Liverpool (HM Prison)
Encyclopedia
HM Prison Liverpool is a categoryB/C
local men's prison
, located in the Walton
area of Liverpool
in England
. The prison is operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service
.
The prison was the site of 62 judicial executions
, from 1887 to 1964. The last execution at the prison was that of Peter Anthony Allen. He and his accomplice Gwynne Owen Evans were convicted for the murder of John Alan West
in April 1964. They were simultaneously hanged
on 13 August 1964; Allen was hanged at Walton Gaol, and Evans at Strangeways
in Manchester
.
In May 2003 an inspection report from Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons
severely criticised Liverpool Prison for its overcrowding and poor industrial relations which had led to an unacceptable regime. The inspection found that parts of the jail were generally unclean, had cockroach infestations and broken windows. Inmates were able to shower and change their clothes just once a week at the prison.
A further inspection report in February 2010, stated that drugs, bullying and violence were still prevalent at Liverpool Prison, despite the jail improving in other areas. Days later, it emerged that the Prison Service had refunded nearly £10,000 to inmates at HMP Liverpool, who were being overcharged for watching television in their cells. The prison was charging £1 per prisoner per week instead of per cell, meaning that inmates who were sharing a cell were paying more than they needed to.
. The prison has eight wings, all of which have been refurbished to include integral sanitation. As of May 2009, its population was 1,184, one of the largest in the UK, but smaller than a peak population of 1,443 in 2008.
Liverpool Prison offers education
and training courses, provided by the Manchester College, as well as workshops and programmes organised by the prison's Psychology Department. The establishment houses a hugely successful in cell radio program 'Walton Radio' managed by Paul Moloney, offering prisoners radio production qualifications, music technology qualifications, along with emphases on rehabilitation through employability upskilling. A Listener Scheme, supported by the Samaritans, operates for prisoners who are at risk from suicide
or self harm. There is a resettlement unit at HMP Liverpool which comprises a Citizens' Advice Unit, Connexions
and Job Centre Plus. All healthcare services at Liverpool Prison are commissioned through Liverpool Primary Care Trust. A new all-purpose 28-bed inpatient and primary care service was opened in summer 2007.
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....
local 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 Walton
Walton, Merseyside
Walton, originally known as Walton-on-the-Hill, in Liverpool, Merseyside, England, is an area situated to the north of Anfield and the east of Bootle and Orrell Park. It is largely residential, with a diverse population.-History:...
area of Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
in 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...
. The prison 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...
.
History
Liverpool Prison (originally known as Walton Gaol) was constructed in 1855 to replace a much older and more cramped establishment in the centre of Liverpool.The prison was the site of 62 judicial executions
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
, from 1887 to 1964. The last execution at the prison was that of Peter Anthony Allen. He and his accomplice Gwynne Owen Evans were convicted for the murder of John Alan West
John Alan West
John Alan West was a 53-year-old laundry van driver from Seaton, Cumberland, England, murdered by two men on 7 April 1964. His murder led to the executions of Peter Allen and Gwynne Evans — the last executions in the United Kingdom.-Crime and arrest:John West, who lived alone, had returned to...
in April 1964. They were simultaneously hanged
Hanging
Hanging is the lethal suspension of a person by a ligature. The Oxford English Dictionary states that hanging in this sense is "specifically to put to death by suspension by the neck", though it formerly also referred to crucifixion and death by impalement in which the body would remain...
on 13 August 1964; Allen was hanged at Walton Gaol, and Evans at Strangeways
Manchester (HM Prison)
HM Prison Manchester is a high-security male prison situated in Manchester, England operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service. It is a local Prison, holding prisoners remanded into custody from the courts in the Manchester area as well as a number of Category A prisoners.HM Prison Manchester was...
in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
.
In May 2003 an inspection report from 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...
severely criticised Liverpool Prison for its overcrowding and poor industrial relations which had led to an unacceptable regime. The inspection found that parts of the jail were generally unclean, had cockroach infestations and broken windows. Inmates were able to shower and change their clothes just once a week at the prison.
A further inspection report in February 2010, stated that drugs, bullying and violence were still prevalent at Liverpool Prison, despite the jail improving in other areas. Days later, it emerged that the Prison Service had refunded nearly £10,000 to inmates at HMP Liverpool, who were being overcharged for watching television in their cells. The prison was charging £1 per prisoner per week instead of per cell, meaning that inmates who were sharing a cell were paying more than they needed to.
The prison today
Liverpool is a local prison for remand and sentenced adult males in the Merseyside catchment areaCatchment area (human geography)
In human geography, a catchment area is the area and population from which a city or individual service attracts visitors or customers. For example, a school catchment area is the geographic area from which students are eligible to attend a local school...
. The prison has eight wings, all of which have been refurbished to include integral sanitation. As of May 2009, its population was 1,184, one of the largest in the UK, but smaller than a peak population of 1,443 in 2008.
Liverpool Prison offers education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
and training courses, provided by the Manchester College, as well as workshops and programmes organised by the prison's Psychology Department. The establishment houses a hugely successful in cell radio program 'Walton Radio' managed by Paul Moloney, offering prisoners radio production qualifications, music technology qualifications, along with emphases on rehabilitation through employability upskilling. A Listener Scheme, supported by the Samaritans, operates for prisoners who are at risk from suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
or self harm. There is a resettlement unit at HMP Liverpool which comprises a Citizens' Advice Unit, Connexions
Connexions
Connexions is a global repository of educational content provided by Rice University. The entire collection is available free of charge, and students and learners alike can explore all the content they desire....
and Job Centre Plus. All healthcare services at Liverpool Prison are commissioned through Liverpool Primary Care Trust. A new all-purpose 28-bed inpatient and primary care service was opened in summer 2007.
Notable former inmates
- Fenner Brockway, Baron BrockwayFenner Brockway, Baron BrockwayFenner Brockway, Baron Brockway , was a British anti-war activist and politician.-Biography:Archibald Fenner Brockway was born in Calcutta, India, which was at that time under British Imperial rule...
- Henry TibbsHenry TibbsThe Reverend Henry Stanley Tibbs was an United Kingdom vicar briefly interned in 1940 under Defence Regulation 18B for his alleged pro-Nazi sympathies....
- Joey BartonJoey BartonJoseph Anthony "Joey" Barton is an English footballer who plays for and captains Premier League side Queens Park Rangers as either a central midfielder or a winger....
- Jan MølbyJan MølbyJan Mølby is a Danish former international footballer who spent much of his professional football career at English club Liverpool.- Club career :...
- Akinwale Arobieke
- John Alexander Ennis
- AKA Johny Mennis