Rye Hill (HM Prison)
Encyclopedia
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
. However the postal address of the prison is Willoughby, Warwickshire
, therefore most sources list the prison as in Willoughby, Warwickshire.
.
In March 2002, two inmates serving 10 year sentences escaped
from Rye Hill Prison by hiding in the back of a delivery lorry.
In April 2004, Member of Parliament
Andrew Rosindell
responded to the escape of a convicted murderer by calling for a review of security. At the time of his escape, the prisoner had been at University Hospital Coventry
receiving a blood transfusion.
In July 2005, an inspection report from Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons
demanded urgent action after finding that the prisoners were bullying the staff. According to the report, inexperienced officers were deliberately overlooking behavioral violations and contraband items for their own safety. Some inmates reported that knives, drugs and alcohol were readily available at the prison.
Education at the prison is contracted to The Manchester College
. Courses and evening classes are offered 5 days a week, 50 weeks a year. Commercial contracts such as welding
, electronic assembly and commercial laundry
are operated from within two workshops.
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 private prison
Private prison
A private prison, jail, or detention center is a place in which individuals are physically confined or interned by a third party that is contracted by a government agency...
, operated by G4S. The prison is situated next to HMP Onley
Onley (HM Prison)
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....
.
Rye Hill 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.
History
Rye Hill Prison opened in early 2001, being constructed and operated by G4S as part of the Private Finance InitiativePrivate Finance Initiative
The private finance initiative is a way of creating "public–private partnerships" by funding public infrastructure projects with private capital...
.
In March 2002, two inmates serving 10 year sentences 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 Rye Hill Prison by hiding in the back of a delivery lorry.
In April 2004, Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
Andrew Rosindell
Andrew Rosindell
Andrew Richard Rosindell is an English Conservative politician. He is the Member of Parliament for the Romford constituency in Greater London...
responded to the escape of a convicted murderer by calling for a review of security. At the time of his escape, the prisoner had been at University Hospital Coventry
University Hospital Coventry
University Hospital Coventry is a large National Health Service hospital situated in the Walsgrave area of Coventry, West Midlands, England, from the city centre. It is part of the University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust...
receiving a blood transfusion.
In July 2005, 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...
demanded urgent action after finding that the prisoners were bullying the staff. According to the report, inexperienced officers were deliberately overlooking behavioral violations and contraband items for their own safety. Some inmates reported that knives, drugs and alcohol were readily available at the prison.
The prison today
Rye Hill is a Category B prison holding adult males. In addition the prison holds around 150 vulnerable prisoners (mainly sex offenders) in a separate Vulnerable Prisoner Unit, with its own regime and facilities.Education at the prison is contracted to 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'...
. Courses and evening classes are offered 5 days a week, 50 weeks a year. Commercial contracts such as welding
Welding
Welding is a fabrication or sculptural process that joins materials, usually metals or thermoplastics, by causing coalescence. This is often done by melting the workpieces and adding a filler material to form a pool of molten material that cools to become a strong joint, with pressure sometimes...
, electronic assembly and commercial laundry
Laundry
Laundry is a noun that refers to the act of washing clothing and linens, the place where that washing is done, and/or that which needs to be, is being, or has been laundered...
are operated from within two workshops.