison’ as early release decision looms
Andy Burnham has said the possibility of filling hundreds of currently empty spaces at a Yorkshire ‘super-prison’ is under consideration as part of efforts to reduce the mass early release of criminals including the killers of PC Andrew Harper.
Justice Secretary Alex Norris is due to present the Government’s plan to minimise the early release of prisoners to Parliament next week following public outcry over the issue.
Around 6,000 offenders had initially been due to be released from their sentences early this autumn to tackle prison overcrowding problems but this was reduced to around 5,000 after Mr Burnham blocked the release of rapists and child sex offenders.
But following a outcry from police leaders and the public that two of the killers of PC Andrew Harper would still qualify for early release, the Government is attempting to create a plan for further exemptions. Mr Burnham said on August 11 he was “increasingly confident” that the release of PC Harper’s killers could be prevented.
It was reported on August 16 that there are almost 350 empty spaces at HMP Millsike, near York, a ‘super-prison’ which opened in March 2025. But a senior prison source told The Daily Telegraph the site has been struggling to recruit enough staff to safely use the empty cells.
Mr Burnham spoke to The Yorkshire Post last week during a visit to Bradford. When asked if the Government was aware of the empty spaces at HMP Millsike and if efforts are being made to speed up filling them to tackle the national overcrowding issue, the Prime Minister said: “I’m looking at every single possible way of opening up prison spaces. That’s part of the work the Justice Secretary has under way and he will report to Parliament on September 1.
"I paused the early release scheme and specifically asked for every aspect of the prison estate to be looked at so that we minimise the release of offenders and maximise public safety. We will come with our conclusions in due course.
"The issues you have raised were being looked at [and] will certainly be looked at even more to make sure every available prison space is being used. We appreciate that issue coming to the fore. We are looking at every single aspect of this and will make a full statement to Parliament.”
HMP Millsike, on the edge of the East Riding of Yorkshire, opened in March last year to a cost of £400m. When fully operational it will hold 1,468 prisoners, but at the moment it is restricted to a capacity of 1,158.
The latest Ministry of Justice figures for July show that the prison held 1,124 inmates, 344 below the total it will hold when it eventually ramps up.
It is normal for prisons to slowly increase prisoner numbers after opening, although experts say this usually takes between six months and a year.
HMP Millsike was the first major opening by the Labour government, as it has pledged to create 14,000 extra prison places by 2031.
The prison has faced challenges since opening, with volunteers appointed to monitor conditions at the prison had said they only felt safe to visit in pairs. They also highlighted poor security, with doors and gates left open, rampant drug use and “frequent reports of batons being drawn”.
The Independent Monitoring Board at HMP Millsike wrote to then-Prisons Minister Lord Timpson in December to raise concerns over the “safety and security” of the site.
The prison is run by private contractor Mitie, which has previously said it “continues to operate in line with the ramp-up plans agreed with the MoJ, with staffing and recruitment aligned to the prison’s phased population build-up”.
The Ministry of Justice has previously said Millsike would increase capacity “when operationally appropriate to do so” and factors that need to be taken into account include staffing, as well as safety and security.