Reds10 has started construction of 152 new prison places at HMP Kirklevington Grange in North Yorkshire, with prisoners themselves gaining construction and manufacturing experience as part of the delivery programme.
The Ministry of Justice scheme is being delivered through its Rapid Deployment Cells (RDC) Programme, which uses Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) and extensive offsite manufacturing to increase capacity across the prison estate more quickly than conventional construction methods. Reds10 is the Principal Works Contractor for the Kirklevington Grange project.
The development will provide the additional places across three new two-storey accommodation blocks, together with supporting facilities and infrastructure. A total of 181 modules will be used, with more than 85% of the accommodation completed offsite before being transported to the prison for installation.
In an unusual example of construction being integrated with rehabilitation and skills development, prisoners are also participating in the project. Two inmates are working on the foundations on site, with the potential for participation to increase as construction progresses.
Reds10 is also employing prisoners released on temporary licence to support the manufacture of RDC units for the wider prison estate. Three former prisoners have subsequently secured permanent employment with the modular construction specialist.
The approach adds an important social value element to a programme primarily focused on increasing the capacity of the Government’s prison estate. Kirklevington Grange is an open prison supporting men preparing for release and resettlement in the North East, with employment and vocational training already forming an important part of its work.
Mark Wood, Head of Construction, Justice Sector at Reds10, said the scheme demonstrates the benefits of combining MMC with an integrated delivery model to provide greater certainty, coordination and efficiency.
He added that the contractor was proud of the opportunities being created for prisoners to develop practical skills and workplace experience while contributing directly to the delivery of much-needed prison capacity.
The development forms part of a much wider Government programme to expand the prison estate. The Government has committed to delivering 14,000 additional prison places by 2031, with 3,300 delivered since July 2024. Other projects across the North East and Yorkshire include additional accommodation at HMP Northumberland and HMP Humber, alongside the recently opened 1,500-place HMP Millsike near York.
Rapid Deployment Cells are increasingly forming part of this construction programme, with modular units manufactured away from operational prisons before being installed on existing sites. The approach can reduce the amount of work undertaken within live custodial environments while accelerating delivery and making use of smaller parcels of available land.
For Reds10, Kirklevington Grange is its largest Rapid Deployment Cells Programme project to date and provides a notable example of how offsite construction, public-sector investment and social value can be combined within the Government estate.
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