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| Prisons to close in England as super-prison site revealed | Prisons to close in England as super-prison site revealed |
| (34 minutes later) | |
| Four prisons in England are to close as the government announced the site for a new super-prison in north Wales. | Four prisons in England are to close as the government announced the site for a new super-prison in north Wales. |
| The jails in Reading, Dorchester, Blundeston and Northallerton will be shut down by March next year, Justice Secretary Chris Grayling said. | |
| Feltham Young Offender Institution will also be replaced. | Feltham Young Offender Institution will also be replaced. |
| A £250m prison which will hold more than 2,000 inmates is to be built in Wrexham creating 1,000 jobs, according to the government. | A £250m prison which will hold more than 2,000 inmates is to be built in Wrexham creating 1,000 jobs, according to the government. |
| Work will start on the new prison next summer and it is due to be open by late 2017. | Work will start on the new prison next summer and it is due to be open by late 2017. |
| Officials are also investigating the possibility of building another large prison in south-east England - possibly on the existing Feltham site in west London - with a youth facility attached. | |
| 'More places' | |
| Mr Grayling said the plans would "modernise" the prison system and bring down costs. He pledged there would be more prison places than when the coalition was elected in 2010. | |
| "Of course the reorganisation of our prison estate which we are undertaking means some difficult decisions," he added. | |
| "But we have to make sure that we have modern, affordable prisons that give the best opportunity for us to work with offenders to stop them committing more crimes when they leave." | |
| Earlier this week, the Howard League for Penal Reform said almost a quarter of all prisoners in England and Wales were kept in overcrowded cells last year. | Earlier this week, the Howard League for Penal Reform said almost a quarter of all prisoners in England and Wales were kept in overcrowded cells last year. |
| Figures showed around 19,140 inmates on average were made to share a cell designed for one person. | Figures showed around 19,140 inmates on average were made to share a cell designed for one person. |
| The closure plans follow an announcement in January that six entire prisons are to shut plus one of the three amalgamated jails on the Isle of Wight. | The closure plans follow an announcement in January that six entire prisons are to shut plus one of the three amalgamated jails on the Isle of Wight. |
| Figures published by the Ministry of Justice show that jails held an average of just over 85,000 prisoners between April 2012 and March this year. | Figures published by the Ministry of Justice show that jails held an average of just over 85,000 prisoners between April 2012 and March this year. |