Ford (HM Prison)
Encyclopedia
HM Prison Ford is a Category D
men's prison
, located at Ford
, in West Sussex
, England
, near Arundel
and Littlehampton
. The prison is operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service
.
station, and was converted to an open prison in 1960. It has a capacity of around 557, and is renowned for its regime focusing on training and resettlement.
The prison houses convicted adult males, and specialises in housing non-violent offenders with a low risk of absconding. It was until recently particularly known as the favoured location for the placement of high-profile and celebrity prisoners, though this was more of a tabloid led belief rather than fact.
In 1996 Lord Brocket
was transferred to Ford following an incident where he was stabbed in a semi-secure prison in Bedfordshire
. There was a great deal of media interest in Lord Brocket, who had been convicted of insurance fraud, and shortly after his arrival he was photographed visiting a physiotherapist in the local town of Bognor Regis
. Following that incident, he was denied the usual freedom that comes with a stay in an open prison.
Since about 1999 Ford has had a more varied population, and some high-profile prisoners who were expected to be sent to Ford were in fact sent to other open prisons. Jonathan Aitken
was sent to an Open Prison in Kent, and Jeffrey Archer was sent to North Sea Camp
in Lincolnshire.
In March 2009, the prison's own Independent Monitoring Board
issued a report stating that an outdated CCTV security system and a staffing shortage were contributing to burglars breaking into the gaol to steal equipment from workshops. The report also found that drugs, alcohol and mobile phones were being smuggled into the prison for inmates. Two months later, an inspection report from Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons
found that inmates were leaving the prison complex at night to acquire alcohol. The report also stated that the prison was underperforming in preparing inmates for resettlement on release. In October 2009, an investigation was launched after it emerged that a prisoner at Ford had been able to remove documents from a disused office in the prison complex.. Open prisons are operated on trust. Prisoners who break this trust are often sent back to closed conditions or have their freedom curtailed. Staffing levels have often been considered to be too low by the IMB. The IMB Annual Reports, made to the Home Secretary, are available to the public once they have been vetted for any confidential information.
In July 2010, managers of Ford Prison had to apologise after Muslim inmates at the gaol were served burgers containing pork. 20 Muslim inmates were served the non-halal
food before they noticed that the packaging for the burgers listed pork as an ingredient.
On 1 January 2011, inmates at Ford Prison started a riot
after they were ordered to undergo breathalyser tests for contraband alcohol. Approximately 40 prisoners began smashing windows and activating fire alarms; the incident then escalated resulting in several buildings on the grounds being set ablaze
. Eight blocks at the open jail were set on fire. A mail room, gym
, snooker
room and pool room were destroyed. Prison staff retreated from part of the site while specialist prison officers in riot gear were brought in, along with firefighters and riot police.
After the riot was brought under control, the Prison Service announced that it would undertake an enquiry into the incident.
In February 2011 a Sun newspaper journalist successfully broke into the jail and provided details of lax security there.(see External links)
Work opportunities for inmates at Ford Open Prison include market garden
ing work and some vocational work in workshops, as well as opportunities for long term prisoners to work in the community. Education provision includes a range of courses offered by The Manchester College
that enable prisoners to gain vocational and academic qualifications. The prison also has a Job Club provided by Tribal plus a Citizen's Advice Bureau, and a prisoner Listener group that provides support to other prisoners. All religions are fully represented at Ford prison. There are full medical, dental and optician facilities available.
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 at Ford
Ford, West Sussex
Ford is a village and civil parish in the Arun District of West Sussex, England. It is located 3 km to the south-west of Arundel...
, in West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
, 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...
, near Arundel
Arundel
Arundel is a market town and civil parish in the South Downs of West Sussex in the south of England. It lies south southwest of London, west of Brighton, and east of the county town of Chichester. Other nearby towns include Worthing east southeast, Littlehampton to the south and Bognor Regis to...
and Littlehampton
Littlehampton
Littlehampton is a seaside resort town and civil parish in the Arun District of West Sussex, England, on the east bank at the mouth of the River Arun. It lies south southwest of London, west of Brighton and east of the county town of Chichester....
. 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
Royal Naval Air Station Ford (RNAS Ford) was formerly a Fleet Air ArmFleet Air Arm
The Fleet Air Arm is the branch of the British Royal Navy responsible for the operation of naval aircraft. The Fleet Air Arm currently operates the AgustaWestland Merlin, Westland Sea King and Westland Lynx helicopters...
station, and was converted to an open prison in 1960. It has a capacity of around 557, and is renowned for its regime focusing on training and resettlement.
The prison houses convicted adult males, and specialises in housing non-violent offenders with a low risk of absconding. It was until recently particularly known as the favoured location for the placement of high-profile and celebrity prisoners, though this was more of a tabloid led belief rather than fact.
In 1996 Lord Brocket
Charles Nall-Cain, 3rd Baron Brocket
Charles Ronald George Nall-Cain, 3rd Baron Brocket , also known as Charlie Brocket, is a peer, former prisoner and television presenter in the United Kingdom....
was transferred to Ford following an incident where he was stabbed in a semi-secure prison in Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
. There was a great deal of media interest in Lord Brocket, who had been convicted of insurance fraud, and shortly after his arrival he was photographed visiting a physiotherapist in the local town of Bognor Regis
Bognor Regis
Bognor Regis is a seaside resort town and civil parish in the Arun district of West Sussex, on the south coast of England. It is south-south-west of London, west of Brighton, and south-east of the city of Chichester. Other nearby towns include Littlehampton east-north-east and Selsey to the...
. Following that incident, he was denied the usual freedom that comes with a stay in an open prison.
Since about 1999 Ford has had a more varied population, and some high-profile prisoners who were expected to be sent to Ford were in fact sent to other open prisons. Jonathan Aitken
Jonathan Aitken
Jonathan William Patrick Aitken is a former Conservative Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom, and British government minister. He was convicted of perjury in 1999 and received an 18-month prison sentence, of which he served seven months...
was sent to an Open Prison in Kent, and Jeffrey Archer was sent to North Sea Camp
North Sea Camp (HM Prison)
HM Prison North Sea Camp is a Category D men's prison, located on the edge of the parish of Freiston in Lincolnshire, England. North Sea Camp is operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service.-History:...
in Lincolnshire.
Recent history
The prison has been criticized for its lax security – especially after it was revealed that 70 people, including three murderers serving the last three years of their sentences, absconded in 2006 alone.In March 2009, the prison's own Independent Monitoring Board
Independent Monitoring Board
Independent Monitoring Boards are statutory bodies established by the Prison Act 1952 to monitor the welfare of prisoners in the UK to ensure that they are properly cared for within Prison and Immigration Centre rules, whilst in custody and detention...
issued a report stating that an outdated CCTV security system and a staffing shortage were contributing to burglars breaking into the gaol to steal equipment from workshops. The report also found that drugs, alcohol and mobile phones were being smuggled into the prison for inmates. Two months later, 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...
found that inmates were leaving the prison complex at night to acquire alcohol. The report also stated that the prison was underperforming in preparing inmates for resettlement on release. In October 2009, an investigation was launched after it emerged that a prisoner at Ford had been able to remove documents from a disused office in the prison complex.. Open prisons are operated on trust. Prisoners who break this trust are often sent back to closed conditions or have their freedom curtailed. Staffing levels have often been considered to be too low by the IMB. The IMB Annual Reports, made to the Home Secretary, are available to the public once they have been vetted for any confidential information.
In July 2010, managers of Ford Prison had to apologise after Muslim inmates at the gaol were served burgers containing pork. 20 Muslim inmates were served the non-halal
Halal
Halal is a term designating any object or an action which is permissible to use or engage in, according to Islamic law. The term is used to designate food seen as permissible according to Islamic law...
food before they noticed that the packaging for the burgers listed pork as an ingredient.
On 1 January 2011, inmates at Ford Prison started a riot
Riot
A riot is a form of civil disorder characterized often by what is thought of as disorganized groups lashing out in a sudden and intense rash of violence against authority, property or people. While individuals may attempt to lead or control a riot, riots are thought to be typically chaotic and...
after they were ordered to undergo breathalyser tests for contraband alcohol. Approximately 40 prisoners began smashing windows and activating fire alarms; the incident then escalated resulting in several buildings on the grounds being set ablaze
Arson
Arson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...
. Eight blocks at the open jail were set on fire. A mail room, gym
Gym
The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
, snooker
Snooker
Snooker is a cue sport that is played on a green baize-covered table with pockets in each of the four corners and in the middle of each of the long side cushions. A regular table is . It is played using a cue and snooker balls: one white , 15 worth one point each, and six balls of different :...
room and pool room were destroyed. Prison staff retreated from part of the site while specialist prison officers in riot gear were brought in, along with firefighters and riot police.
After the riot was brought under control, the Prison Service announced that it would undertake an enquiry into the incident.
In February 2011 a Sun newspaper journalist successfully broke into the jail and provided details of lax security there.(see External links)
The prison today
HMP Ford is a category D Open prison with an emphasis on resettlement of prisoners into the community. Surrounded by a high security fence with a manned security barrier at the main gate, the prisoner's accommodation is never locked and there are no bars on windows. Accommodation at the prison comprises the former NCO's buildings which are brick and now contain single person rooms plus a number of specially redesigned rooms set aside for disabled prisoners. The inmates in these blocks, which are connected by corridors, are usually those offenders serving four years or higher prison sentences. Across the cricket field are a number of wooden 'barracks' style huts, each of which is divided into eight rooms and usually houses two prisoners to a room. These huts usually hold those prisoners serving less than four year sentences. Also on that side are several newly-built blocks, each of which contains thirty single person rooms.Work opportunities for inmates at Ford Open Prison include market garden
Market garden
A market garden is the relatively small-scale production of fruits, vegetables and flowers as cash crops, frequently sold directly to consumers and restaurants. It is distinguishable from other types of farming by the diversity of crops grown on a small area of land, typically, from under one acre ...
ing work and some vocational work in workshops, as well as opportunities for long term prisoners to work in the community. Education provision includes a range of courses offered by The Manchester College
The Manchester College
The Manchester College is a further education college in Manchester, England. It opened on 1 August 2008 as the result of a merger between City College Manchester and Manchester College of Arts and Technology to form a 'supercollege'...
that enable prisoners to gain vocational and academic qualifications. The prison also has a Job Club provided by Tribal plus a Citizen's Advice Bureau, and a prisoner Listener group that provides support to other prisoners. All religions are fully represented at Ford prison. There are full medical, dental and optician facilities available.
Notable former inmates
- George BestGeorge BestGeorge Best was a professional footballer from Northern Ireland, who played for Manchester United and the Northern Ireland national team. He was a winger whose game combined pace, acceleration, balance, two-footedness, goalscoring and the ability to beat defenders...
- Lord BrocketCharles Nall-Cain, 3rd Baron BrocketCharles Ronald George Nall-Cain, 3rd Baron Brocket , also known as Charlie Brocket, is a peer, former prisoner and television presenter in the United Kingdom....
- Darius GuppyDarius GuppyDarius 'Darry' Guppy is a British-Iranian businessman who, together with Benedict Marsh, was convicted of fraud, theft and false accounting in February 1993...
- Andrew Stone
- Ernest SaundersErnest SaundersErnest Walter Saunders is a former British business manager, best known as one of the "Guinness Four", a group of businessmen who attempted to fraudulently manipulate the share price of the Guinness company. He was sentenced to five years' imprisonment, but released after 10 months as he was...
- David ShaylerDavid ShaylerDavid Shayler is a British journalist and former MI5 officer. Shayler earned notoriety after being prosecuted under the Official Secrets Act 1989 for his passing secret documents to the Mail on Sunday in August 1997 that alleged that MI5 was paranoid about socialists, and that it had previously...
- Kenneth HalliwellKenneth HalliwellKenneth Halliwell was a British actor and writer. He was the mentor, boyfriend and eventual murderer of playwright Joe Orton.- Childhood :...
- Learco Chindamo
External links
- Ministry of Justice pages on Ford
- http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3414079/The-Sun-exposes-Ford-Open-Prison.html