HM Prison Thameside explained

Prison Name:HMP Thameside
Location:Thamesmead, London, England
Classification:Adult Male/Category B
Population:1,232
Populationdate:February 2017
Opened:March 2012
Managed By:Serco[1]
Director:Dave Bamford[2]

HM Prison Thameside is a Category B men's private prison in the Thamesmead area of the Royal Borough of Greenwich, south-east London, England. Thameside Prison is operated by Serco and is situated next to Belmarsh and Isis prisons.

History

The prison was designed and constructed by Serco and opened on 30 March 2012, becoming fully operational in Autumn 2012, with a capacity of 900. It holds prisoners from courts previously served by Brixton Prison and other prisons in London.[3] [4]

In January 2013, the Ministry of Justice announced that an additional houseblock would be constructed at Thameside Prison, increasing its capacity.[5]

In May 2013, a report by the Chief Inspector of Prisons was critical of the levels of violence at the prison and its restricted regime. The report found that there was a high level of assaults and use of force, while 60% of prisoners were locked up during the working day, and some inmates spent 23 hours a day in their cells. However, the report also praised the quality of accommodation throughout the prison.[6]

The prison today

The regime at Thameside Prison combines work, education, vocational training, accredited offending behaviour programmes, and prisoner health and appropriate interventions. It is a Local category B establishment that can currently hold 1232 convicted and remand male prisoners.

The prison has a baseline Certificate of Normal Accommodation of 932, and an in-use Operational Capacity of 1232.[7]

External links

51.4941°N 0.0891°W

Notes and References

  1. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/thameside-prison
  2. Serco appoints new Prison Director at HMP Thameside . Serco . 23 August 2020 . 15 June 2020.
  3. Web site: Two New Private Sector Prisons To Open | UK Police News . Police Oracle . 2012-03-31 . 2012-08-06.
  4. Web site: Action for Prisoners' Families: New prison HMP Thameside opens today . https://web.archive.org/web/20120411022726/http://www.prisonersfamilies.org.uk/News/NewsPage.aspx?id=1819 . dead . 2012-04-11 . Prisonersfamilies.org.uk . 2012-08-06 .
  5. Web site: Danny Shaw . BBC News - Seven prison closures in England announced . Bbc.co.uk . 2013-01-10 . 2013-04-12.
  6. Web site: BBC News - Thameside prison criticised over violence and regime . Bbc.co.uk . 2013-05-14 . 2013-05-23.
  7. Web site: Welcome to HMP Thameside . serco.com . 2017-02-06 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190914004958/http://www.hmpthameside.org/ . 14 September 2019.