As well as pioneering specialised programmes designed for its prisoners, HMP Millsike – which is the size of 39 football pitches – has been built to run solely on electricity. The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) believes the use of solar panels and heat pumps could save £1m a year.
Built next to HMP Full Sutton, near York, the prison houses almost 1,500 category C prisoners who will be resettled in the surrounding area and are in the final two years or less of their sentence.
Our connections services operate across the whole prison and are supported by staff, volunteers, and peer mentors – many of whom have lived experience of the issues we address.
At HMP Millsike, Forward’s Criminal Justice Services team run the Connections Desistance and Wellbeing Services and the Connections Families and Relationships Services in including all services for visitors. This includes;
The More Than My Past Unit (Houseblock E, Level 1): A new desistance programme based on narrative therapy, co-designed with prisoners, helping individuals reshape their identities and futures.
The Incentivised Substance Free Living (ISFL) Unit (Houseblock E, Level 2): A community-led space supporting recovery from substance use.
The Connections Family and Relationships Unit (Houseblock C, Level 4): Offering interventions like M-PACT, Parenting Support, and Relationships Matter, tailored for families affected by addiction and offending.
The Visitors’ Centre, and all aspects of visits including Purple Visits and visits booking.
We manage the full visits experience, including visitors' reception, family days, and all visitor services – creating a welcoming space where adults and children feel supported. In partnership with Combat2Coffee, the visits hall café offers refreshments with purpose, run by veterans in recovery and rehabilitation.
We also train Prisoner Custody Officers to support our family-friendly ethos, ensuring visits reinforce vital relationships and are a positive experience for all involved.
Are you a family member or friend of someone in HMP Millsike and looking for more information about visits? You can find out more by contacting our Connections team on hmpmillsike-vbooking@forwardtrust.org.uk or the visits bookings and advice line on 01759488887.
Our Desistance and Wellbeing Practitioners provide 1:1 and group interventions across the prison, helping people build healthier lives and aspirational personal goals. Connections and Wellbeing Champions (CWCs) are lived experience peer mentors, living the change.
The ‘More Than My Past’ programme is the heart of our identity-change work, the building of personal capital. It’s our innovative evidence led six-week course that uses a narrative approach to guide participants to reflect on their journey, define their future selves, and take action towards a life free from crime.
A core element of our approach is the recognition and cultivation of ‘social and community capital’ – the networks of relationships, opportunities, and values that help individuals and communities thrive.
At the individual level, social capital includes:
Personal relationships.
Peer support.
Trusted community engagement.
These connections not only provide emotional and practical support but are also a foundation for resilience, motivation, and positive identity change.
At the wider community level, social capital reflects a sense of shared purpose, cooperation, and collective wellbeing. It builds trust between individuals and institutions and fosters environments where people feel they belong.
Investing in personal, social, and community capital can dramatically increase the potential for successful rehabilitation, reintegration, and reduced reoffending. Simply put, stronger relationships and connected communities are a powerful driver of individual change and collective progress. And we can all play our part in being a trusted connection.
Whether through a facilitated group session about how to change (‘re-author’) their personal life story, a visit from a family member or friend, every connection counts.
For more information on HMP Millsike, contact Head of Connections, Christopher Dawson at christopher.dawson@forwardtrust.org.uk.
Are you interested in bringing Connections Services to your prison or project? Contact our Criminal Justice Services Executive Director Emma Stuart at emma.stuart@forwardtrust.org.uk.
