27/01/2015

Kent Prison To Close

Blantyre House Prison in Kent is to close, a statement from the Prison Governors' Association (PGA) has revealed.

A statement posted on the PGA website states it is "surprised to learn this morning" that the 120-capacity jail is to close. However, the statement does refer to the closure as "temporary".

The statement continued: "We are led to believe that this decision has been borne out of the inability to recruit enough prison officers into some of the prisons in the South of England, and in particular the Isle of Sheppey in Kent, which has been widely reported by most media outlets.

"NOMS have previously stated there would be no further prison closures in this Parliament and therefore the PGA will seek assurances that this is just a temporary measure and there are no further planned temporary or permanent prison closures."

The Ministry of Justice has made no comment on the closure.

(MH/CD)

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