Wellingborough (HM Prison)
Encyclopedia
HM Prison Wellingborough is a Category C
men's prison
, located in Wellingborough
, Northamptonshire
, England
. The prison is operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service
.
in 1963, Wellingborough continued to hold Young Offenders until 1990, when it was re-rolled as Category C Training Prison for male adults.
In December 2003, an inspection report from Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons
stated that Wellingborough was not meeting the criteria for its role as a training prison. Inspectors found that only half the prisoners were working or in education, with the other half locked up for extended periods of time. The report also noted that the prison had an out of date race relations policy. However, inspectors also highlighted Wellingborough's good overall safety record, as 80% of inmates reported that they felt safe and 75% reported that staff treated them with respect. Wellingborough was also praised for its induction programme and reception procedures.
In July 2004, A missionary from Wellingborough Prison was imprisoned for trying to smuggle heroin and cannabis
into the jail. The missionary had been a Prison Service-authorised Sikh
leader, licensed by The Sikh Missionary Society UK
to visit prisons to see Sikh inmates. He had attempted to smuggle the drugs into the prison by hiding them in an airmail letter and envelope.
There are 9 accommodation wings at HMP Wellingborough. A, B, C, and D Wings accommodate a variety of inmates that are generally serving a sentence of less than 5 years. E Wing is an induction centre for new inmates when they first arrive at Wellingborough. F and G Wings constitute the prison's Voluntary Drug Testing Unit. H and I Wings accommodate inmates serving life sentences and those serving determinate sentences of 5 years or more.
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 Wellingborough
Wellingborough
Wellingborough is a market town and borough in Northamptonshire, England, situated some from the county town of Northampton. The town is situated on the north side of the River Nene, most of the older town is sited on the flanks of the hills above the river's current flood plain...
, Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
, 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
Opened as a BorstalBorstal
A borstal was a type of youth prison in the United Kingdom, run by the Prison Service and intended to reform seriously delinquent young people. The word is sometimes used loosely to apply to other kinds of youth institution or reformatory, such as Approved Schools and Detention Centres. The court...
in 1963, Wellingborough continued to hold Young Offenders until 1990, when it was re-rolled as Category C Training Prison for male adults.
In December 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...
stated that Wellingborough was not meeting the criteria for its role as a training prison. Inspectors found that only half the prisoners were working or in education, with the other half locked up for extended periods of time. The report also noted that the prison had an out of date race relations policy. However, inspectors also highlighted Wellingborough's good overall safety record, as 80% of inmates reported that they felt safe and 75% reported that staff treated them with respect. Wellingborough was also praised for its induction programme and reception procedures.
In July 2004, A missionary from Wellingborough Prison was imprisoned for trying to smuggle heroin and cannabis
Cannabis
Cannabis is a genus of flowering plants that includes three putative species, Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis. These three taxa are indigenous to Central Asia, and South Asia. Cannabis has long been used for fibre , for seed and seed oils, for medicinal purposes, and as a...
into the jail. The missionary had been a Prison Service-authorised Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
leader, licensed by The Sikh Missionary Society UK
The Sikh Missionary Society UK
The Aim of the Sikh Missionary Society is the "Advancement of the Sikh faith in the U.K and abroad" which is brought about by various activities:...
to visit prisons to see Sikh inmates. He had attempted to smuggle the drugs into the prison by hiding them in an airmail letter and envelope.
The prison today
Wellingborough is a Category C prison for adult males. Prisoners arriving at Wellingborough are usually serving a sentence of at least 18 months, with some prisoners serving life sentences.There are 9 accommodation wings at HMP Wellingborough. A, B, C, and D Wings accommodate a variety of inmates that are generally serving a sentence of less than 5 years. E Wing is an induction centre for new inmates when they first arrive at Wellingborough. F and G Wings constitute the prison's Voluntary Drug Testing Unit. H and I Wings accommodate inmates serving life sentences and those serving determinate sentences of 5 years or more.