Prisons Closing 2

According to this report in the Guardian, the Ministry of Justice is drawing up a 'hit list' of 6 prisons that could be earmarked for closure, including Dartmoor, North Sea Camp, Shrewsbury, and Shepton Mallet. All very different, geographically spread and each regarded as problematic in certain ways. I think I'm right in saying that only North Sea Camp is not 'listed' by English Heritage as being of historical or architectural importance, thus making demolition of the others most unlikely. I've visited both North Sea Camp and Shepton Mallet, the latter having been highlighted as a possible closure in a previous blog, along with HMP Lancaster. 

Built originally to hold prisoners from the Napoleonic Wars, HMP Dartmoor is interestingly owned by the Duchy of Cornwall and certified for 646 inmates. It still seems to have a reputation akin to escape-proof Alcatraz, when in fact it's been a Cat 'C' trainer for quite a few years, typically holding non-violent and white collar offenders. Ironically, despite it's age and remoteness, it currently enjoys a very good reputation with excellent training and workshop facilities. It's had a load of money spent on it and there're not that many jails in the South West.

HMP North Sea Camp is an old Borstal on the wild Lincolnshire coast and was actually built by the inmates in 1935, having been marched from HMP Stafford and who lived in tents initially. It's now a Cat 'D' open prison for 306 inmates, some of whom work off site locally. Until fairly recently it was the only prison that owned and operated a narrow guage railway installed initially to maintain the sea defences and used later to reclaim land from the sea. This land later became one of the largest prison farms until sadly sold off a few years ago. As with other 'open' establishments, absconding is an occupational hazard, understandably attracting negative publicity, but almost certainly exacerbated by inappropriate allocations in recent years. 

The prison in Shrewsbury is interesting because it's regarded as officially one of the most over-crowded in the country and in 2008 was reckoned to be so by 183%. Built in 1877 it's otherwise a typical Victorian 'local' serving courts in the catchment area and hence takes a wide range of adult male prisoners both on remand and sentenced, plus other groups such as fine defaulters. Certified for 182, it currently holds 340 prisoners and is designated a Cat 'B'. Local prisons have particular difficulties due to the constant daily coming and goings and as a result are very often under great pressure in terms of over-crowding. If this jail closes, it's difficult to see how it's function can be easily replaced, unless a new facility is being planned. There is no room on the current site for expansion and of course the whole point about this type of prison is that it is indeed 'local'.

In many ways it's hard to make a case for not closing HMP Shepton Mallet. It's the oldest in the estate dating back to 1625 and difficult to maintain. The certified establishment is 186 prisoners and it's currently designated a Cat 'C' lifer prison. The small stable population is in many ways ideal for such long term prisoners, but it must be very uneconomic to run and many prisoners are a very long way from their family connections.