Long Lartin (HM Prison)
Encyclopedia
HM Prison Long Lartin is a Category A
men's prison
, located in the village of South Littleton
(near Evesham
) in Worcestershire
, England
. Long Lartin Prison is operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service
.
In April 1990 inmates at Long Lartin Prison attempted a mass breakout, and about 30 prisoners barricaded themselves on a landing after guards foiled their escape bid
. As a consequence of this and other security breeches, as well as the Woodcock/Learmont reports, the establishment was further upgraded between 1995-97 to a maximum security prison.
In August 1998 The then Governor of Long Lartin, Jim Mullen claimed that mentally ill inmates at the prison faced unacceptable delays before being transferred to appropriate hospital accommodation. Mullen stated that up to 20 of his 379 inmates should have been in secure hospital accommodation, after a report by the Chief Inspector of Prisons called for action to speed up the movement of prisoners in need of specialist care.
A supermax
segregation unit called Perrie Wing was opened at Long Lartin in June 1999, designed to hold the most violent and dangerous types of offenders. The new wing substantially increased the capacity of Long Lartin Prison.
A November 2003 inspection report from Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons
stated that Long Lartin Prison was generally safe for inmates and offered good staff-prisoner relations and reoffending work. However the report also cited serious deficiencies at the prison in areas such as race relations, the overloaded and understaffed drug treatment team, and too many prisoners being locked up instead of in work.
There are six main residential units at the prison for sentenced inmates, and a Detainee Unit for remand inmates. Two other residential units were recently demolished and the construction of a replacement purpose built two wing 180 house block has been now been completed and inmates have moved in.
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 in the village of South Littleton
South Littleton
South Littleton is a village and civil parish located in the Wychavon district of Worcestershire, England.South Littleton is located midway between Evesham and Bidford on Avon. South Littleton is the largest of The Littletons, with North and Middle Littleton being smaller...
(near Evesham
Evesham
Evesham is a market town and a civil parish in the Local Authority District of Wychavon in the county of Worcestershire, England with a population of 22,000. It is located roughly equidistant between Worcester, Cheltenham and Stratford-upon-Avon...
) in Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
, 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...
. Long Lartin 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
Long Lartin Prison was opened as a Category C training prison in 1971, with additional security features and systems being added in 1972 to enable it to operate as a dispersal prison.In April 1990 inmates at Long Lartin Prison attempted a mass breakout, and about 30 prisoners barricaded themselves on a landing after guards foiled their escape bid
Prison escape
A prison escape or prison break is the act of an inmate leaving prison through unofficial or illegal ways. Normally, when this occurs, an effort is made on the part of authorities to recapture them and return them to their original detainers...
. As a consequence of this and other security breeches, as well as the Woodcock/Learmont reports, the establishment was further upgraded between 1995-97 to a maximum security prison.
In August 1998 The then Governor of Long Lartin, Jim Mullen claimed that mentally ill inmates at the prison faced unacceptable delays before being transferred to appropriate hospital accommodation. Mullen stated that up to 20 of his 379 inmates should have been in secure hospital accommodation, after a report by the Chief Inspector of Prisons called for action to speed up the movement of prisoners in need of specialist care.
A supermax
Supermax
Supermax is the name used to describe "control-unit" prisons, or units within prisons, which represent the most secure levels of custody in the prison systems of certain countries...
segregation unit called Perrie Wing was opened at Long Lartin in June 1999, designed to hold the most violent and dangerous types of offenders. The new wing substantially increased the capacity of Long Lartin Prison.
A November 2003 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...
stated that Long Lartin Prison was generally safe for inmates and offered good staff-prisoner relations and reoffending work. However the report also cited serious deficiencies at the prison in areas such as race relations, the overloaded and understaffed drug treatment team, and too many prisoners being locked up instead of in work.
The prison today
Long Lartin Prison is a maximum security prison for sentenced Category A adult males (though the prison does hold some sentenced Category B inmates), with all inmates serving a minimum sentence of four years. In addition the prison holds Category A remand prisoners awaiting trial.There are six main residential units at the prison for sentenced inmates, and a Detainee Unit for remand inmates. Two other residential units were recently demolished and the construction of a replacement purpose built two wing 180 house block has been now been completed and inmates have moved in.
Notable former inmates
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- Radislav KrsticRadislav KrsticRadislav Krstić was the Deputy Commander and later Chief of Staff of the Drina Corps of the Army of Republika Srpska from October 1994 until 12 July 1995...
- 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...
- Erwin JamesErwin JamesErwin James is the pseudonym for convicted murderer and Guardian journalist Erwin James Monahan. James was released in August 2004 having served 20 years of a life sentence. While in prison he wrote a regular column, and continues to write as well as do charity work after his release...