Onley (HM Prison)
Encyclopedia
HM Prison Onley is a Category C
men's prison
, operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service
. The prison is named after the lost village of Onley
which is located next to the prison.
Onley Prison is located in the county of Northamptonshire
close to its border with Warwickshire
in England
. The prison lies in the parish
of Barby
in Northamptonshire
. However the postal address of the prison is Willoughby, Warwickshire
, therefore most sources list the prison as in Willoughby, Warwickshire. HMP Rye Hill
is located alongside HMP Onley.
in 1968, and became a Young Offenders Institution in 1976. The prison gradually increased in size as new accommodation was added. Its role was expanded in 1998 when juveniles were taken for the first time and for three years from 2001 remanded as well as sentenced juveniles were held in addition to a Young Offender population. During this period there was considerable investment in buildings and staffing to meet Youth Justice Board
standards.
A refurbishment programme commenced at the prison in 2002 and finished in 2006. In 2003 the Youth Justice Board made the decision to remove the juvenile population from Onley. These were replaced by sentenced adults in March 2004, making Onley a prison for adults and Young Offenders.
In 2004, Onley Prison was identified as the most violent Young Offenders Institution in England and Wales, according to the Prison Reform Trust
. The trust pointed to high rates of violence between inmates and frequent attacks on the staff at the prison.
In September 2007, two inmates escaped
from Onley Prison by scaling a fence with a homemade ladder. It was believed that the pair then escaped in a getaway vehicle that had been waiting outside the prison for them. The escaped prisoners were subsequently recaptured six weeks later.
A new wing was constructed at the prison in 2009, and in 2010 Onley became an adult only establishment, with all remaining young offenders transferred to other prisons.
In July 2011, it was announced that Onley along with several other publicly operated prisons, would be market tested, allowing private operators as well as HM Prison service, to tender for the contract to operate the prison.
each with internal sanitation
, in-cell electricity
and TV
. There are showering facilities, association and dining areas and a laundry room
with industrial type washing machine
s and dryers
. H Wing is an induction wing for new prisoners. I Wing holds 100 prisoners in 50 double cells, while L wing has 6 double cells and 58 single cells. Both have internal sanitation and comparable facilities to other wings.
Education for inmates at the prison may be followed on a full or part time basis, depending on the needs of the prisoner. Onley also offers training places in a range of industries and activities. The courses include Information Technology
, Concrete
Workshop (which includes Forklift Truck qualification), Painting and Decorating Workshop, Motor Mechanics and Engineering
Workshops, Bricklaying Workshop, Reparative Workshop (which includes Bike Repair qualification and Driving Test
Theory), Market Gardens
, Industrial Cleaning Workshop offering BICS qualifications and the Waste Management Unit
which provides NVQs. Other employment and training opportunities include residential wing cleaning / painting and orderlies (for example: Gym, Stores, Healthcare, Library) and Catering
.
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...
, 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...
. The prison is named after the lost village of Onley
Onley (lost settlement)
The lost village of Onley is located within the parish of Barby in the English county of Northamptonshire. The site is bordered on the north by the M45 motorway. On the east are Onley and Rye Hill prisons, and on the south-west is the A45 road...
which is located next to the prison.
Onley Prison is located in the county of Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
close to its border with Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
in 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...
. The prison lies in the parish
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
of Barby
Barby, Northamptonshire
Barby is a village and civil parish in the Daventry district of Northamptonshire, England. the parish had a population of 2,083.-Location:Barby is located approximately 5 miles south of Rugby, and about 7 miles north of Daventry. The village is located upon a hill overlooking the Rains Brook and...
in Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
. However the postal address of the prison is Willoughby, Warwickshire
Willoughby, Warwickshire
Willoughby is a village and civil parish about south of Rugby, Warwickshire, England. The village is only about northwest of Daventry in neighbouring Northamptonshire and the eastern boundary of the parish forms part of the county boundary....
, therefore most sources list the prison as in Willoughby, Warwickshire. HMP Rye Hill
Rye Hill (HM Prison)
HM Prison Rye Hill is a Category B men's private prison, operated by G4S. The prison is situated next to HMP Onley.Rye Hill Prison is located in the county of Northamptonshire close to its border with Warwickshire in England. The prison lies in the parish of Barby in Northamptonshire...
is located alongside HMP Onley.
History
Onley opened as a BorstalBorstal
A borstal was a type of youth prison in the United Kingdom, run by the Prison Service and intended to reform seriously delinquent young people. The word is sometimes used loosely to apply to other kinds of youth institution or reformatory, such as Approved Schools and Detention Centres. The court...
in 1968, and became a Young Offenders Institution in 1976. The prison gradually increased in size as new accommodation was added. Its role was expanded in 1998 when juveniles were taken for the first time and for three years from 2001 remanded as well as sentenced juveniles were held in addition to a Young Offender population. During this period there was considerable investment in buildings and staffing to meet Youth Justice Board
Youth Justice Board
The Youth Justice Board for England and Wales is an executive non-departmental public body, funded by and reporting to the Ministry of Justice and Department for Education and Skills...
standards.
A refurbishment programme commenced at the prison in 2002 and finished in 2006. In 2003 the Youth Justice Board made the decision to remove the juvenile population from Onley. These were replaced by sentenced adults in March 2004, making Onley a prison for adults and Young Offenders.
In 2004, Onley Prison was identified as the most violent Young Offenders Institution in England and Wales, according to the Prison Reform Trust
Prison Reform Trust
The Prison Reform Trust was founded in 1981 in London, England by a small group of prison reform campaigners who were unhappy with the direction in which the Howard League for Penal Reform was heading, concentrating more on community punishments than on traditional prison reform issues...
. The trust pointed to high rates of violence between inmates and frequent attacks on the staff at the prison.
In September 2007, two inmates escaped
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...
from Onley Prison by scaling a fence with a homemade ladder. It was believed that the pair then escaped in a getaway vehicle that had been waiting outside the prison for them. The escaped prisoners were subsequently recaptured six weeks later.
A new wing was constructed at the prison in 2009, and in 2010 Onley became an adult only establishment, with all remaining young offenders transferred to other prisons.
In July 2011, it was announced that Onley along with several other publicly operated prisons, would be market tested, allowing private operators as well as HM Prison service, to tender for the contract to operate the prison.
The prison today
Onley is a Category C prison for adult males. All residential wings (apart from I Wing & L Wing) have 60 single cellsPrison cell
A prison cell or holding cell or lock-up is a small room in a prison, or police station where a prisoner is held.Prison cells are usually about 6 by 8 feet in size with steel or brick walls and one solid or barred door that locks from the outside. Many modern prison cells are pre-cast. Solid doors...
each with internal sanitation
Sanitation
Sanitation is the hygienic means of promoting health through prevention of human contact with the hazards of wastes. Hazards can be either physical, microbiological, biological or chemical agents of disease. Wastes that can cause health problems are human and animal feces, solid wastes, domestic...
, in-cell electricity
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
and TV
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
. There are showering facilities, association and dining areas and a laundry room
Laundry room
A laundry room is a room where clothes are washed. In a modern home, a laundry room would be equipped with an automatic washing machine and clothes dryer,and often a large basin, called a laundry tub, for hand-washing delicate articles of clothing such as sweaters, and an ironing board...
with industrial type washing machine
Washing machine
A washing machine is a machine designed to wash laundry, such as clothing, towels and sheets...
s and dryers
Clothes dryer
A clothes dryer or tumble dryer is a household appliance that is used to remove moisture from a load of clothing and other textiles, generally shortly after they are cleaned in a washing machine....
. H Wing is an induction wing for new prisoners. I Wing holds 100 prisoners in 50 double cells, while L wing has 6 double cells and 58 single cells. Both have internal sanitation and comparable facilities to other wings.
Education for inmates at the prison may be followed on a full or part time basis, depending on the needs of the prisoner. Onley also offers training places in a range of industries and activities. The courses include Information Technology
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
, Concrete
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
Workshop (which includes Forklift Truck qualification), Painting and Decorating Workshop, Motor Mechanics and Engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
Workshops, Bricklaying Workshop, Reparative Workshop (which includes Bike Repair qualification and Driving Test
Driver's license
A driver's license/licence , or driving licence is an official document which states that a person may operate a motorized vehicle, such as a motorcycle, car, truck or a bus, on a public roadway. Most U.S...
Theory), Market Gardens
Market gardening
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 ...
, Industrial Cleaning Workshop offering BICS qualifications and the Waste Management Unit
Waste management
Waste management is the collection, transport, processing or disposal,managing and monitoring of waste materials. The term usually relates to materials produced by human activity, and the process is generally undertaken to reduce their effect on health, the environment or aesthetics...
which provides NVQs. Other employment and training opportunities include residential wing cleaning / painting and orderlies (for example: Gym, Stores, Healthcare, Library) and 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...
.