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His Majesty's Prison Belmarsh is a Category A men's prison located in
Thamesmead Thamesmead () is an area of south-east London, England, straddling the border between the Royal Borough of Greenwich and the London Borough of Bexley. It is located east of Charing Cross, north-east of Woolwich and west of Erith. It mainly c ...
, south-east London, England. Belmarsh Prison is run 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 ...
and is situated next to HMP Isis and HMP Thameside. The prison is used for high-profile cases, particularly those concerning national security. Within the grounds of the prison is the High Security Unit (HSU), consisting of 48 single cells. Belmarsh is also nicknamed "Hellmarsh," owing to the high number of physical and authority abuses reported by both the prison's inmates (including former politician
Jeffrey Archer Jeffrey Howard Archer, Baron Archer of Weston-super-Mare (born 15 April 1940) is an English novelist and former politician. He was Member of Parliament (MP) for Louth (Lincolnshire) from 1969 to 1974, but did not seek re-election after a fina ...
, who coined the name and was imprisoned there for four years for
perjury Perjury (also known as forswearing) is the intentional act of swearing a false oath or falsifying an affirmation to tell the truth, whether spoken or in writing, concerning matters material to an official proceeding."Perjury The act or an insta ...
), and by
human rights activists A human rights defender or human rights activist is a person who, individually or with others, acts to promote or protect human rights. They can be journalists, environmentalists, whistleblowers, trade unionists, lawyers, teachers, housing campai ...
.


History

Belmarsh Prison was built on part of the East site of the former
Royal Arsenal The Royal Arsenal, Woolwich is an establishment on the south bank of the River Thames in Woolwich in south-east London, England, that was used for the manufacture of armaments and ammunition, proof test, proofing, and explosives research for ...
in
Woolwich Woolwich () is a town in South London, southeast London, England, within the Royal Borough of Greenwich. The district's location on the River Thames led to its status as an important naval, military and industrial area; a role that was mainta ...
and became operational on 2 April 1991. It adjoins Woolwich Crown Court. In 1991, the armed robber Ronnie Field, an associate of London gangland boss Joey Pyle, was the first person to be held in Belmarsh's High Security Unit, shortly followed by members of the Arifs and those convicted of the £10 million Heathrow airport diamond heist. Between 2001 and 2002, Belmarsh Prison was used to detain a number of people indefinitely without charge or trial under the provisions of Part 4 of the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001, leading it to be called the "British version of Guantanamo Bay". The
Law Lords Lords of Appeal in Ordinary, commonly known as Law Lords, were judges appointed under the Appellate Jurisdiction Act 1876 to the British House of Lords, as a committee of the House, effectively to exercise the judicial functions of the House of ...
later ruled in '' A v Secretary of State for the Home Dept'' that such imprisonment was discriminatory and against the
Human Rights Act 1998 The Human Rights Act 1998 (c. 42) is an Act of Parliament (United Kingdom), Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom which received royal assent on 9 November 1998, and came into force on 2 October 2000. Its aim was to incorporate into UK law the ...
. It is often used for the detention of prisoners for terrorist-related offences. In September 2006, 51 such prisoners were held. In 2009, an archaeological dig on the site led to the discovery of a nearly 6,000-year-old wooden trackway, which, behind
Sweet Track The Sweet Track is an ancient trackway, or causeway, in the Somerset Levels, England, named after its finder, Ray Sweet. It was built in 3807 BC (determined using dendrochronology – tree-ring dating) and is the second-oldest timber track ...
near
Glastonbury Glastonbury ( , ) is a town and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated at a dry point on the low-lying Somerset Levels, south of Bristol. The town had a population of 8,932 in the 2011 census. Glastonbury is less than across the River ...
is the second oldest known wooden trackway discovered in the
British Isles The British Isles are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner Hebrides, Inner and Outer Hebr ...
. In November 2009, an inspection report from the
Chief Inspector of Prisons His 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. The current chief inspe ...
criticised the "extremely high" amount of force used to control inmates. The report also stated that an unusually high number of prisoners had reported being intimidated or victimised by staff. In 2010, HMP Isis
Young Offenders Institution In criminal justice systems, a youth detention center, known as a juvenile detention center (JDC),Stahl, Dean, Karen Kerchelich, and Ralph De Sola. ''Abbreviations Dictionary''. CRC Press, 20011202. Retrieved 23 August 2010. , . juvenile det ...
opened within the perimeter wall of Belmarsh Prison.


The prison today

Belmarsh is a Category A Prison holding inmates from all over
England and Wales England and Wales () is one of the Law of the United Kingdom#Legal jurisdictions, three legal jurisdictions of the United Kingdom. It covers the constituent countries England and Wales and was formed by the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542. Th ...
. It also houses other categories of prisoners from primarily the Central Criminal Court (
Old Bailey The Central Criminal Court of England and Wales, commonly referred to as the Old Bailey after the street on which it stands, is a criminal court building in central London, one of several that house the Crown Court of England and Wales. The s ...
) and Magistrates' Courts in South East London, as well as Crown and Magistrates' Courts in South West
Essex Essex ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East of England, and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Kent across the Thames Estuary to the ...
. Accommodation at the prison is a mixture of approximately 60% multi-occupancy cells and 40% single cells, distributed mainly across four residential units. Inmates at Belmarsh have access to education, workshops and two gyms. The gym staff have a partnership with
Charlton Athletic F.C. Charlton Athletic Football Club is a professional association football club based in Charlton, London, Charlton, south-east London, England. The team compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English football league system. Thei ...
to deliver FA accredited coaching courses for prisoners. A listener scheme for prisoners at risk from suicide or self-harm is in operation, as well as a support group providing advice on immigration law for foreign national prisoners.


Notable Governors

Jenny Louis, the current governor of HM Prison Belmarsh and Britain’s first female black governor.


Notable inmates


Current inmates

* Ali Harbi Ali, murdered MP
David Amess Sir David Anthony Andrew Amess ( ; 26 March 1952 – 15 October 2021) was a British politician who served as Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP) for Southend West from 1997 until Murder of David Amess, his murder in ...
. * Hashem Abedi, aided in the Manchester Arena Bombing alongside his brother Salman Abedi. * Paul 'Des' Ballard, television presenter and staged actor; caused death by dangerous driving; convicted of rape. * Kyle Clifford, raped and murdered his ex-girlfriend and murdered her mother and sister in July 2024. * David Copeland,
neo-Nazi Neo-Nazism comprises the post–World War II militant, social, and political movements that seek to revive and reinstate Nazism, Nazi ideology. Neo-Nazis employ their ideology to promote hatred and Supremacism#Racial, racial supremacy (ofte ...
who bombed Brixton Market, Brick Lane, and a gay pub. * Louis De Zoysa, shot dead an on-duty police sergeant at Croydon police station in September 2020. * Delroy Grant, the "Night Stalker",
serial rapist A serial rapist is someone who commits multiple rapes, whether with multiple victims or a single victim repeatedly over a period of time. Some serial rapists target children. The terms ''sexual predator'', ''repeat rape'' and ''multiple offending' ...
and burglar. * Danyal Hussein, murdered two sisters in a London park. * Stephen Port, the "Grindr Killer",
serial killer A serial killer (also called a serial murderer) is a person who murders three or more people,An offender can be anyone: * * * * * (This source only requires two people) with the killings taking place over a significant period of time in separat ...
and serial rapist. * Axel Rudakubana, convicted of possessing terrorist material and ricin; murdered 3 children and attempted to murder 10 others in the 2024 Southport stabbings. * Khairi Saadallah, stabbed three people to death in a Reading park, seriously injured others.


Former inmates

*
Michael Adebowale On the afternoon of 22 May 2013, a British Army soldier, Fusilier Lee Rigby of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, was attacked and killed by Islamist terrorists Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale near the Royal Artillery Barracks in Woolw ...
, moved to Broadmoor Hospital. *
Jonathan Aitken Jonathan William Patrick Aitken (born 30 August 1942) is a British author, Church of England priest and former Conservative Party politician. Beginning his career in journalism, he was elected to Parliament in 1974 (serving until 1997), and wa ...
* Abu Hamza al-Masri, sentenced to life imprisonment in the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
; incarcerated at ADX Florence. * Sudesh Amman *
Jeffrey Archer Jeffrey Howard Archer, Baron Archer of Weston-super-Mare (born 15 April 1940) is an English novelist and former politician. He was Member of Parliament (MP) for Louth (Lincolnshire) from 1969 to 1974, but did not seek re-election after a fina ...
*
Julian Assange Julian Paul Assange ( ; Hawkins; born 3 July 1971) is an Australian editor, publisher, and activist who founded WikiLeaks in 2006. He came to international attention in 2010 after WikiLeaks published a series of News leak, leaks from Chels ...
, accused by the United States of espionage. *
Ronnie Biggs Ronald Arthur Biggs (8 August 1929 – 18 December 2013) was an English criminal who helped plan and carry out the Great Train Robbery of 1963. He subsequently became notorious for his escape from prison in 1965, living as a fugitive for 36 y ...
*
Charles Bronson Charles Bronson (born Charles Dennis Buchinsky; November 3, 1921 – August 30, 2003) was an American actor. He was known for his roles in action films and his "granite features and brawny physique". Bronson was born into extreme poverty in ...
* David Carrick, moved to HM Prison Full Sutton. *
Anjem Choudary Anjem Choudary (, aka Abu Luqman; born 18 January 1967) is a British Islamist who has been described as "the face" of militant Islamism or the "best known" Islamic extremist in Britain. He was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2024 after being ...
* Wayne Couzens, moved to
HM Prison Frankland HM Prison Frankland is a Category A men's prison located in the village of Brasside in County Durham, England. Frankland is operated by His Majesty's Prison Service, and is located next to HM Prison Low Newton, a closed women's prison. The p ...
. * Richard Huckle, moved to HM Prison Full Sutton, where he was later murdered. * Ian Huntley, moved to HM Prison Frankland in 2008. * Daniel Khalife, moved to HM Prison Frankland * Usman Khan *
Denis MacShane Denis MacShane (born Josef Denis Matyjaszek; 21 May 1948) is a British former politician, author, commentator and convicted criminal who served as Minister of State for Europe from 2002 to 2005. He joined the Labour Party in 1970 and has held ...
* Thomas Mair, moved to HM Prison Frankland * Jordan McSweeney, moved to
HM Prison Long Lartin HM Prison Long Lartin is a Prison security categories in the United Kingdom, Category A men's prison, located in the village of South Littleton (near Evesham) in the Wychavon district in Worcestershire, England. It is operated by His Majesty's P ...
. * Darren Osborne, murdered one person and attempted to murder others by driving into them; moved to HM Prison Full Sutton. * Maurice Robinson, moved to HM Prison Lowdham Grange. *
Tommy Robinson Stephen Christopher Yaxley-Lennon (' Yaxley; born 27 November 1982), better known as Tommy Robinson, is a British anti-Islam sentiment, anti-Islam campaigner and one of the UK's most prominent far-right activists. Robinson has been active in ...
, anti-Islam campaigner and
far-right Far-right politics, often termed right-wing extremism, encompasses a range of ideologies that are marked by ultraconservatism, authoritarianism, ultranationalism, and nativism. This political spectrum situates itself on the far end of the ...
activist. * Urfan Sharif, moved to HM Prison Frankland. *
Richard Tomlinson Richard John Charles Tomlinson (born 13 January 1963) is a former officer of the British Secret Intelligence Service (MI6). He argued that he was subjected to unfair dismissal from MI6 in 1995, and attempted to take his former employer to a tri ...
* John Worboys, moved to HM Prison Wakefield.


References


External links


Ministry of Justice pages on HMP Belmarsh

HMP Belmarsh – HM Inspectorate of Prisons Reports
{{DEFAULTSORT:Belmarsh (Hm Prison) Men's prisons 1991 establishments in England Prisons completed in the 1990s