Forest Bank (HM Prison)
Encyclopedia
HM Prison Forest Bank is a Category B
men's private prison
, located in the Agecroft
area of Pendlebury
near Manchester
, England
. The prison is operated by Sodexo Justice Services.
. The 25-year design, construct, manage and finance (DCMF) contract was won by Kalyx (formerly UKDS) in 1997 and it opened in January 2000.
In November 2002 a report from Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons
praised Forest Bank for its staff-prisoner relations, management structure, increased staffing levels and levels of association between inmates. However the report also noted that many of the prison staff at Forest Bank lacked experience and that there was insufficient purposeful activity, with fewer than half the prisoners engaged in meaningful work or education.
In 2004 it emerged that a prison officer at Forest Bank had been caught trying to sell heroin to inmates. The officer was caught with 147 wraps of the drug hidden in his shoes when he started his shift. The officer was jailed for the offence.
In March 2005 an inmate escaped
from Forest Bank while being taken to hospital in a taxi. The prisoner was handcuffed to two prison officers as they travelled from the prison to the nearby Hope Hospital
, when the taxi was stopped by two men who threatened the guards with a gun, forcing them to let the inmate free.
In December of the same year the prison was severely criticised by the Chief Inspector of Prisons for high levels of violence and drug taking amongst inmates. The inspection found that in one month alone more than 2 kg of cannabis, 60g of heroin and 4.6g of cocaine were found at Forest Bank, and 40 per cent of compulsory drug tests were positive. The report also found a significant deterioration in safety for staff and inmates at the prison with routine intimidation of staff, prisoner assaults on other prisoners running at 25 a month and staff turnover of 25 per cent a year. There had also been 2,500 prisoner discipline hearings in six months.
In February 2006 another inmate escaped from Forest Bank while visiting hospital. The prisoner managed to escape from two prison guards and fled from the Manchester Royal Infirmary
wearing only a surgical gown.
In May 2010 another inmate, Michael O'Donnell, escaped from Forest Bank. The inmate cut off a section of his own ear in order to gain release from the facility in an ambulance, albeit with 3 prison guards in attandence. The ambulance was stopped in Agecroft Road (A6044) by a gang of armed men who released O'Donnell and made off.
O'Donnell was recaptured 28 May 2010. He was sentenced to 9 1/2 yrs on 29 May 2010 and was sent to HMP Strangeways. He was found hanged in his cell at HMP Strangeways Wednesday 23 June 2010.http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10404201
On 10 February 2011, former Forest Bank Prison Nurse Leanne Cartledge, 23, was sentenced to four months in prison for taking a Mobile Phone into the prison to give to Michael O'Donnell, who she was in a relationship with, which he used to help his escape.
In 2011 it emerged that 3 former members of staff at Forest Bank successfully sued Kalyx for unfair dismissal and there treatment by the serving Deputy Director of the prison.
In 2011 Kalyx began to change their name for the second time. They are to become known as Sodexo Justice Services.
to the local courts as well as sentenced prisoners. Adult inmates at Forest Bank come from the courts at Wigan
, Leigh
, Bolton
and Bury
. Young Offenders come from courts at Manchester
, Oldham
, Stockport
, Trafford
, Tameside
, Rochdale
and High Peak.
The prison is divided into eight wings (A-H), a healthcare unit and a Care and Separation unit. Accommodation at the prison consists mostly of single cells, with some double cells. All the cells are designed to be safer, having almost no ligature points due to modularisation being the method of construction. The Healthcare Unit at Forest bank has a 20-bed in-patient facility, with a 24 hour nursing care service. There is also a full time Senior Medical Officer and a Locum Medical Officer at the prison.
Activities at the prison include Production Workshops, Training Workshops and Vocational Training Courses in Motor Mechanics, Industrial Cleaning, Catering
and Welding
. There is a Visits Hall at Forest Bank, with facilities including a WRVS
run canteen, and a play area for children aged 2–12 years.
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 private prison
Private prison
A private prison, jail, or detention center is a place in which individuals are physically confined or interned by a third party that is contracted by a government agency...
, located in the Agecroft
Agecroft Power Station
Agecroft Power Station refers to three now demolished coal-fired power stations, which were situated between the eastern bank of the Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal and the western bank of the River Irwell at Agecroft, Pendlebury, near Manchester, North West England.-History:Agecroft Hall, an...
area of Pendlebury
Pendlebury
Pendlebury is a suburban town in the City of Salford, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies to the northwest of Manchester city centre, northwest of Salford, and southeast of Bolton....
near 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...
, 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 Sodexo Justice Services.
History
Forest Bank Prison was constructed on the site of the former Agecroft Power StationAgecroft Power Station
Agecroft Power Station refers to three now demolished coal-fired power stations, which were situated between the eastern bank of the Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal and the western bank of the River Irwell at Agecroft, Pendlebury, near Manchester, North West England.-History:Agecroft Hall, an...
. The 25-year design, construct, manage and finance (DCMF) contract was won by Kalyx (formerly UKDS) in 1997 and it opened in January 2000.
In November 2002 a 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...
praised Forest Bank for its staff-prisoner relations, management structure, increased staffing levels and levels of association between inmates. However the report also noted that many of the prison staff at Forest Bank lacked experience and that there was insufficient purposeful activity, with fewer than half the prisoners engaged in meaningful work or education.
In 2004 it emerged that a prison officer at Forest Bank had been caught trying to sell heroin to inmates. The officer was caught with 147 wraps of the drug hidden in his shoes when he started his shift. The officer was jailed for the offence.
In March 2005 an inmate escaped
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...
from Forest Bank while being taken to hospital in a taxi. The prisoner was handcuffed to two prison officers as they travelled from the prison to the nearby Hope Hospital
Hope Hospital
Salford Royal is a large hospital in Salford, Greater Manchester, England, managed by the Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust...
, when the taxi was stopped by two men who threatened the guards with a gun, forcing them to let the inmate free.
In December of the same year the prison was severely criticised by the Chief Inspector of Prisons for high levels of violence and drug taking amongst inmates. The inspection found that in one month alone more than 2 kg of cannabis, 60g of heroin and 4.6g of cocaine were found at Forest Bank, and 40 per cent of compulsory drug tests were positive. The report also found a significant deterioration in safety for staff and inmates at the prison with routine intimidation of staff, prisoner assaults on other prisoners running at 25 a month and staff turnover of 25 per cent a year. There had also been 2,500 prisoner discipline hearings in six months.
In February 2006 another inmate escaped from Forest Bank while visiting hospital. The prisoner managed to escape from two prison guards and fled from the Manchester Royal Infirmary
Manchester Royal Infirmary
The Manchester Royal Infirmary is a hospital in Manchester, England which was founded by Charles White in 1752 as a cottage hospital capable of caring for twelve patients. Manchester Royal Infirmary is part of a larger NHS Trust incorporating several hospitals called Central Manchester University...
wearing only a surgical gown.
In May 2010 another inmate, Michael O'Donnell, escaped from Forest Bank. The inmate cut off a section of his own ear in order to gain release from the facility in an ambulance, albeit with 3 prison guards in attandence. The ambulance was stopped in Agecroft Road (A6044) by a gang of armed men who released O'Donnell and made off.
O'Donnell was recaptured 28 May 2010. He was sentenced to 9 1/2 yrs on 29 May 2010 and was sent to HMP Strangeways. He was found hanged in his cell at HMP Strangeways Wednesday 23 June 2010.http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10404201
On 10 February 2011, former Forest Bank Prison Nurse Leanne Cartledge, 23, was sentenced to four months in prison for taking a Mobile Phone into the prison to give to Michael O'Donnell, who she was in a relationship with, which he used to help his escape.
In 2011 it emerged that 3 former members of staff at Forest Bank successfully sued Kalyx for unfair dismissal and there treatment by the serving Deputy Director of the prison.
In 2011 Kalyx began to change their name for the second time. They are to become known as Sodexo Justice Services.
The prison today
HMP Forest Bank is a Category B local prison although the majority of the inmates are category C. The term 'local' means that this prison holds people on remandDetention of suspects
The detention of suspects is the process of keeping a person who has been arrested in a police-cell, remand prison or other detention centre before trial or sentencing. One criticism of pretrial detention is that eventual acquittal can be a somewhat hollow victory, in that there is no way to...
to the local courts as well as sentenced prisoners. Adult inmates at Forest Bank come from the courts at Wigan
Wigan
Wigan is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It stands on the River Douglas, south-west of Bolton, north of Warrington and west-northwest of Manchester. Wigan is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its administrative centre. The town of Wigan had a total...
, Leigh
Leigh, Greater Manchester
Leigh is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England. It is southeast of Wigan, and west of Manchester. Leigh is situated on low lying land to the north west of Chat Moss....
, Bolton
Bolton
Bolton is a town in Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. Close to the West Pennine Moors, it is north west of the city of Manchester. Bolton is surrounded by several smaller towns and villages which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, of which Bolton is the...
and Bury
Bury
Bury is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the River Irwell, east of Bolton, west-southwest of Rochdale, and north-northwest of the city of Manchester...
. Young Offenders come from courts at 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...
, Oldham
Oldham
Oldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amid the Pennines on elevated ground between the rivers Irk and Medlock, south-southeast of Rochdale, and northeast of the city of Manchester...
, Stockport
Stockport
Stockport is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on elevated ground southeast of Manchester city centre, at the point where the rivers Goyt and Tame join and create the River Mersey. Stockport is the largest settlement in the metropolitan borough of the same name...
, Trafford
Trafford
The Metropolitan Borough of Trafford is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It has a population of 211,800, covers , and includes the towns of Altrincham, Partington, Sale, Stretford, and Urmston...
, Tameside
Tameside
The Metropolitan Borough of Tameside is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester in North West England. It is named after the River Tame which flows through the borough and spans the towns of Ashton-under-Lyne, Audenshaw, Denton, Droylsden, Dukinfield, Hyde, Mossley and Stalybridge. Its western...
, Rochdale
Rochdale
Rochdale is a large market town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amongst the foothills of the Pennines on the River Roch, north-northwest of Oldham, and north-northeast of the city of Manchester. Rochdale is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan...
and High Peak.
The prison is divided into eight wings (A-H), a healthcare unit and a Care and Separation unit. Accommodation at the prison consists mostly of single cells, with some double cells. All the cells are designed to be safer, having almost no ligature points due to modularisation being the method of construction. The Healthcare Unit at Forest bank has a 20-bed in-patient facility, with a 24 hour nursing care service. There is also a full time Senior Medical Officer and a Locum Medical Officer at the prison.
Activities at the prison include Production Workshops, Training Workshops and Vocational Training Courses in Motor Mechanics, Industrial Cleaning, Catering
Catering
Catering is the business of providing foodservice at a remote site or a site such as a hotel, public house , or other location.-Mobile catering:A mobile caterer serves food directly from a vehicle or cart that is designed for the purpose...
and Welding
Welding
Welding is a fabrication or sculptural process that joins materials, usually metals or thermoplastics, by causing coalescence. This is often done by melting the workpieces and adding a filler material to form a pool of molten material that cools to become a strong joint, with pressure sometimes...
. There is a Visits Hall at Forest Bank, with facilities including a WRVS
WRVS
The WRVS is a voluntary organisation concerned with helping people in need throughout England, Scotland and Wales....
run canteen, and a play area for children aged 2–12 years.