source: The Guardian
published: 27 March 2015

The contract to build Britain’s first titan prison holding more than 2,100 inmates has been signed just days before next Monday’s deadline, when parliament officially dissolves for the general election.

But Chris Grayling, the justice secretary, has failed to get approval in time for his other flagship prison project, a 320-place “secure college” or supersized youth jail costing £80m, which was to be the first of a network to replace the current system of youth offender institutions and secure training centres.

The main contract for the £212m titan jail being built at Wrexham, north Wales, includes punitive penalty clauses that will make it very expensive for any incoming government to cancel the category-C prison, which will hold prisoners from north Wales and north-west England.

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