HM Prison Long Lartin

HMP Long Lartin
Location South Littleton, Worcestershire
Security class Adult Male/Category A
Population 615 (as of October 2012)
Opened 1971
Managed by HM Prison Services
Governor Tom Wheatley
Website Long Lartin at justice.gov.uk

HM Prison Long Lartin is a Category A men's prison, located in the village of South Littleton (near Evesham) in the District of Wychavon in Worcestershire, England. It is operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service.

History

Long Lartin Prison was opened as a Category C training prison in 1971, with additional security features and systems being added in 1972 to enable it to operate as a dispersal prison.

In April 1990, inmates at Long Lartin Prison attempted a mass breakout, and about 30 prisoners barricaded themselves on a landing after guards foiled their escape bid.[1] As a consequence of this and other security breaches, as well as the Woodcock/Learmont reports, the establishment was further upgraded between 1995-97 to a maximum security prison.

In August 1998, the then Governor of Long Lartin, Jim Mullen claimed that mentally ill inmates at the prison faced unacceptable delays before being transferred to appropriate hospital accommodation. Mullen stated that up to 20 of his 379 inmates should have been in secure hospital accommodation, after a report by the Chief Inspector of Prisons called for action to speed up the movement of prisoners in need of specialist care.[2]

A supermax segregation unit (the biggest in Europe) & a new residential wing called Perrie Wing was opened at Long Lartin in June 1999, designed to hold the most violent and dangerous types of offenders. The new wing substantially increased the capacity of Long Lartin Prison.

A November 2003 inspection report from Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons stated that Long Lartin Prison was generally safe for inmates and offered good staff-prisoner relations and reoffending work. However the report also cited serious deficiencies at the prison in areas such as race relations, the overloaded and understaffed drug treatment team, and too many prisoners being locked up instead of in work.[3]

The prison today

Long Lartin Prison is a maximum security prison for sentenced adult males, about a third of whom are Category A, with all inmates serving a minimum sentence of four years. In addition the prison holds Category A remand prisoners awaiting trial.

There are eight main residential units at the prison for sentenced inmates. Two other residential units were demolished and the construction of a replacement purpose built two wing 180 house block has been now been completed and prisoners have moved in.

Notable inmates

Current notable inmates include convicted paedophile Ian Watkins of former Welsh rock band Lostprophets, who on 26 November 2013 pleaded guilty to 13 sexual offence charges, including attempted rape of a baby. On 18 December 2013, he was sentenced to 29 years' imprisonment and six years on extended licence. Another notable inmate is Ben Geen, a former nurse who since 2006 is serving 30 years (17 concurrent life sentences) for 15 charges of grievous bodily harm and 2 of murder. He still claims to be innocent of all these crimes.

Notable former inmates

References

  1. ↑ "INMATES TRY MASS ESCAPE FROM PRISON IN ENGLAND". 1990-04-03.
  2. ↑ "UK | Mentally ill prisoners face 'unacceptable delays'". BBC News. 1998-08-17. Retrieved 2013-04-12.
  3. ↑ "UK | England | Hereford/Worcs | Prison has race problems". BBC News. 2003-11-18. Retrieved 2013-04-12.
  4. ↑ http://www.blackkalendar.nl/content.php?key=23599
  5. ↑ "ENGLAND | Animal activist dies on hunger strike". BBC News. 2001-11-05. Retrieved 2013-04-12.
  6. ↑ "Home". BBC News. 1970-01-01. Retrieved 2013-04-12.
  7. ↑ "Stranica ne postoji | 404 | Avaz | Online izdanje". Dnevniavaz.ba. Retrieved 2013-04-12.
  8. ↑ "Murder most foul,but did he do it?", The Times, 18 March 2001; courtesy link to innocent.org, scroll to the end to see the editorial.
  9. ↑ , The Guardian, 21 April 2011;
  10. ↑ Dominic Casciani (2012-10-05). "BBC News - Abu Hamza to be extradited to US". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-04-12.
  11. ↑ Dominic Casciani (2012-10-05). "BBC News - Abu Hamza to be extradited to US". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-04-12.
  12. ↑ "BBC News - Subhan Anwar: Two charged with killing child murderer". Bbc.co.uk. 2013-02-16. Retrieved 2013-04-12.

External links

Coordinates: 52°06′30″N 1°51′13″W / 52.1084°N 1.8535°W / 52.1084; -1.8535

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