HMP Liverpool major refurbishment project

What is the issue?

Prisons in England and Wales have been facing a capacity crisis, with overcrowding persistently cited as a pressing issue in many prison facilities. In addition, a lack of adequate space and resources, combined with deteriorating living conditions across some prisons, have hampered rehabilitation efforts by making it difficult for prisoners to access education and support programmes that could aid their reintegration into society. Alongside measures to reduce demand on the estate, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) have responded to this crisis by taking steps to increase the number of prison places and to improve prison conditions.

This report presents findings from RAND Europe’s evaluation of the refurbishment programme at HMP Liverpool. The objectives of the refurbishment were to return 350 out-of-use cells to operational status, upgrade 800 cells that were deemed to be of ‘poor quality’ and construct a new workshop to provide vocational training and purposeful activity opportunities for prisoners. These enhancements were designed to increase the prison's overall operational capacity to 1,150 prisoners, as well as alleviate overcrowding, improve safety and living conditions for prisoners and reduce staffing pressures.

How did we help?

The evaluation has two components: a process evaluation of the delivery and implementation of the refurbishment project at HMP Liverpool, and an economic review of the potential benefits of prison refurbishment. The process evaluation draws on 38 interviews, six focus groups, observational data and a prisoner survey collected between March and April 2025 from prison leaders, staff, prisoners and MoJ stakeholders. The economic review combines a targeted literature review with qualitative evidence from HMP Liverpool to assess the relevance and plausibility of key benefits associated with refurbishment.

The findings contribute to the evidence base on how prison refurbishment is delivered in practice and how it may support prison capacity, decency, safety and rehabilitation within the constraints of an ageing prison estate.

What did we find?

At the time of fieldwork, three wings had been fully refurbished (comprising 429 cells). Construction was paused following the contractor going into administration, and the refurbishment will therefore be completed later than planned.

Prisoners in refurbished wings generally described cleaner, brighter and more comfortable cells, with some reporting small but meaningful improvements in wellbeing, privacy and day-to-day living conditions.

Staff and prison leaders saw several operational benefits from the refurbishment, including more standardised cell layouts, improved decency, better support for some prisoners’ needs and easier day-to-day management in some areas.

Some staff raised concerns about the quality of some of the refurbishment, the condition of staff facilities and security design features that reduced sightlines and natural light and were addressed in subsequent work.

While the prison successfully managed major logistical and security challenges during delivery, staff and senior leadership team (SLT) reflected on areas for improvement in communication and consultation which were felt to contribute to discrepancies between refurbishment plans and operational needs.

The economic review found that improved physical conditions and reduced crowding may contribute to better prisoner wellbeing, lower violence and misconduct, greater feelings of safety and stronger prisoner-staff relationships, although evidence was insufficient to monetise most of these benefits.

What can be done?

1. Maintain and strengthen processes for consultation and communication with SLT, staff and prisoners about refurbishment planning and delivery to help secure buy-in and minimise disruption.
2. Ensure accessibility improvements, adapted to the prison, are incorporated in refurbishments and include further consideration of the specific context and requirements of each prison.
3. Prioritise improvements to and, if possible, expansion of communal spaces for prisoners to engage meaningfully with each other, participate in purposeful activities and relax quietly.
4. Augment contingency planning to prepare for future major events such as contractor administration.