The jail is due to become operational in April

Alison Gomme, currently the governor of two jails in Redditch, Worcestershire, will take up her new post at Jurby Prison in June.

Mrs Gomme, from East Yorkshire, has 15 years of experience governing four different prison facilities.

Prisoners are due to be transferred from Victoria Road jail in Douglas to the new site in April.

Home Affairs Minister Martyn Quayle said the government had been fortunate to appoint someone with such a wealth of experience.

'Great scope'

Mrs Gomme, who is moving to the island with her husband and 10-year-old daughter, said: "I am very sincerely looking forward to the next stage of my career on the Isle of Man.

"What really interests me about this new position is the opportunity to work with other agencies.

"I am keen on working in partnership with others to develop systems and arrangements to make communities safer. I think there is great scope to develop that on the Isle of Man."

Jurby prison, with 138 cells compared to 92 at the Douglas site, is the government's largest capital project, being built at a cost of �41.7m.

It will offer better rehabilitative and educational regimes for prisoners, the government has said.