Labour Government Justice Minister Jack Straw initiated a review of over-crowding in the prison system, which resulted in the December 2007 report, Securing the Future - Proposals for the efficient and sustainable use of custody in England and Wales, produced by Lord Carter of Coles Review of Prisons [1].
The location for the proposed Titan Prison in the North West was the Omega business park in of Warrington.
Titan prisons could have been built on "brownfield sites" that supposedly would have "good transport links" so that families and friends will have "reasonably easy access to visit".
The Ministry of Justice has stated that titans will "focus on the strong dynamic interaction between officers and prisoners" - vital in creating a regime that looks to cut reoffending.
The opposite would be a prison that relies on barred gates and CCTV more than staff and where the emphasis is on control, monitoring and restriction of movement.
Concerns have been raised over the government's plans for titans to include "new technology" such as "biometric scanning, bar coding, electronic door operation" which will "deliver significant staff savings".
It currently holds 3,600 people and the one thing the French have decided is they will never do it again…because they found that it could not be managed well.” The National Council of Independent Monitoring Boards also claimed that ministers have not explained why they would save money.
The three prisons are all sited on the estate of Hewell Grange a country house Worcestershire, England, and will not be demolished.