Weare (HM Prison)
Encyclopedia
HM Prison The Weare was a prison ship
berthed in Portland Harbour
in Dorset
, England
.
The UK established The Weare in 1997 as a temporary measure to ease prison overcrowding. Weare was docked at the disused Royal Navy
dockyard at the Isle of Portland
. On 9 March 2005, it was announced that The Weare was to close mainly due to costly running and being unnecessary.
Among the options about what to do with the ship were moving it to London
or sinking it in Portland Harbour or around the Isle of Portland
as a man-made reef
and as a diving
location.
Inmates of HMP Weare included Dan Treacy, of the UK new-wave band Television Personalities, who was incarcerated from 1998 to June 2004 for a drug-related offence.
The escapee was named as one Dave Beach from Guildford Surrey, he escaped by jumping from the ship somehow and swimming to the shore. He was found by walkers who apparently paid for a taxi for him. He was caught in Guildford some months later.
Prison ship
A prison ship, historically sometimes called a prison hulk, is a vessel used as a prison, often to hold convicts awaiting transportation to penal colonies. This practice was popular with the British government in the 18th and 19th centuries....
berthed in Portland Harbour
Portland Harbour
Portland Harbour is located beside the Isle of Portland, off Dorset, on the south coast of England. It is one of the largest man-made harbours in the world. Grid reference: .-History:...
in Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
, 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 UK established The Weare in 1997 as a temporary measure to ease prison overcrowding. Weare was docked at the disused Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
dockyard at the Isle of Portland
Isle of Portland
The Isle of Portland is a limestone tied island, long by wide, in the English Channel. Portland is south of the resort of Weymouth, forming the southernmost point of the county of Dorset, England. A tombolo over which runs the A354 road connects it to Chesil Beach and the mainland. Portland and...
. On 9 March 2005, it was announced that The Weare was to close mainly due to costly running and being unnecessary.
Among the options about what to do with the ship were moving it to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
or sinking it in Portland Harbour or around the Isle of Portland
Isle of Portland
The Isle of Portland is a limestone tied island, long by wide, in the English Channel. Portland is south of the resort of Weymouth, forming the southernmost point of the county of Dorset, England. A tombolo over which runs the A354 road connects it to Chesil Beach and the mainland. Portland and...
as a man-made reef
Reef
In nautical terminology, a reef is a rock, sandbar, or other feature lying beneath the surface of the water ....
and as a diving
Scuba diving
Scuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater....
location.
Inmates of HMP Weare included Dan Treacy, of the UK new-wave band Television Personalities, who was incarcerated from 1998 to June 2004 for a drug-related offence.
Break-outs
There was one recorded break-out in 2003 when an inmate reportedly "jumped over the wall" and escaped.The escapee was named as one Dave Beach from Guildford Surrey, he escaped by jumping from the ship somehow and swimming to the shore. He was found by walkers who apparently paid for a taxi for him. He was caught in Guildford some months later.