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HM Prison Birmingham

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Coordinates: 52°29′35.54″N 1°56′14.05″W / 52.4932056°N 1.9372361°W / 52.4932056; -1.9372361
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HM Prison Birmingham
Map
LocationWinson Green, Birmingham, West Midlands
StatusOperational
Security classAdult Male/Category B&C
Capacity1450 (January 2006)
Opened1955
Managed byG4S
DirectorPeter Small

HM Prison Birmingham (known locally as Winson Green Prison) is a Category B/C men's prison, located in the Winson Green area of Birmingham, England. The prison was formerly operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service. It is now managed by G4S .[1]

History

Birmingham is a Victorian prison, built in 1849.

Numerous judicial executions by hanging took place at the prison until the abolition of capital punishment in the UK. A total of 35 executions took place at Birmingham prison during the 20th century.[2] The last person ever to be hanged at the prison was a 20 year old Jamaican named Oswald Augustus Grey. He was executed on 20 November 1962 after being convicted of the shooting death of newsagent Thomas Bates during the course of a robbery in Lee Bank Road on 3 June 1962.[3][4][5] Christopher Simcox, a double-murderer, was scheduled for execution at Birmingham prison on Tuesday, 17 March 1964, but was reprieved.

In 1995, Birmingham was criticised by its own Board of Visitors for being soft on prisoners. This arose after allegations that one inmate had gone on two weeks' holiday to Minorca, while being released for weekend leave.[6]

In January 1999 an inspection report by Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons attacked conditions at Birmingham, describing the health centre in the jail as the "untidiest and dirtiest" inspectors had ever come across. The report also criticised the prison for its lack of a sex offender treatment programme, the lack of employment and education opportunities, and the inadequate bathing arrangements where some inmates were only being allowed a full wash three times a week.[6]

In March 2001 the Chief Inspector declared that conditions had worsened in Birmingham Prison where around 11% of inmates had claimed to have been assaulted by prison officers. One particular incident involved a mentally-disturbed prisoner who had been denied a wash or change of clothes for weeks because staff thought he was faking his illness.[7]

In 2002 the prison was expanded as a result of a multi-million pound investment programme by the Prison Service. 450 additional prisoner places were added together with new workshops, educational facilities, a new healthcare centre and gym as well as extensions and improvements to existing facilities. Two years later, a report from the Chief Inspector found that conditions at Birmingham had substantially improved, stating that the prison was a place where "positive attitudes are firmly embedded".[8]

In November 2007 the Independent Monitoring Board warned in a report that overcrowding at Birmingham was putting prisoners and staff at risk. The report stated that if overcrowding was not tackled, then there was a potential for unrest.[9] Two years later, the Board issued another report that criticised levels of overcrowding at Birmingham Prison. The report also noted that inmates from the jail were being transferred to prisons further north, to accommodate increased prisoner levels from the South-East of England.[10]

Birmingham became the first publicly built, owned and operated prison in the UK to be transferred to the private sector. G4S formally took over the day to day running of the prison in October 2011.[11]

The prison today

Birmingham holds adult male prisoners, serving the Crown and Magistrates' Courts of Birmingham, Stafford and Wolverhampton and the Magistrates' Courts of Burton upon Trent, Cannock, Education and training at Birmingham Prison is provided by Derby College. Learning programmes for inmates include basic and key skills, bricklaying, plumbing, painting and decorating, carpentry, joinery, forklift truck training, industrial cleaning, catering, textiles, barbering, information technology, business, creative arts and performing arts. All courses lead to qualifications such as NVQs, and there is the option for further study with the Open University.

The Prison Library Service is provided by Birmingham City Council's Library Services, and all prisoners have access to the service. As well as facilities for independent learners, the library has special collections on law, employment, health, community information, English as a second or other language (ESOL), and basic skills materials. There is also a Learning Centre within the library to provide additional learning support to those with dyslexia and ESOL needs.

Physical Education at Birmingham is provided on a daily basis over a 7 day period, and evenings over 5 days. There are a number of sports delivered and also sports related subjects from basic skills to NVQ Level 2 in Sports and Recreation.

Birmingham has a prison chaplaincy with full time chaplains from the Roman Catholic, Church of England, Free Church and Muslim faiths. There are also sessional staff from the Sikh, Buddhist and Hindu faiths.

  • The prison is featured in the 2009 grime film 1 Day.

Notable former inmates

  • Lee Hughes, former West Bromwich Albion striker, spent the early part of his six-year jail term for dangerous driving at the prison in 2004.
  • Ozzy Osbourne, later frontman of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath, served six weeks after he was arrested for breaking and entering and theft in 1966.
  • Fred West, serial killer who arrived on remand in May 1994. He committed suicide in his cell on 1 January 1995, before he could be brought to trial.
  • Charlie Wilson, imprisoned for his part in the Great Train Robbery, he escaped the prison on 8 July 1965. He was recaptured on 24 January 1968 in Canada.

References

  1. ^ "G4S will take over 1,400-inmate jail in October'". BBC. 1 July 2011.
  2. ^ http://www.capitalpunishmentuk.org/places.html
  3. ^ http://www.search.digital-ladywood.org.uk/engine/resource/default.asp?txtKeywords=oswald&lstContext=&lstResourceType=&lstExhibitionType=&chkPurchaseVisible=&txtDateFrom=&txtDateTo=&originator=%2Fengine%2Fsearch%2Fdefault%5Fhndlr%2Easp&page=&records=&direction=&pointer=1394&text=0&resource=7497
  4. ^ http://www.inlogov.bham.ac.uk/staff/pdfs/BirminghamPost_CapitalPunishment.pdf
  5. ^ "newsagent murdered fifty years ago this month". The Brew 'Us Bugle (36). Ladywood History Group. Summer 2012.
  6. ^ a b "Jail conditions attacked". BBC. 13 January 1999.
  7. ^ "Jail 'among worst in UK'". BBC. 15 March 2001.
  8. ^ "Report praises Birmingham Prison". BBC. 24 September 2004.
  9. ^ "Overcrowding fears at city prison". BBC. 20 November 2007.
  10. ^ "Prison inmates 'forced to move'". BBC. 29 January 2009.
  11. ^ "Birmingham Prison: 123 jobs could go". BBC News. 1 July 2011.

52°29′35.54″N 1°56′14.05″W / 52.4932056°N 1.9372361°W / 52.4932056; -1.9372361

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