[Picture from the same article - copyright thelincolnite.co.uk, 01/11/2012]
01.11.2012. The
Ministry of Justice is looking to restructure prisons across the UK, which
could lead to Lincoln Prison being turned into an immigration centre. The
category B prison houses around 740 adult male inmates, and Lincolnshire County
Council fears the changes could lead to job losses and impact local inmates
well-being.
Councillor Martin
Hill, Leader of Lincolnshire County Council, said: “The prison has spent £26
million on improvements over the last three years. Given that investment it
makes sense to continue using it as a prison. It wasn’t designed to be an
immigration centre, and isn’t suited for that purpose".
“At the same time,
there’s absolutely no need for a second immigration centre in the county [after
Morton Hall, near Lincoln]. Lincolnshire’s immigrant population is small. This
means people would be brought in from other parts of the country, most probably
followed by their families. These families are likely to need a lot of support,
putting further pressure on local services".
