Askham Grange (HM Prison)
Encyclopedia
HM Prison Askham Grange is a women's open category prison
, located in Askham Richard
village in North Yorkshire
, England
. The prison is run by Her Majesty's Prison Service
.
at Askham Grange, becoming (at 28) "the youngest ever governor or warden of a women's prison in Britain." McCormick went on to introduce programmes of rehabilitation
in the prison for soon-to-be released prisoners (a relatively new idea at the time).
In 1979 two inmates founded the Clean Break Theatre
Group at Askham Grange. Today Clean Break is a theatre, education and new writing company that works with women whose lives have been affected by the criminal justice system. The group now have links with most women's prisons in the UK.
In 2001 two inmates from Askham Grange launched a High Court
battle for the right to keep their babies with them in prison beyond the age of 18 months. The challenge failed, but launched a wider debate in the media about mother's rights and their children in prison.
to maintain full-time care of their child or children whilst in custody. Inmates tend to have already served three years or more in other prisons, and are transferred to Askham Grange to complete the last part (maximum three years) of their sentence. Because of this the prisons main focus is the re-integration and re-settlement of prisoners into the community and preparation for life after prison.
Accommodation in the prison consists mainly of dormitories, though there are some single rooms. All prisoners in the Mother and Baby unit have their own rooms. The prison's education department mainly concentrates on vocational skills, and many prisoners are given work-placements outside the prison as part of their re-settlement plan.
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 Askham Richard
Askham Richard
Askham Richard is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of City of York in the north of England, six and a half miles south west of York, close to Copmanthorpe, Bilbrough and Askham Bryan. Prior to 1996 it formed part of the district of Selby. The village became a Conservation Area in...
village in North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
, 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 run 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
In 1973 Susan McCormick was appointed GovernorGovernor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
at Askham Grange, becoming (at 28) "the youngest ever governor or warden of a women's prison in Britain." McCormick went on to introduce programmes of rehabilitation
Rehabilitation (penology)
Rehabilitation means; To restore to useful life, as through therapy and education or To restore to good condition, operation, or capacity....
in the prison for soon-to-be released prisoners (a relatively new idea at the time).
In 1979 two inmates founded the Clean Break Theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
Group at Askham Grange. Today Clean Break is a theatre, education and new writing company that works with women whose lives have been affected by the criminal justice system. The group now have links with most women's prisons in the UK.
In 2001 two inmates from Askham Grange launched a High Court
High Court of Justice
The High Court of Justice is, together with the Court of Appeal and the Crown Court, one of the Senior Courts of England and Wales...
battle for the right to keep their babies with them in prison beyond the age of 18 months. The challenge failed, but launched a wider debate in the media about mother's rights and their children in prison.
The prison today
Askham Grange accepts adult females and female young offenders, and has space for ten mothersMothers
Mothers was a club in Erdington, near Birmingham, England during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Mothers opened above an old furniture store in Erdington High Street on August 9, 1968. The club, run by John 'Spud' Taylor and promoter Phil Myatt, closed its doors on 3 January 1971...
to maintain full-time care of their child or children whilst in custody. Inmates tend to have already served three years or more in other prisons, and are transferred to Askham Grange to complete the last part (maximum three years) of their sentence. Because of this the prisons main focus is the re-integration and re-settlement of prisoners into the community and preparation for life after prison.
Accommodation in the prison consists mainly of dormitories, though there are some single rooms. All prisoners in the Mother and Baby unit have their own rooms. The prison's education department mainly concentrates on vocational skills, and many prisoners are given work-placements outside the prison as part of their re-settlement plan.
Notable former inmates
- Mary BellMary BellMary Flora Bell was convicted in December 1968 of the manslaughter of two boys, Martin Brown and Brian Howe...
, the infamous child killer served out the last of her sentence at Askham Grange before being released in 1980. - Helen JohnHelen JohnHelen John was the first full-time member of the Greenham Common peace camp, who has worked "fearlessly and relentlessly" to undermine the British and US military for 30 years. "She has broken into and damaged top-security establishments, stood against Tony Blair for parliament, and been assaulted...
, a peace campaigner was held at Askham Grange for criminal damage whilst standing against Tony BlairTony BlairAnthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
in the UK 2001 General ElectionUnited Kingdom general election, 2001The United Kingdom general election, 2001 was held on Thursday 7 June 2001 to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. It was dubbed "the quiet landslide" by the media, as the Labour Party was re-elected with another landslide result and only suffered a net loss of 6 seats...
in his Sedgefield constituencySedgefield (UK Parliament constituency)Sedgefield is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...