HM Prison Full Sutton

HMP Full Sutton

Location	Full Sutton, East Riding of Yorkshire, England
Security class	Adult Male/Category A
Population	608 (as of October 2006)
Opened	1987
Managed by	HM Prison Services
Governor	Paul Foweather
Website	Full Sutton at justice.gov.uk

HM Prison Full Sutton is a Category A and B 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.

The prison's primary function is to hold, in conditions of high security, some of the most difficult and dangerous criminals in the country.

The Prison also has a unit known as the 'Close Supervision Centre' which is referred to as a "Prison inside a Prison". This is used to house prisoners who are a high risk to the public and national security.

HMP Full Sutton will not accept prisoners who have been sentenced to less than 4 years, or who have less than 12 months left to serve.

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 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. The killer was Damien Fowkes, an inmate who also attacked fellow child killer Ian Huntley, who survived.

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 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.

On 26 May 2013 a prison warder was taken hostage, he and a female colleague were injured, other officers successfully dealt with the incident.

Notable inmates

Former inmates

• Freddie Foreman
• Stefan Williams-Dennis
• Donald Neilson
• Sean O'Callaghan
• Dale Cregan
• Charles Bronson

Current inmates

• Dennis Nilsen
• Jeremy Bamber
• John Cannan
• Curtis "Cocky" Warren

External links

• Ministry of Justice pages on Full Sutton
• HMP Full Sutton - HM Inspectorate of Prisons Reports