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HM Prison Belmarsh

Coordinates:51°29′47″N0°05′34″E/ 51.4964°N 0.0929°E/51.4964; 0.0929
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HMP Belmarsh
Aerial view of HM Prison Belmarsh (centre).
To the left isHMP Isis,to the right isHMP Thameside
Map
LocationWestern Way,Thamesmead,
London,SE28 0EB
Security classAdult Male/Category A
Capacity792
Population675 (as of August 2021)
Opened1991;33 years ago(1991)
Managed byHM Prison Services
GovernorJenny Louis
WebsiteBelmarshat justice.gov.uk

His Majesty's Prison Belmarshis aCategory Amen's prison inThamesmead,southeast London,England. The prison is used for high-profile cases, particularly those concerning national security. Within the grounds is the High Security Unit (HSU), which consists of 48 single cells. It is run byHis Majesty's Prison Service.The prison has been called "Britain'sGuantanamo Bay"due to the long-term detention of terrorism suspects without charge.[1]Belmarsh is also notoriously known as "Hellmarsh" as it is considered the toughest prison in the UK and due to the high number ofphysicaland authority abuses reported by both the prison's inmates (including former politician andconvicted criminalJeffrey Archer,who coined the name "Hellmarsh" and who was imprisoned for four years at Belmarsh for the crime ofperjury) and byhuman rights activists.[2]

History

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Belmarsh Prison was built on part of the East site of the formerRoyal ArsenalinWoolwich,and became operational on 2 April 1991. It adjoinsWoolwich Crown Court.[3]

Between 2001 and 2002, Belmarsh Prison was used to detain a number of people indefinitely without charge or trial under the provisions ofPart 4 of the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001,leading it to be called the "British version of Guantanamo Bay".[4]TheLaw Lordslater ruled inA v Secretary of State for the Home Deptthat such imprisonment was discriminatory and against theHuman Rights Act 1998.[5]

It is often used for the detention of prisoners for terrorist-related offences. In September 2006, 51 such prisoners were held.[6]

In 2009, an archaeological dig on the site led to the discovery of a 6,000-year-old trackway, the oldest known wooden trackway in northern Europe with the exception of theSweet TracknearGlastonbury.[7]

In November 2009, an inspection report from theChief Inspector of Prisonscriticised the "extremely high" amount of force used to control inmates.[8]The report also stated that an unusually high number of prisoners had reported being intimidated or victimised by staff.

In 2010,HMP IsisYoung Offenders Institutionwas opened within the perimeter wall.[9]

The prison today

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Car park and main entrance

Belmarsh is a Category A Prison holding inmates from all over England and Wales. It also houses other categories of prisoners from primarily the Central Criminal Court (Old Bailey) and Magistrates' Courts in South East London as well as Crown and Magistrates' Courts in South West Essex. Accommodation at the prison is a mixture of approximately 60% multi-occupancy cells and 40% single cells, distributed mainly across four residential units.[10]

Inmates at Belmarsh are offered access to education, workshops[10]and two gyms. The gym staff have a partnership withCharlton Athletic F.C.to deliverFAaccredited coaching courses for prisoners.[11]

A listener scheme for prisoners at risk from suicide or self-harm is in operation as is a support group providing advice on immigration law for foreign national prisoners.[10]

Notable inmates

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Current inmates

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Former inmates

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References

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  1. ^Wikileaks-Sponsored ‘States of Violence’ Exhibition
  2. ^"In Belmarsh Prison: Radicalization or De-radicalization?".Pulitzer Center.30 April 2018.Retrieved6 April2024.
  3. ^"Law Courts and Courtrooms 1: The Buildings of the Criminal Law".Historic England. 1 August 2016. p. 12.Retrieved21 January2023.
  4. ^"Belmarsh – Britain's Guantanamo Bay?".BBC News.6 October 2004.Retrieved17 November2016.
  5. ^"Data".The Times Online.Retrieved17 November2016.
  6. ^Tony McNultyWritten Answers, 8 September 2006 col. 1701WHome Department – Terrorism
  7. ^Anon (12 August 2009)."London's earliest timber structure found during Belmarsh prison dig".physorg News.PhysOrg.Archivedfrom the original on 15 July 2011.Retrieved10 July2010.
  8. ^"'High levels' of force at prison ".BBC News. 27 November 2009.Retrieved30 November2009.
  9. ^"HMP/YOI Isis – improving prison with many young men which must address violence and force".
  10. ^abc"Belmarsh Prison".2 August 2022.
  11. ^"CACT Over 25 Years".cact.org.uk.Archived fromthe originalon 19 September 2020.Retrieved2 October2020.
  12. ^"Ali Harbi Ali appears at Old Bailey over murder of Conservative MP Sir David Amess".Sky News.22 October 2021.Retrieved23 October2021.
  13. ^"Sir David Amess: Man found guilty of murdering MP".BBC News.11 April 2022.Retrieved18 June2022.
  14. ^Kirk, Tristan (14 July 2021)."Motorist admits killing two people in Romford pile-up".Evening Standard.Retrieved12 August2021.
  15. ^Rowlands, Saskia; Perrin, Ben (29 October 2023)."Rapist police officer 'beaten black and blue' spends 23-hours-a-day in jail cell".Birmingham Live.Retrieved30 October2023.
  16. ^Casciani, Dominic (28 October 2015)."Soho nail bomber David Copeland sentenced for prison attack".BBC News.
  17. ^"Sgt Matiu Ratana shooting: Killer Louis De Zoysa will never be freed".BBC News.27 July 2023.Retrieved27 July2023.
  18. ^"What happened to the 'Night Stalker' depicted in Manhunt after he was caught by Colin Sutton".inews.30 September 2021.
  19. ^"Wembley park killings: Danyal Hussein jailed for life for murdering sisters".BBC News.28 October 2021.Retrieved29 October2021.
  20. ^Vaughan, Henry (11 September 2023)."Daniel Khalife escaped prison using material which may have been from bed sheets, court hears".Sky News.Retrieved11 September2023.
  21. ^Hill, Patrick (26 November 2016)."Serial killer Stephen Port's jail letters include boasts of bedding TV star".Daily Mirror.
  22. ^"Reading stabbings: Terror suspect Khairi Saadallah appears at Old Bailey".BBC News.1 July 2020.Retrieved16 March2021.
  23. ^Scheerhout, John (23 March 2020)."Fights, revenge and jihadi neighbours - what life is like for Arena killer Hashem Abedi in Britain's toughest prison".Manchester Evening News.Retrieved1 February2021.
  24. ^"Manchester attack plotter Hashem Abedi refusing to participate in prison deradicalisation programme".ITV News.28 July 2021.Retrieved19 November2021.
  25. ^"Michael Adebolajo 'attacked in jail'".BBC News. 18 July 2013.Retrieved17 November2016.
  26. ^"Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale plead not guilty to Woolwich".London Evening Standard.27 September 2013.Retrieved17 November2016.
  27. ^"Lee Rigby killer Michael Adebowale in hospital with Covid-19".BBC News. 25 January 2021.Retrieved19 November2021.
  28. ^1999: Liar Aitken jailed for 18 monthsBBC News
  29. ^"Abu Hamza: from Soho bouncer to hook-handed cleric of hate."The Daily Telegraph.10 April 2012. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
  30. ^De Simone, Daniel (3 February 2020)."Sudesh Amman: Who was the Streatham attacker?".BBC News.Retrieved1 February2021.
  31. ^abcdefRajani, Deepika (10 July 2020)."HMP Belmarsh inmates: from Tommy Robinson to Ian Huntley, the high-profile convicts detained at the London prison".inews.Retrieved4 February2021.
  32. ^Rebaza, Claudia; Siad, Arnaud; Britton, Bianca (13 April 2019)."British MPs urge government to extradite Julian Assange to Sweden".CNN.Retrieved15 April2019.
  33. ^"Priti Patel, hear this loud and clear: Julian Assange must not be handed over to the US | Duncan Campbell".The Guardian.10 May 2022.
  34. ^"Radical preacher Anjem Choudary to stand trial on terror charges".BBC News. 28 August 2015.Retrieved28 August2015.
  35. ^"Sarah Everard murder: Wayne Couzens given whole-life sentence".BBC News. 30 September 2021.Retrieved13 February2022.
  36. ^"Richard Huckle filmed himself abusing children and shared videos and pictures with fellow paedophiles on the dark web".Sky News. 1 June 2016.
  37. ^"Prolific Paedophile Gets 22 Life Sentences".Sky News. 6 June 2016.Retrieved25 May2023.
  38. ^Evans, Martin; Bird, Steve; Wilford, Greg (30 November 2019)."Who was Usman Khan? The attacker who hoodwinked authorities to fulfil his terrorism dream of targeting London".The Telegraph.Retrieved2 November2021.
  39. ^"Ex-inmate MP condemns UK prisons".BBC News. 12 August 2014.
  40. ^Cobain, Ian; Taylor, Matthew (23 November 2016)."Far-right terrorist Thomas Mair jailed for life for Jo Cox murder".The Guardian.Retrieved1 February2021.
  41. ^Aspden, Kester (6 December 2019)."The making of a bedsit Nazi: who was the man who killed Jo Cox?".The Guardian.Retrieved19 November2021.
  42. ^Quadri, Sami (2 May 2023)."Prison worker 'suspended for kissing Zara Aleena's killer'".Evening Standard.Retrieved20 October2023.
  43. ^"Zara Aleena's killer Jordan McSweeney leaves sentence appeal hearing".BBC News.20 October 2023.Retrieved20 October2023.
  44. ^Ross, Alice (27 June 2017)."Finsbury Park accused Darren Osborne appears at Old Bailey".The Guardian.Retrieved4 February2021.
  45. ^"Darren Osborne jailed for life for Finsbury Park terrorist attack".The Guardian.2 February 2018.Retrieved25 June2022.
  46. ^"Finsbury Park mosque attacker fears eye loss after prison stabbing".BBC News. 11 September 2021.Retrieved19 November2021.
  47. ^Moore, Steven (29 December 2020)."Essex lorry deaths: Truck driver Mo Robinson 'haunted' by memory of his crime".Belfast Telegraph.Retrieved23 October2021.
  48. ^Pennink, Emily (18 November 2021)."Migrant deaths driver to sell 4×4 and watch to compensate victims' families".Evening Standard.Retrieved19 November2021.
  49. ^Norton-Taylor, Richard (15 March 2007)."Renegade ex-MI6 officer will not be prosecuted".The Guardian.Retrieved16 March2021.
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51°29′47″N0°05′34″E/ 51.4964°N 0.0929°E/51.4964; 0.0929

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