Lancaster Farms (HM Prison)
Encyclopedia
HM Prison Lancaster Farms is a male Young Offenders Institution, located on the outskirts of Lancaster
, Lancashire
, England
. The prison is operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service
, and is part of the HMP North Lancashire and Cumbria Estate (along with HMP Lancaster Castle
and HMP Haverigg
).
In August 2001 The Howard League for Penal Reform
claimed that conditions at Lancaster Farms Prison failed to meet standards laid out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Research found evidence of bullying, limited access to daylight or open air, lack of specialist training for staff and lack of individual care for inmates at the prison.
In July 2003 Lancaster Farms was found to be one of the five highest performing prisons in England and Wales. The league table was compiled by Her Majesty's Prison Service.
In April 2007 a report from Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons
stated that conditions were improving at Lancaster Farms, and that the prison maintained a reasonably safe and respectful environment. However the report criticised the amount of time inmates spent in their cells, and urged improvement in the prison's anti-bullying procedures and education opportunities.
Over the course of 2008 and 2009, all remaining juvenile inmates were transferred from Lancaster Farms to other prisons. Since then Lancaster Farms has only held Young Offenders aged 18 to 20.
area. The prison is made up of four secure units. Accommodation at Lancaster Farms mainly comprises single occupancy cells, with some double cells.
Activities for inmates at the prison include Learning & Skills, Workshops (including Painting and Decorating, Building Trades, Multi-skills, Art
, Information Technology
, Catering
, Waste Management
), Farms & Gardens, Industrial Cleaning and Physical Education
. The several partner organisations located on-site at the prison include Lancashire Probation Trust
, Lancashire Youth Offending Team, Lancaster and Morecambe College
, North Lancashire Primary Care Trust, Connexions
, Jobcentre Plus
, Lifeline, SOVA, the National Youth Advocacy Service
, the YMCA
, the British Red Cross
and the Prince's Trust
Lancaster, Lancashire
Lancaster is the county town of Lancashire, England. It is situated on the River Lune and has a population of 45,952. Lancaster is a constituent settlement of the wider City of Lancaster, local government district which has a population of 133,914 and encompasses several outlying towns, including...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, 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...
, and is part of the HMP North Lancashire and Cumbria Estate (along with HMP Lancaster Castle
Lancaster Castle
Lancaster Castle is a medieval castle located in Lancaster in the English county of Lancashire. Its early history is unclear, but may have been founded in the 11th century on the site of a Roman fort overlooking a crossing of the River Lune. In 1164, the Honour of Lancaster, including the...
and HMP Haverigg
Haverigg (HM Prison)
HM Prison Haverigg is a Category C men's prison, located in village of Haverigg in Cumbria, England. Haverigg Prison is operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service, and is part of the HMP North Lancashire and Cumbria Estate .-History:Haverigg Prison is built on the site of an old RAF airfield...
).
History
Lancaster Farms Prison opened in March 1993 as a Young Offenders Institution and remand centre. Two new units were opened at the site in June 1996, doubling the prison's capacity. In May 2001 two of the prison's units were re-roled to hold juvenile prisoners.In August 2001 The Howard League for Penal Reform
Howard League for Penal Reform
The Howard League for Penal Reform is a London-based registered charity in the United Kingdom. It is the oldest penal reform organisation in the world, named after John Howard. Founded in 1866 as the Howard Association, a merger with the Penal Reform League in 1921 created the Howard League for...
claimed that conditions at Lancaster Farms Prison failed to meet standards laid out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Research found evidence of bullying, limited access to daylight or open air, lack of specialist training for staff and lack of individual care for inmates at the prison.
In July 2003 Lancaster Farms was found to be one of the five highest performing prisons in England and Wales. The league table was compiled by Her Majesty's Prison Service.
In April 2007 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...
stated that conditions were improving at Lancaster Farms, and that the prison maintained a reasonably safe and respectful environment. However the report criticised the amount of time inmates spent in their cells, and urged improvement in the prison's anti-bullying procedures and education opportunities.
Over the course of 2008 and 2009, all remaining juvenile inmates were transferred from Lancaster Farms to other prisons. Since then Lancaster Farms has only held Young Offenders aged 18 to 20.
The prison today
Lancaster Farms is a Young Offenders Institution, holding remand and sentenced young males. Inmates come from all over northwestern England, especially from the Greater ManchesterGreater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
area. The prison is made up of four secure units. Accommodation at Lancaster Farms mainly comprises single occupancy cells, with some double cells.
Activities for inmates at the prison include Learning & Skills, Workshops (including Painting and Decorating, Building Trades, Multi-skills, Art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
, Information Technology
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
, 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...
, Waste Management
Waste management
Waste management is the collection, transport, processing or disposal,managing and monitoring of waste materials. The term usually relates to materials produced by human activity, and the process is generally undertaken to reduce their effect on health, the environment or aesthetics...
), Farms & Gardens, Industrial Cleaning and Physical Education
Physical education
Physical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
. The several partner organisations located on-site at the prison include Lancashire Probation Trust
Lancashire Probation Trust
Lancashire Probation Trust is a criminal justice agency responsible for protecting the public in Lancashire, England by punishing and rehabilitating offenders.It is one of 35 probation trusts in England and Wales that make up the National Probation Service...
, Lancashire Youth Offending Team, Lancaster and Morecambe College
Lancaster and Morecambe College
Lancaster and Morecambe College is a further education College situated on Torrisholme Road, halfway between Lancaster and Morecambe, Lancashire, England...
, North Lancashire Primary Care Trust, 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....
, Jobcentre Plus
Jobcentre Plus
Jobcentre Plus was a government agency for working-age people in Great Britain. The agency was formed when the Employment Service, which operated Jobcentres, merged with the Benefits Agency, which ran social security offices, and was re-named Jobcentre Plus on 1 April 2002...
, Lifeline, SOVA, the National Youth Advocacy Service
National Youth Advocacy Service
The National Youth Advocacy Service is a UK children’s charity which offers socio-legal advocacy services to children and young people up to the age of 25, parents, carers and associated professionals....
, the YMCA
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
, the British Red Cross
British Red Cross
The British Red Cross Society is the United Kingdom branch of the worldwide impartial humanitarian organisation the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The society was formed in 1870, and is a registered charity with over 31,000 volunteers and 2,600 staff. At the heart of their work...
and the Prince's Trust