Justice and emergency services

Market context

Many of the prisons, courts and probation facilities that make up the justice sphere are older buildings in need of major refurbishment to cope with growing prisoner numbers, greater emphasis on rehabilitation, higher standards of safety and security and past underinvestment. Successful real estate interventions rely on specialist experience and the capacity to fulfil the exacting standards involved in this sector.

The size of the real estate for nationally owned prisons, courts, probation facilities and emergency services is significant. In the UK, for example, The Ministry of Justice owns one of the largest estates in the public sector, worth more than £9.2bn and comprising 1,400 properties.

Maintaining these properties to the required standard and maximising the value they deliver is a major logistical challenge and a significant financial burden. There has been some rationalisation, particularly as administrative services have moved online and office spaces are less in demand.

Centrally located properties have also been earmarked for disposal as they’ve become prime real estate, capable of generating significant capital receipts. This trend could drive investment in the justice industry, which has typically suffered from under investment.

Globally funding of major new investments continues to come from private finance initiatives, though this approach has become less certain in the UK, where billions of pounds of government funding has been committed to essential infrastructure improvement programmes.

Meeting the challenges

We have long-standing experience in the justice sector, including prison refurbishments and new builds, courts, estate rationalisation, as well as emergency services buildings including police, fire station and ambulance facilities.

We’re highly experienced at managing complex projects within the constraints of live secure environments. Every detail has to be carefully planned out to ensure no construction activities compromise security.

We provide wide-ranging support to clients on their procurement strategies, helping them find delivery specialists that meet the exacting security and safety standards. We are known for the delivery of high quality projects, on time and often against tight budgets through robust tried and tested processes, our clients trust us to meet their most challenging justice requirements globally.