HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

HMP Bedford is a Category B men's
prison A prison, also known as a jail, gaol, penitentiary, detention center, correction center, correctional facility, or remand center, is a facility where Prisoner, people are Imprisonment, imprisoned under the authority of the State (polity), state ...
, located in the Harpur area of
Bedford Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population was 106,940. Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire and seat of the Borough of Bedford local government district. Bedford was founded at a ford (crossin ...
,
Bedfordshire Bedfordshire (; abbreviated ''Beds'') is a Ceremonial County, ceremonial county in the East of England. It is bordered by Northamptonshire to the north, Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Hertfordshire to the south and the south-east, and Buckin ...
,
England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
. The prison is operated by
His Majesty's Prison Service His Majesty's Prison Service (HMPS) is a part of HM Prison and Probation Service (formerly the National Offender Management Service), which is the part of His Majesty's Government charged with managing most of the prisons within England and ...
.


Building

The prison has been on its current site since 1801 and was designed by the architect John Wing (1756–1826), who also designed the Bedford town bridge, the Infirmary and the House of Industry. The previous site was on the corner of the High Street and Silver Street, then known as Gaol Lane. The location is marked with a plaque in the pavement due to its connection with
John Bunyan John Bunyan (; 1628 – 31 August 1688) was an English writer and preacher. He is best remembered as the author of the Christian allegory ''The Pilgrim's Progress'', which also became an influential literary model. In addition to ''The Pilgrim' ...
, being the probable place where he wrote ''
The Pilgrim's Progress ''The Pilgrim's Progress from This World, to That Which Is to Come'' is a 1678 Christian allegory written by John Bunyan. It is commonly regarded as one of the most significant works of Protestant devotional literature and of wider early moder ...
''. Wing's original building included "...a turnkey's lodge, cells for debtors, felons and house of correction prisoners, hot and cold baths and an oven to purify infected clothing. The silence system was enforced with great severity, wooden partitions being placed between any two prisoners at work on the treadmill. Separate exercise was allowed in the yards, and meals were taken in the cells." The prison has been twice expanded, in 1849 and 1990.


Role and facilities

Bedford is a local prison holding Category B male prisoners who have been remanded from Luton Crown Court and all magistrates' courts in Bedfordshire. The term 'local' means that the prison holds people on remand to the local courts, as well as sentenced prisoners. There is a split regime operating within the prison, offering
work Work may refer to: * Work (human activity), intentional activity people perform to support themselves, others, or the community ** Manual labour, physical work done by humans ** House work, housework, or homemaking ** Working animal, an ani ...
and
education Education is the transmission of knowledge and skills and the development of character traits. Formal education occurs within a structured institutional framework, such as public schools, following a curriculum. Non-formal education als ...
on a part-time basis. There is a resettlement unit within the prison, a daily
library A library is a collection of Book, books, and possibly other Document, materials and Media (communication), media, that is accessible for use by its members and members of allied institutions. Libraries provide physical (hard copies) or electron ...
provision, and
gym A gym, short for gymnasium (: gymnasiums or gymnasia), is an indoor venue for exercise and sports. The word is derived from the ancient Greek term " gymnasion". They are commonly found in athletic and fitness centres, and as activity and learn ...
nasium available. The prison hosts a healthcare centre with 12 beds and 24-hour health care coverage, while those prisoners who may be at risk from
suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or ac ...
or self-harm are provided a prisoner listener scheme. Invisible Walls Community Interest Company runs the Visitors Centre, which features wheelchair access, a children's play area with supervised play activity and baby changing facilities. Two Quiet Gardens, affiliated to The Quiet Garden Trust, have been established inside the prison for quiet contemplation and prayer for both prisoners and staff.


Conditions and events

In December 2009, the prison's own Independent Monitoring Board issued a report citing concerns over the high number of prisoners serving
life sentences Life imprisonment is any sentence of imprisonment under which the convicted individual is to remain incarcerated for the rest of their natural life (or until pardoned or commuted to a fixed term). Crimes that result in life imprisonment are co ...
being held at Bedford. The report praised mental healthcare provision and highlighted staff morale, prisoners' property and the visits booking line of the prison. It also praised levels of respect between staff and inmates at the jail, along with the prison's food provision and hygiene standards. In June 2010, Donna Stanton, aged 27, a female prison officer, was convicted after it emerged that she had a sexual relationship with an inmate. She had also smuggled a mobile phone, food, tobacco and newspapers into the prison for him. She was jailed for two years. In September 2012, it was revealed that Bedford Prison had the highest suicide rate of any prison in England and Wales during 2011/12. Four inmates committed suicide at the prison during this period, out of a population of 465. Michael Berry, 24, was the eighth prisoner to kill himself since 2017. Berry told staff he found it hard to ignore voices in his head telling him to kill himself but, despite this, no GP saw him and no anti psychotic medication was prescribed. The Prison and Probation Ombudsman said that, "significant issues remain" in mental health service provision at Bedford Prison. Bedford Prison has been overcrowded; an inspection in 2016 revealed 495 prisoners while the certified capacity was just 322.


2016 Riot

On Sunday 6 November 2016, there was a prisoner riot with 200 prisoners protesting against lockdowns due to staff shortages. Prisoners claim accessing drugs is easier than accessing clothing or bedding in the prison. Basics like soap and toilet paper were not consistently supplied. The Independent Monitoring Board at Bedford said that prisoners were not treated humanely before the riot. The numbers claiming they developed a drug problem while in the prison rose from 4% to 14%. The Prison Officers Association has been warning for some time about the risk of violence in British prisons. Her Majesty's Prison inspection in May 2016 found poor physical conditions and stated, “Arrangements for managing violent and bullying behaviour and supporting victims were weak.” The riot caused £1 million damage. The
Howard League for Penal Reform The Howard League for Penal Reform is a registered charity in the United Kingdom. It is the oldest penal reform organisation in the world, named after John Howard. It was founded as the Howard Association in 1866 and changed its name in 1921 ...
stated officers refused to unlock prisoners when it was considered too risky. Andrew Neilson of the campaign said: It was one of four serious incidents within two months, with riots at Birmingham Prison, Lewes Prison and Swaleside Prison.


2018 Special measures

In May 2018 inspectors found the prison was making insufficient progress and Bedford Prison was put into special measures. In September 2018 Peter Clarke activated the urgent notification protocol because inspectors had found high levels of violence and inexperienced staff having difficulty maintaining control. Clarke wrote, “The clear view of the inspectorate is that immediate and decisive intervention is needed at HMP Bedford to avert further decline and an even more dangerous lack of control than is currently the case. It is of great concern that for seven years the prison has been on a path of seemingly inexorable decline. Repeated inspection findings clearly show that this has been the case. For much of that time there was a marked inconsistency in the leadership of the prison, with frequent changes of governor.” Prisoners were effectively in control choosing when to comply with authority, and regularly breaking rules. There was a smell of drugs in all wings, 3 in 5 prisoners admitted developing a drug habit since getting into the prison, there was a rat and cockroach infestation. There were 116 assaults on staff during the 6 months to September 2018. Living conditions were bad and overcrowded and there was insufficient purposeful activity for prisoners.


Notable former inmates

*
John Bunyan John Bunyan (; 1628 – 31 August 1688) was an English writer and preacher. He is best remembered as the author of the Christian allegory ''The Pilgrim's Progress'', which also became an influential literary model. In addition to ''The Pilgrim' ...
– author of
The Pilgrim's Progress ''The Pilgrim's Progress from This World, to That Which Is to Come'' is a 1678 Christian allegory written by John Bunyan. It is commonly regarded as one of the most significant works of Protestant devotional literature and of wider early moder ...
, convicted for unlicensed preaching. * Ahmed Ali Awan – convicted of the racially motivated murder of Ross Parker. * Sarah Dazley – poisoner, hanged in 1843. * Chris Denning – former BBC radio DJ convicted of multiple child sex offences. *
James Hanratty James Hanratty (4 October 1936 – 4 April 1962), also known as the A6 Murderer, was a British criminal who was one of the final eight people in the UK to be executed before capital punishment was abolished. He was hanged at HM Prison Bedford ...
(25) – the last person to be executed in Bedford.
Hanged Hanging is killing a person by suspending them from the neck with a noose or ligature strangulation, ligature. Hanging has been a standard method of capital punishment since the Middle Ages, and has been the primary execution method in numerou ...
on 4 April 1962 for the murder of Michael Gregsten (34) near Dunstable in August 1961. * Nicholas Prosper – shot dead his mother, brother and sister and plotted to carry out a mass shooting at a school. * Alfred Rouse (36) – hanged on 10 March 1931, for the ''Blazing car murder'' at
Hardingstone Hardingstone is a village in Northamptonshire, England. It is on the southern edge of Northampton, and now forms a suburb of the town. It is about from the town centre. The Newport Pagnell road (the B526, formerly part of the A50) separates ...
which attracted sensational national interest. Rouse was tried at Northampton Assizes.


References


External links


History of Bedford Prison from theprison.org.ukMinistry of Justice pages on HMP BedfordHMP Bedford – HM Inspectorate of Prisons Reports
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bedford (Hm Prison)
Prison A prison, also known as a jail, gaol, penitentiary, detention center, correction center, correctional facility, or remand center, is a facility where Prisoner, people are Imprisonment, imprisoned under the authority of the State (polity), state ...
Category B prisons in England Prisons in Bedfordshire 1801 establishments in England Men's prisons