So Ken Clarke has finally decided to pick a fight with his back bench colleagues and go ahead with his much-trailed decision to actually begin a reduction in the size of the prison estate for the first time in living memory. In reality though I feel it's more of a symbolic gesture than anything with a modest 849 reduction in capacity. Of course he has already announced the decision not go ahead with a planned new prison near Ashworth Special Hospital on Merseyside and I notice that HMP Dartmoor is not in the closure list. The Duchy of Cornwall must indeed be making sure the MoJ stick to the letter of their full repairing lease.
I don't think anyone will be surprised to hear that HMP Lancaster a Cat 'C' training prison will be one of the three prisons that will be closing and we can only assume that the landlords, Lancaster City Council, have come to a satisfactory agreement with the Ministry of Justice over accepting the other half of the ancient grade 1 'listed' castle back. This is probably the oldest prison still functioning as such and has been used as a prison since at least the 18th century and probably well before. I believe it still contains an execution chamber, but was last used for the purpose in 1910. Currently holding only some 238 prisoners, closing this establishment was a bit of a 'no brainer' really, but will give the council a headache as to how to fund a suitable future public use for this important 'listed' building during a time of austerity.
Interestingly the other half of the castle is still rented by the MoJ and continues to serve as the Crown Court. When functioning as the Assizes, this is where the Pendle Witches stood trial in 1612. According to wikipedia, it has the reputation as being the court where more people were sentenced to death than any other in England. Development as a tourist attraction is one obvious possibility. This is the only one of the three establishments due to close that I've had the pleasure of visiting. I remember it as a very relaxed prison oozing history at every corner and the seconded PO assured me it was an absolutely brilliant posting.
HMP Ashwell in Rutland is an interesting choice because it was substantially damaged during a riot in 2009 when 75% of the accommodation was made uninhabitable. A Cat 'C' closed training prison it currently only holds about 212 prisoners and it was being considered for conversion into an Immigration Removal Centre, but ran into significant local opposition. It seems that it's a popular jail with the surrounding community and the latest Independent Monitoring Board report paints a glowing picture, despite the trouble in 2009. Ironically it has excellent workshop facilities making signs, plastic cutlery and clothing, all for prison service use.
I have to say I don't understand the reasons for closing this prison. Although opened in 1955, there have been some major improvements in recent time, including a new kitchen in 2008 and a new prefabricated accommodation block. The argument about closing outdated old prisons doesn't hold water and neither does the argument about replacing the arson damaged wings as prefabricated blocks are pretty cost effective. So with good workshops and other infrastructure like perimeter fences intact, it doesn't make sense to me. What the future holds for this former Second World War US Army base I'm not sure as it lies some distance from the village of Oakham. Possibly there is a yet to be publicly revealed use by some other government department, or is the site actually going to be quietly 'mothballed?'
The planned closure of HMP Morton Hall, a former RAF base and currently a womens closed establishment holding 392 solves the problem of where to locate another Immigration Removal Centre. It will convert fairly easily and currently I don't think there is as much pressure on places in the female prison estate. Even so ironically it had been developing a specialist role for imprisoned foreign nationals leaving the country and returning prisoners due for release from overseas. They could cater for 50 languages apparently and inevitably this facility and expertise will now have to be dispersed.
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