Erlestoke (HM Prison)
Encyclopedia
HM Prison Erlestoke is a Category C
men's prison
, located in the village of Erlestoke
in Wiltshire
, England
. Erlestoke is operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service
, and is the only prison in Wiltshire.
built by Joshua Smith
, Member of Parliament
for Devizes
, between 1780 and 1810. During the Second World War the house was used as a training school for the Special Operations Executive
. It was seriously damaged by a fire in 1950 and was then converted into a prison with many modern buildings.
In 1998, it was reported that thieves had broken into Erlestoke Prison and stolen £3000 worth of gardening tools from a shed. Two years later, two inmates from Erlestoke used a makeshift ladder in a daylight jailbreak
. The two escapees then stole a car from a nearby farm, but then crashed the motor, and were subsequently recaptured by the police.
In December 2001, an inspection of Erlestoke by Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons
found cells in the oldest part of the prison had damp walls and poor furniture. Cleanliness was also criticised, as was the ability of some staff "to adapt to new ideas on rehabilitation" at the prison.
However a year later, a report declared Erlestoke Prison one of the best in the country, with a Government official describing the inspection report as "astoundingly good".
In March 2005, a report from the Independent Monitoring Board
found that violent incidents at the prison had dramatically increased, to 1,400 annual incidents from its previous 800. Months later, an employment tribunal awarded nearly £400,000 damages to a white South Africa
n officer of the prison for "enduring years of racial abuse" in connection with black prisoners targeting him for his clearly identifiable accent. According to the officer, he had received little assistance from the Prison's management.
and Bristol
in particular. Accommodation at the prison comprises seven accommodation units, 3 Enhanced; 3 Standard; 1 Lifer and long-term prisoner unit. Most cells are single occupancy with integral sanitation. However there are a small number of double, purpose-built cells on two of the accommodation units, and two three-bed cells on one other accommodation unit.
The visitors centre at Erlestoke Prison has a refreshments facility, as well as a children's play area with a crèche
operating at weekends.
. The inmate stopped to change his clothes and then continued his escape onto a golf course where police cornered him. The inmate was then taken to Melksham
police station.
Prison security categories in the United Kingdom
There are four prisoner security categories in the United Kingdom used to classify every adult prisoner for the purposes of assigning them to a prison. The categories are based upon the severity of the crime and the risk posed should the person escape....
men's prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
, located in the village of Erlestoke
Erlestoke
Erlestoke is a village and civil parish about southwest of the market town of Devizes in Wiltshire.-History:The current form of the village of Erlestoke is largely due to Joshua Smith, a Member of Parliament for Devizes...
in Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Erlestoke is operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service
Her Majesty's Prison Service
Her Majesty's Prison Service is a part of the National Offender Management Service of the Government of the United Kingdom tasked with managing most of the prisons within England and Wales...
, and is the only prison in Wiltshire.
History
Erlestoke is housed in a country houseEnglish country house
The English country house is a large house or mansion in the English countryside. Such houses were often owned by individuals who also owned a London house. This allowed to them to spend time in the country and in the city—hence, for these people, the term distinguished between town and country...
built by Joshua Smith
Joshua Smith (English politician)
Joshua Smith was an English politician. He was Member of Parliament for Devizes in Wiltshire from 1788 to 1818.- References :...
, Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Devizes
Devizes
Devizes is a market town and civil parish in Wiltshire, England. The town is about southeast of Chippenham and about east of Trowbridge.Devizes serves as a centre for banks, solicitors and shops, with a large open market place where a market is held once a week...
, between 1780 and 1810. During the Second World War the house was used as a training school for the Special Operations Executive
Special Operations Executive
The Special Operations Executive was a World War II organisation of the United Kingdom. It was officially formed by Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Minister of Economic Warfare Hugh Dalton on 22 July 1940, to conduct guerrilla warfare against the Axis powers and to instruct and aid local...
. It was seriously damaged by a fire in 1950 and was then converted into a prison with many modern buildings.
In 1998, it was reported that thieves had broken into Erlestoke Prison and stolen £3000 worth of gardening tools from a shed. Two years later, two inmates from Erlestoke used a makeshift ladder in a daylight jailbreak
Prison escape
A prison escape or prison break is the act of an inmate leaving prison through unofficial or illegal ways. Normally, when this occurs, an effort is made on the part of authorities to recapture them and return them to their original detainers...
. The two escapees then stole a car from a nearby farm, but then crashed the motor, and were subsequently recaptured by the police.
In December 2001, an inspection of Erlestoke by Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons
Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons
Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons is the head of HM Inspectorate of Prisons and the senior inspector of prisons, young offender institutions and immigration service detention and removal centres in England and Wales...
found cells in the oldest part of the prison had damp walls and poor furniture. Cleanliness was also criticised, as was the ability of some staff "to adapt to new ideas on rehabilitation" at the prison.
However a year later, a report declared Erlestoke Prison one of the best in the country, with a Government official describing the inspection report as "astoundingly good".
In March 2005, a report from the Independent Monitoring Board
Independent Monitoring Board
Independent Monitoring Boards are statutory bodies established by the Prison Act 1952 to monitor the welfare of prisoners in the UK to ensure that they are properly cared for within Prison and Immigration Centre rules, whilst in custody and detention...
found that violent incidents at the prison had dramatically increased, to 1,400 annual incidents from its previous 800. Months later, an employment tribunal awarded nearly £400,000 damages to a white South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n officer of the prison for "enduring years of racial abuse" in connection with black prisoners targeting him for his clearly identifiable accent. According to the officer, he had received little assistance from the Prison's management.
The prison today
Erlestoke Prison receives adult male prisoners from much of England and Wales, as well as from local prisons in South WalesSouth Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
and Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
in particular. Accommodation at the prison comprises seven accommodation units, 3 Enhanced; 3 Standard; 1 Lifer and long-term prisoner unit. Most cells are single occupancy with integral sanitation. However there are a small number of double, purpose-built cells on two of the accommodation units, and two three-bed cells on one other accommodation unit.
The visitors centre at Erlestoke Prison has a refreshments facility, as well as a children's play area with a crèche
Day care
Child care or day care is care of a child during the day by a person other than the child's legal guardians, typically performed by someone outside the child's immediate family...
operating at weekends.
Attempted Escapes
On the 14th of September 2010 a prisoner from HMP Erlestoke fled the facility, escaping on the prisons own tractor that meant to be used for gardening. He was spotted by a former prison officer on the A361 heading towards DevizesDevizes
Devizes is a market town and civil parish in Wiltshire, England. The town is about southeast of Chippenham and about east of Trowbridge.Devizes serves as a centre for banks, solicitors and shops, with a large open market place where a market is held once a week...
. The inmate stopped to change his clothes and then continued his escape onto a golf course where police cornered him. The inmate was then taken to Melksham
Melksham
Melksham is a medium-sized English town, lying on the River Avon. It lies in the county of Wiltshire.It is situated southeast of the city of Bath, south of Chippenham, west of Devizes and north of Warminster on the A350 national route. The 2001 UK census cited Melksham as having 20,000...
police station.