Full Sutton (HM Prison)
Encyclopedia
HM Prison Full Sutton is a Category A
men's prison
in the village of Full Sutton
, near Pocklington
in the East Riding of Yorkshire
, England. Full Sutton is operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service
and holds some 600 inmates.
In March 2000 the Home Office
ordered an inquiry into Full Sutton after evidence emerged of racism among prison officers at the jail. The evidence centred on a log of an Asian inmate's phone conversations kept by two prison officers.
The prison was criticised again in January 2003 when it emerged that inmates at Full Sutton were being paid as an incentive to learn to read and write. Payments of between £1 to £3 were being made to prisoners on successful completion of literacy and numeracy courses at the jail.
A report by the Chief Inspector of Prisons in 2005 stated that gangs inside the prison were arranging "fight clubs" to pay off debts. The level of bullying and violence was so great that many wings were unsafe. There was evidence that gangs who had been operating on the streets continued to function inside the prison using intimidation. Security concerns had led to prisoners being denied access to outside sports.
In February 2006 the Independent Monitoring Board
criticised Full Sutton for high levels of drug use amongst prisoners. The board stated that illegal drugs were an "insidious disease" inside the prison.
On 22 February 2011, the convicted murderer Colin Hatch, who was jailed for the murder of 7-year-old Sean Williams in 1993, was murdered in the prison.
Full Sutton Prison provides a range of educational courses, from Basic Skills through to Open University
degree courses. Employment and training is also available in various prison workshops including bricklaying, painting and decorating, plumbing
, recycling
, textiles, contract services, Braille
transcription, catering
and industrial cleaning. The prison's gym also provides physical education
with recognised qualifications, as well as recreational gym.
There is a visitors' centre with facilities including a baby changing area, a play area for children and refreshment machines.
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...
in the village of Full Sutton
Full Sutton
Full Sutton is a village and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is situated approximately east of the village of Stamford Bridge.According to the 2001 UK census, Full Sutton parish had a population of 977....
, near Pocklington
Pocklington
Pocklington is a small market town and civil parish situated at the foot of the Yorkshire Wolds in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, approximately east of York....
in the East Riding of Yorkshire
East Riding of Yorkshire
The East Riding of Yorkshire, or simply East Yorkshire, is a local government district with unitary authority status, and a ceremonial county of England. For ceremonial purposes the county also includes the city of Kingston upon Hull, which is a separate unitary authority...
, England. Full Sutton 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...
and holds some 600 inmates.
History
Full Sutton Prison opened in 1987 as a purpose-built maximum security prison for men. Over the years it has held some of the most difficult, violent and dangerous criminals in the country.In March 2000 the Home Office
Home Office
The Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security, and order. As such it is responsible for the police, UK Border Agency, and the Security Service . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs,...
ordered an inquiry into Full Sutton after evidence emerged of racism among prison officers at the jail. The evidence centred on a log of an Asian inmate's phone conversations kept by two prison officers.
The prison was criticised again in January 2003 when it emerged that inmates at Full Sutton were being paid as an incentive to learn to read and write. Payments of between £1 to £3 were being made to prisoners on successful completion of literacy and numeracy courses at the jail.
A report by the Chief Inspector of Prisons in 2005 stated that gangs inside the prison were arranging "fight clubs" to pay off debts. The level of bullying and violence was so great that many wings were unsafe. There was evidence that gangs who had been operating on the streets continued to function inside the prison using intimidation. Security concerns had led to prisoners being denied access to outside sports.
In February 2006 the 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...
criticised Full Sutton for high levels of drug use amongst prisoners. The board stated that illegal drugs were an "insidious disease" inside the prison.
On 22 February 2011, the convicted murderer Colin Hatch, who was jailed for the murder of 7-year-old Sean Williams in 1993, was murdered in the prison.
The prison today
The healthcare centre at the prison has a six-bed ward, with an additional two safer cells and a crisis suite. The centre is staffed by a full-time Medical Officer.Full Sutton Prison provides a range of educational courses, from Basic Skills through to Open University
Open University
The Open University is a distance learning and research university founded by Royal Charter in the United Kingdom...
degree courses. Employment and training is also available in various prison workshops including bricklaying, painting and decorating, plumbing
Plumbing
Plumbing is the system of pipes and drains installed in a building for the distribution of potable drinking water and the removal of waterborne wastes, and the skilled trade of working with pipes, tubing and plumbing fixtures in such systems. A plumber is someone who installs or repairs piping...
, recycling
Recycling
Recycling is processing used materials into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce energy usage, reduce air pollution and water pollution by reducing the need for "conventional" waste disposal, and lower greenhouse...
, textiles, contract services, Braille
Braille
The Braille system is a method that is widely used by blind people to read and write, and was the first digital form of writing.Braille was devised in 1825 by Louis Braille, a blind Frenchman. Each Braille character, or cell, is made up of six dot positions, arranged in a rectangle containing two...
transcription, catering
Catering
Catering is the business of providing foodservice at a remote site or a site such as a hotel, public house , or other location.-Mobile catering:A mobile caterer serves food directly from a vehicle or cart that is designed for the purpose...
and industrial cleaning. The prison's gym also provides physical education
Physical education
Physical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
with recognised qualifications, as well as recreational gym.
There is a visitors' centre with facilities including a baby changing area, a play area for children and refreshment machines.
Former inmates
- Freddie ForemanFreddie ForemanFrederick Foreman is a convicted British criminal involved in the disposal of the body Jack “the Hat” McVitie and for which he served 16 years in prison....
- Charles BronsonCharles Bronson (prisoner)Charles Bronson is a Welsh criminal often referred to in the British press as the "most violent prisoner in Britain"....
- Colin Hatch
Current inmates
- Dennis NilsenDennis NilsenDennis Andrew Nilsen also known as the Muswell Hill Murderer and the Kindly Killer is a British serial killer who lived in London....
- Donald NeilsonDonald NeilsonDonald Neilson is a British multiple murderer and armed robber...
- Jeremy BamberJeremy BamberJeremy Nevill Bamber was convicted in England in 1986 of murdering five members of his adoptive family—his father, mother, sister, and her six-year-old twin sons—at his parents' home at White House Farm, Tolleshunt D'Arcy, Essex, in the early hours of 7 August 1985...
- John CannanJohn CannanJohn David Guise Cannan is a British criminal and former car salesman who was convicted in 1988 of murder and sexual offences...
- Curtis "Cocky" Warren