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Britain’s newest prison is already in crisis just months after opening, with guards repeatedly failing to close gates and doors, inspectors have warned.
The Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) at HMP Millsike in East Yorkshire has written to prisons minister Lord Timpson to raise concerns over the ‘safety and security’ of the site.
During visits, the IMB said its members noted ‘inconsistent gate security’ at the Category C jail, with ‘doors and gates being left open’.
It added that inspectors now only visit the prison in pairs due to the unsafe environment on the wings, including high levels of violence.
The watchdog said the issues painted ‘a deeply concerning picture’ just 10 months after the £400m prison opened in March 2025 under a regime run by Mitie, a private company.
Other concerns the IMB raised include ‘some prisoners spending up to 23 hours per day in their cell’ and prisoner on prisoner violence and high levels of self-harm.
The Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) at HMP Millsike in East Yorkshire has written to prisons minister Lord Timpson to raise concerns over the ‘safety and security’ of the site
It said some prisoners had been able to harm themselves or prepare ligatures while they were meant to be on constant watch.
The IMB stated that drugs were ‘easily available within Millsike’, adding: ‘The instances of prisoners found under the influence are numerous.
‘Indeed, prisoners are reporting they are easily making illicit items from items supplied by the prison, such as floor cleaner.’
The Board said it had been informed ‘that it is accepted within the MoJ that new prisons may take three to four years to stabilise’ and called this ‘deeply troubling’.
Some of the issues were due to inexperienced staff, the IMB wrote, stating that new recruits ‘require considerable time to gain the confidence, skills and experience necessary to work safely and effectively in custodial environments’.
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: ‘These concerns are being taken seriously, with action already underway to address them.
‘The prison is being opened in a gradual and controlled way, and HMPPS is permanently onsite to take immediate action where standards fall short.’
Mitie said it also took the letter ‘seriously’.
‘As Lord Timpson has highlighted in his response to the IMB, opening a new prison is a significant undertaking and early operational challenges are expected, which is why HMP Millsike is progressing through a phased and carefully managed ramp up of operations, in line with targets agreed with the Ministry of Justice,’ the company said in a statement.
Mitie added: ‘As the IMB has noted, their letter has not undergone the formal fact‑checking process, and we would have welcomed early engagement to support ensuring its accuracy, but we remain committed to constructive dialogue.’
The Mail has asked the company if it disputes any of the claims made by the IMB.
The Government is currently undergoing a major prison building programme, with three new prisons planned in the coming years.
Construction is also underway on new houseblocks at HMP Channings Wood in Devon, HMP Highpoint in Suffolk and HMP Wayland in Thetford, adding 1400 places.
Britain’s prisons have long been dangerously overcrowded, prompting both the Conservatives and Labour to release tens of thousands of prisoners early.
The shambolic state of the system has also led to a series of dangerous prisoners being released accidentally, including foreign sex offenders Brahim Kaddour-Cherif, 24, and 41-year-old Hadush Kebatu, who sexually assaulted a girl near his asylum hotel in Epping.
Kebatu has been deported to Ethiopia, while Kaddour-Cherif remains in custody.
Billy Smith, a British fraudster who was wrongly released from HMP Wandsworth, handed himself back in after three days.