Pioneering Prisoners Building Homes scheme receives national recognition

L-R Elizabeth Record, Assistant Project Development Manager for Prisoners Building Homes, Debansu Das, Business Development Director ZED PODS and Lalit Chauhan, FCIAT Design Director at ZED PODS

An innovative and pioneering home building scheme that helps rehabilitate prisoners and ex-offenders by providing employment and skills in construction, enabling them to turn their lives around, has received national recognition at a prestigious awards ceremony. 

Prisoners Building Homes (PBH) was the brainchild of the five Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) in the South West of England.  It has evolved into a national award-winning cross-government programme which unlocks land to deliver affordable, quality, sustainable homes, whilst also reducing reoffending which creates safer communities.   

The successful scheme - Fortis House - was delivered by ZED PODS with Ashford Borough Council.  ZED PODS - a modular build company dedicated to developing high specification zero carbon homes - is one of PBH’s 14 housebuilders. It was shortlisted in seven award categories at the CN Specialist Awards, a celebration of the UKs best specialist contractors.  ZED PODS won Project of the Year by a Specialist Contractor (subcontract over £5m) after going head-to-head with competitors including Severfield - Everton FC new stadium, Lindner Prater - Co-op Live, and McCoy Contractors - Cotswold Designer Outlet. 

The Fortis House project in Henwood – which consists of 23 zero-operational carbon homes to offer temporary accommodation for individuals experiencing homelessness - were built on a Flood Zone site above an underused car park. The scheme was hailed as demonstrating a “strong commitment to social and sustainable impact”. Judges were particularly impressed with its contribution to helping prisoners gain meaningful employment and nationally recognised construction qualifications. 

The judges said: “Its prisoner employment initiative particularly impressed the panel, providing skills to support future employment in construction. A great project!” 

Around 700 specialists within the construction industry attended the glitzy gala evening this week in London. It was hailed its biggest event yet with more than 200 diverse and inspiring submissions which shone a spotlight on the extraordinary talent, innovation and expertise driving the specialist contracting sector.  

Alison Hernandez, Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, said: “I am delighted that this collaborative and innovative scheme which is successfully helping to reduce offending while creating affordable homes has been recognised nationally as a leading example of long-term sustainable solutions with multiple benefits. 

“I was proud to support the first home delivered for Torbay Council in 2021 and subsequent successful housing projects in Devon have included in Tiverton and Cullompton.  

“It shows that Police and Crime Commissioners can make a local and national difference, and I am looking forward to PBH projects being delivered in more and more communities across the country.” 

In a social media post, ZED PODS shared its joy at its awards success. It said: “We did it! ZED PODS' Fortis House delivered with Ashford Borough Council has won the Construction News CN Specialist Awards — Project of the Year by a Specialist Contractor (subcontract over £5m) — one of the toughest categories, up against some big companies in the housing sector.” 

The modular homes – which consist of multiple sections, or modules, that can be manufactured elsewhere and then delivered and assembled on the site of the build –are built by prisoners while they are serving their sentences under the supervision of specialist contractors. These homes then become part of the landowners’ offer of accommodation for housing in their area, primarily social housing for local authorities waiting lists.  

The PBH scheme has been led by Sophie Baker, an employee of the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. The ambition for 2026-29 is to expand the scheme to achieve the following aims: 

Currently, PBH has matched 14 housebuilders with 11 prisons across the country, providing more than 100 prisoners with the opportunity to receive formal construction training qualifications and skills. This has resulted in 89 per cent of prisoners securing employment upon release - against a national average of 19 per cent, a less than five per cent reoffending rate - against a national average of 27 per cent - preventing the ‘revolving door to prison’. 

PBH is sponsored by the Ministry of Housing, Ministry of Justice, and Police and Crime Commissioners.  It is also supported by the Cabinet Office (Office of Government Property), Local Government Association (LGA) (One Public Estate), His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service, and Local Partnerships (who are owned by the Treasury, LGA, and Welsh Government). 

For more details about the PBH scheme, please visit PBH - Prisoners Building Homes