The prison estate
The Prison Service’s web-site lists the current prison estate under the following geographical areas:
| Geographical Area | No. | Geographical Area | No. |
|---|---|---|---|
| North East | 8 | Eastern | 14 |
| North West | 17 | London | 9 |
| Yorkshire & Humberside | 15 | Kent and Sussex | 12 |
| East Midlands | 17 | South Central | 17 |
| West Midlands | 14 | South West | 14 |
| Wales | 5 |
The Prison Service classifies people convicted by the courts and given a custodial sentence according their likelihood of escaping, the seriousness of their offence and their risk to the public. This broadly results in the following categories of prisoner:
| Category “A” | High-risk of escape –serious offenders |
| Category “B” | Medium–high risk (persistent offenders) |
| Category “C” | Medium-risk offenders |
| Category “D” | Low-risk offenders |
This level of risk is taken into account when a convicted offender is allocated a particular prison place. Other factors, such as gender and age are also considered. High-risk prisoners are usually sent to the most secure part of the prison estate. However, such prisoners may be re-classified over the course of their sentence and re-allocated to a less secure prison.
The prison estate is further complicated by the fact that some prisons are contracted out of the state system. Privately managed prisons were introduced to the UK in the 1990s and there are currently 11 such prisons contractually managed by private companies such as GSL, Serco and G4S Justice Services.
It is best to illustrate the varied nature of the prison estate with the following examples, which include different types of prisons:
Wakefield Prison is one of eight high-security prisons for male prisoners typically in security categories A and B. It was originally built as a house of correction in 1594. Its long and illustrious history has been documented in a superb publication called ‘Round the Mulberry Bush' written by a previous governor. The current prison was designated a ‘dispersal' prison in 1966 (the longest of the remaining original group). It is now a main lifer centre with the focus on serious sex offenders. The average prison roll is approximately 700 including a maximum of 100 Category A and 10 High Risk Category A prisoners. It houses a Close Supervision Centre (CSC). The unit is a small therapeutic centre aiming to provide a supportive, safe, structured and consistent environment for some of the Prison Services' most challenging prisoners.
Gartree Prison opened in 1965 as a category C training prison but quickly changed its role and came within the high security system, reverting to a category B prison in 1992. Since then the population of life sentenced prisoners has been growing and in 1997 its role changed to that of a main lifer centre. Its prisoner accommodation is in the form of single cells with an operational capacity of 577, for first and second stage lifers, as allocated by Lifer Unit. It’s regime requires prisoners to work in the prison workshops, gardens and education and there are offending behaviour programmes.
Lowdham Grange opened in 1998. It is a Category B closed training prison for adult males, operated and managed by Serco Ltd. Its accommodation is mostly single cells, some with en-suite showers. It has an operational capacity of 564 for Category B prisoners of determinate sentence of at least 4 years, with at least 12 months left to serve. There are workshops, education facilities, training (for NVQs in bricklaying, plumbing, electrician work, painting and decorating, industrial cleaning), offending behaviour courses.
Durham Prison was built in the early 19th Century and has been undergoing a major refurbishment programme during the last 10 years. It is a Category B local prison with an operational capacity of 981 spread throughout 7 wings and segregation and healthcare units. It receives convicted and remand male prisoners over 21 from Tyneside and Cumbria. It offers full and part time education, workshops for production and vocational training. Courses include Data Input, Bricklaying, Woodwork, Painting & Decorating, Waste Management and Gardens.
Kirklevington Grange opened in October 1992 as a Resettlement Prison for adult male offenders intending to settle on release, in the North East of England from Carlisle to Leeds. It has single rooms, all of which have privacy locks with prisoners having their own key. It has an operational Capacity of 223, who are normally Category C or D prisoners and lifers are accepted on allocation by Lifer Unit. Determinate sentence prisoners should have a minimum of 8 months and a maximum of 36 months left to serve. All applicants must demonstrate evidence of a desire to change, have a need for a resettlement regime and show that they are a manageable risk when granted temporary release.
Dartmoor Prison was built in 1809 to hold French and American prisoners of war and became a criminal prison after 1850. Although most of the buildings date from the late 19th century three wings have recently been fully refurbished and integral sanitation is now available in all but one wing. It is Category C training prison and now operates under a Service Level Agreement (SLA). It has an operational capacity of 646 and offers cellular accommodation on 6 wings. Some wings are used for specialist reasons such as voluntary drug testing, vulnerable prisoners, induction, and there is a Resettlement Unit housing a small community of prisoners who work on projects outside of the prison as part of the establishment's Resettlement Strategy. It receives Category C adults for training purposes.
Sudbury Prison was originally built as a hospital for the US Air Force for the D-Day landings, it was converted to a prison in 1948. Most of the original single storey accommodation is still in use but has been converted to double or single rooms. New single storey buildings accommodate prisoners in either single or two-man rooms. A Modular Temporary Unit (MTU), containing 40 single rooms on two floors, was installed during 2003. Its operational capacity is 571 and, as a category D prison, it accepts all prisoners who fit its criteria. The regime includes full-time and part-time education and evening classes, workshops, training courses (bricklaying, painting & decorating and industrial cleaning), farms and gardens, kitchen and a maintenance department. The offending behaviour groups available are Enhanced Thinking Skills and Cognitive Skills Booster. There are also special features (including paid and unpaid employment, training and education in the community), a listener scheme for prisoners who may be at risk from suicide or self-harm and an anti-bullying committee. There is a voluntary drug testing unit and a drug support group offering CARATS counselling and support for those with drug problems.
Glen Parva Young Offenders Institution was constructed in the early 1970s as a borstal and has always held young offenders. Since its opening in 1974 the establishment has seen considerable expansion and change and now serves a catchment area of over 100 courts, holding a mixture of sentenced, unsentenced, and remand prisoners. It has 10 discrete residential units each having a mixture of single and double cells, all of which have integral sanitation, and most have televisions that can be rented by prisoners. Its operational capacity is 808 and is a closed YOI and Remand Centre. All new prisoners arriving at Glen Parva spend their first 6 nights in a dedicated Induction Unit. They complete a comprehensive induction programme before moving to other units appropriate for their status, such as remand, or sentenced.
Swinfen Hall HMP and YOI Swinfen Hall now has an operational capacity of 620, and holds male long term young adults serving 4 years and up to life. A major building project began in spring 2004 following significant investment in the prison, to expand and develop existing accommodation and facilities for prisoners. Individual needs are identified early and an active and integrated regime of education skills training and the specialised accredited offending behaviour and substance abuse courses provided to address needs and reduce risks. The prison works with national corporations, local businesses, voluntary organisations, the Learning and Skills Council, education providers and others to meet the training and development needs of prisoners. Prisoners are housed in 9 wings in single cell accommodation and the operational capacity is 620 for young offenders serving 4 years to life and young category “C” adults (21-25) serving over 4 years.
Leicester Prison is situated in a commercial and residential district about half a mile from the city centre. It has the appearance of an impressive medieval fortress. The Gatehouse is the oldest part was built in 1825 and further construction took place in 1874, which filled the bulk of the space within the secure perimeter. In 1990 a new visits and administration block was built adjoining the Gatehouse. The main living accommodation is a long rectangular cell block with four landings, with full integral sanitation and in cell electricity. It operates as a local prison for adult males with a capacity of 392.
Holloway Prison was originally constructed by the City of London and opened in 1852 as a mixed prison. It became all female circa 1902 and was completely rebuilt between 1971-1985, on the same site. It has an operational capacity of 478, mostly accommodated in single rooms with some dormitory provision. It receives all adult and young female offenders remanded or sentenced by the courts with the exception of Category A. The regime includes both full-time and part-time education, skills training workshops, British Industrial Cleaning Science (BICS), gardens and painting. There is a fully integrated resettlement / induction strategy, which identifies individual needs and provides a structured approach for advice and guidance on such issues as housing, benefits, training and community volunteering programmes. There are also offending behaviour programmes on topics such as anger management, assertiveness and domestic violence. Other programmes include desk-top publishing and individual needs based work with a variety of partnership agencies. Other special features include welfare to work, the Holloway befrienders scheme, listeners' schemes, programme development and community projects.
Styal Prison was originally an orphanage in the 1890s, which closed in 1956. The site opened as a women's prison in 1962 when female prisoners from Strangeways were transferred there. From 1983 Young Offenders were admitted and in 1999 a wing was added to accommodate unsentenced female prisoners following the closure of Risley's remand centre. This increased the prison operational capacity by 60%, which is now 459, accommodated in dormitories and cells. Styal accepts adult female prisoners and, in some cases, young offenders. There are facilities for mothers with babies up to age 18 months. Remand prisoners are received direct.
Morton Hall was previously an RAF base and was re-opened as an open prison in 1985. New accommodation was opened in 1996 and the prison was re-rolled and refitted to become a Semi-Open Women's Prison in 2001. Two ready-to-use units were opened in 2002 increasing the capacity of the prison. Following the ending of the Intermittent Custody Sentence, the Seacole Unit is now used as a 39-bed resettlement unit, which is in prison grounds just outside the main prison. The prison is now becoming a specialist foreign national centre (with around 50 nationalities represented) and is also developing its own resettlement regime for prisoners who will be released into this country. All women have single rooms and in three of the units women have their own pass key. The operational capacity is 392 for those who meet the criteria for a semi-open female prison.
Hindley Prison began life in 1961 as a Borstal and in 1983 was re-classified as a Youth Custody Centre. It was subsequently re-classified as an adult prison and in 1997 when it became a joint prison and Young Offenders Institution. It has an operational capacity of 455 for sentenced young adults (not lifers) and both convicted and unconvicted juveniles. Accommodation comprises three young adult wings providing 244 places and two juvenile wings providing 192 places. Its regime endeavours to provide positive opportunities for young people to gain qualifications and to address offending behaviour, whilst aiding them to reintegrate into society on their release. The provision offers learning and skills, workshop places including construction skills and physical education. It also operates a listener and peer support scheme for those who may be at risk of suicide or self harm. It has an in-patient healthcare facility and a mental health day care centre.
Ashfield holds young people aged between 15 and under 18 years and is built on the site of a former remand centre. It has an operational capacity of 400 with accommodation in single and double cells. It accepts remand and sentenced young people between the ages of 15 and 18. The majority of sentenced young persons are completing detention and training orders. There are approximately 40 young people serving sentences of over 12 months on the Section 91 unit and a further 40 on a Voluntary Testing Unit.
Ashwell Prison is situated 1.5 miles from Oakham in Rutland and first opened in 1955 as an Open Prison for short to medium term adult male prisoners. The site, previously an army camp, extends to about 10 hectares. In October 1987 it was converted to an Adult Male Low Category C establishment. It runs an open and free running regime with much commitment to sentence planning, through care and purposeful activity. It has an operational Capacity of 545 with accommodation in 6 Units of which 2 are enhanced wings plus 1 drug free wing. Prisoners have unsupervised free movement, unsupervised access to the prison grounds, access to the grounds at night and keys to their own room. As it has been described as ‘an open prison regime within a secure perimeter' it is best suited to those Category C prisoners who are able to display the maturity and self-control to live reasonably in a regime where there is a high expectancy of good behaviour. All prisoners are employed or attend education programmes.
Haslar Immigration Removal Centre holds those detained by the Borders and Immigration Agency during documentation procedures and while removal or deportation is carried out. It was re-designated as a Removal Centre and began operating under Detention Centre rules in February 2002, but had held Immigration ‘prisoners' since 1989. It is run by the HM Prison Service for Borders and Immigration Agency and has an operational capacity of 160 accommodated in 6 dormitories of between 10 and 37 beds, divided into open cubicles. It is allocated people by the Borders and Immigration Agency, in line with agreed criteria.