- Ashwell (HM Prison)
-
HMP Ashwell Location Burley, Rutland Status Closed Security class Adult Male/Category C Opened 1955 Closed 2011 Managed by HM Prison Service HM Prison Ashwell was a Category C men's prison located in the parish of Burley, in the county of Rutland, England. The site of a former prison is located about two miles south of the centre of the village of Ashwell, alongside the road to Oakham and opposite the former kennels of the Cottesmore Hunt.
Contents
History
Ashwell Prison was constructed on the site of a World War II US army base (home to part of the 82nd Airborne Division), and first opened in 1955 as an open prison for adult male prisoners. In October 1987 it was converted to an Adult Male Category C establishment.
In 2003 Ashwell Prison hit the headlines after four prisoners went on a wrecking spree, damaging £10,000 worth of office equipment, computers and windows. The trouble started when an officer found an inmate had been drinking alcohol in his cell.[1] Despite this incident Ashwell achieved Resettlement Stage 1 accreditation in the same year.
A 2005 inspection report of Ashwell cited concerns about prisoners' vulnerability, race relations and the quality of work and training at the prison.[2] In the same year an inmate at the prison escaped from guards while receiving treatment for tuberculosis at the Leicester Royal Infirmary. The prisoner was recaptured days later[3]
In July 2008 a new £6m wing with an additional 64 cells was opened at Ashwell Prison. The new wing increased the overall capacity of the prison to 619 inmates.[4]
A major riot at Ashwell Prison began on 11 April 2009. During the riot, a three-mile police perimeter was put in place, which extended to the edges of Oakham. Several prisoners were evacuated from the prison. Trouble started on Saturday 11 April at approximately 0100 BST and a fire broke out at the prison during the afternoon. The riot was successfully brought under control at 2245 BST that day. The operation launched by authorities in response to the riot was called Operation Tornado[5] which saw the introduction of specialist riot trained prison staff. Three prisoners were injured and 75% of the prison was made uninhabitable. The riot started when a prisoner, serving a three-year sentence, confronted staff and refused to return to his room. He began to cause damage and was joined by others. The unrest spread quickly throughout the prison and approximately 400 prisoners are thought to have participated.[5] No member of staff was injured or directly attacked.[6]
The damage done to three of the old wings was substantial. The rest of the prison was either undamaged or sustained superficial damage.[6] The event provoked questioning of the UK's overcrowded prison system leading to Category B prisoners' downgrading so that they can be moved to Category C prisons.
In January 2011, it was announced that Ashwell Prison was to close, as the cost of repairing and maintaining the building was too high.[7] The prison formally closed at the end of March 2011, when all inmates were transferred to other prisons. As of yet the future of the site is yet to be determined.[8]
Notable former inmates
- Lee Hughes, the professional footballer spent time in Ashwell from 2004 after being convicted of death by dangerous driving. Hughes went on to become manager of the prison's football team. [9]
References
- ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/leicestershire/3245375.stm
- ^ http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-19236963_ITM
- ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/leicestershire/4517525.stm
- ^ Prison opens new £6m wing; Stamford Mercury 1 August 2008
- ^ a b http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/leicestershire/7994616.stm
- ^ a b Ministerial Statement; 20 April 2009
- ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12178498
- ^ http://www.meltontimes.co.uk/news/double_blow_as_raf_base_and_jail_close_1_2568144
- ^ http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-123823546.html
External links
Coordinates: 52°41′30″N 0°43′04″W / 52.6918°N 0.7179°W
Prisons in the East Midlands Active Foston Hall · Gartree · Glen Parva · Leicester · Lincoln · Lowdham Grange · Morton Hall · North Sea Camp · Nottingham · Onley · Ranby · Rye Hill · Stocken · Sudbury · Wellingborough · Whatton
Defunct Ashwell Prison · Derby Gaol · Galleries of JusticeCategories:- Prisons in Rutland
- Defunct prisons in England
- 1955 establishments in England
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
