Shrewsbury Dana prison 'on Government closure list'

Shrewsbury's Dana Prison could be one of six jails around England and Wales to close as part of Government cost cutting measures, it has been revealed.

But the prison and the service it provides should be protected, according to the chairman of the board which oversees it.

It has been reported that six prisons have been earmarked to shut under the Government's plans to send thousands fewer criminals to jail.

It has been claimed about 5,000 cells and 10,000 jobs will be lost in England and Wales as Kenneth Clarke prepares to enact a huge budget reduction at the Ministry of Justice.

Jails that have been mentioned as vulnerable to closure include Shepton Mallet in Somerset, Shrewsbury, North Sea Camp in Lincolnshire and Dartmoor in Devon.

But Tim Griffiths, chairman of Shrewsbury's Independent Prison Monitoring Board, said today that in his opinion Shrewsbury should remain open. He said: "Shrewsbury provides a niche market but whether it is affordable I don't know.

"Personally I think it covers a particular area in its new role and it also provides for vulnerable people who do better in a smaller jail."

HMP Shrewsbury became a category C training prison providing education and courses to boost employment skills for inmates. It also houses sex offenders.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said they could not comment specifically on Shrewsbury.

They said: "We are looking at the sentencing frameworks for adult and young offenders, as well as the full range of penalties available in the criminal justice system. Long-term decisions on prison capacity programmes will be taken in the light of these policy developments."