HM Prison Full Sutton

HMP Full Sutton

Entrance to the prison (2011)
Location	Full Sutton, East Riding of Yorkshire, England
Security class	Adult Male/Category A
Capacity	659 (baseline certified normal capacity) [1]
Population	572 [1] (as of March 2024)
Opened	1987
Managed by	HM Prison Services
Governor	Gareth Sands
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 His Majesty's Prison Service, ^[2] and held 572 inmates in March 2024. 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 normally accept prisoners who have been sentenced to less than four years, or who have less than twelve 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.

The Home Office ordered an inquiry into Full Sutton in March 2000, 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. ^[3] The prison was in the news 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 £1 to £3 were being made to prisoners for completing literacy and numeracy courses at the jail. ^[4]

On 4 September 2005, 77-year-old conman Sidney Noble, known as "Doctor Death", was taken hostage in his cell by fellow inmate Ian Magowan. He was tied to a chair, beaten, cut and suffered asphyxia having reportedly had his chest crushed. He died two weeks later having never regained consciousness. Magowan received a life sentence with a minimum tariff of 16 years. ^[5]

A report by the Chief Inspector of Prisons in December 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. ^[6]

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. ^[7]

In February 2011, the convicted murderer Colin Hatch, who was jailed for the murder of seven-year-old Sean Williams in January 1994, was murdered in the prison. The man responsible was Damien Fowkes, an inmate who also attacked fellow child killer Ian Huntley, who survived. ^[8]

On 26 May 2013, a prison officer was taken hostage. He and a female colleague were injured; other officers successfully handled the incident. ^[9]

In March 2017, it was announced that a new prison would be built adjacent to the current one. The existing prison was to stay open during the development. ^[10]

In August 2018, category A inmate John Onyemaechi launched an attack on staff and began a fire in a prison wing's kitchen. Over 100 riot-trained prison officers were used to restore order and detain Onyemaechi, amounting to costs of over £15,000 in damages to the prison. ^[11]

On 13 October 2019, Richard Huckle – one of Britain's most persistent convicted child sex offenders, serving twenty-two life sentences – was murdered in the prison. ^{[12] [13]}

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, 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 children's play area and refreshment machines.

In September 2019 the local council passed an application for the construction of a "mega prison", with 1,440 inmates, at Full Sutton, despite nearly 3,000 objections, including one from Humberside Police. ^[14]

Notable inmates

Current inmates include:

• Steven Grieveson ^[15]
• Omar Khyam ^[16]
• David Mulcahy ^{[17] [18]}
• Darren Osborne ^[19]
• Danilo Restivo ^{[20] [21]}

Former inmates include:

• Jeremy Bamber ^[22]
• Charles Bronson ^[23]
• John Cannan ^[24]
• Dale Cregan ^[25]
• Brian Field ^[26]
• Barry Horne ^[27]
• Richard Huckle ^[12]
• Dennis Nilsen ^{[28] [29]}
• Donald Neilson ^[30]
• Curtis "Cocky" Warren ^[31]
• Scott Walker ^[32]
• Kenneth Noye ^[33]

References

1. "Report on an unannounced inspection of HMP Full Sutton by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons" (PDF). www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk. 7–11 March 2024. Retrieved 7 November 2024.
2. Knapton, Sarah (10 September 2022). "About face on all fronts in the land of Kings English". The Daily Telegraph. No. 52, 043. p. 11. ISSN   0307-1235.
3. Dodd, Vikram (17 March 2000). "Minister orders inquiry into racism at prison". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 23 February 2011.
4. "Prisoners paid to take lessons". BBC News. 6 January 2003. Retrieved 7 November 2024.
5. "Inside prison where paedophile was 'murdered' - with fight clubs and notorious inmates". Daily Mirror. 18 October 2018. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
6. Travis, Alan (7 December 2005). "Inmates 'run fight clubs' at maximum security jail". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 23 February 2011.
7. Hemmings, Julie (21 February 2006). "Call for action over prison's drug 'disease". Yorkshire Post. Leeds. Retrieved 23 February 2011.
8. "Child killer Colin Hatch 'murdered' in secure prison". BBC News. 23 February 2011. Retrieved 23 February 2011.
9. "Full Sutton prison officers injured in jail attack". BBC News. 28 May 2013. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
10. "New prison to be built on Full Sutton site near York". ITV News. 22 March 2017. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
11. "Footage shows rampage at high-security jail". BBC News. 12 June 2019. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
12. "Paedophile Richard Huckle stabbed to death in jail". BBC News. 14 October 2019. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
13. "Paedophile Richard Huckle murdered in prison". The Guardian . 14 October 2019. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
14. "First 'mega prison' plans approved". BBC News. 12 September 2019. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
15. Ward, Verity (30 October 2016). "Sunderland mum's new plea to serial killer Steven Grieveson". Sunderland Echo. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
16. Gammell, Caroline (20 March 2008). "Terrorists moved to new jail after death threats". The Telegraph. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
17. "Railway Killers: The Herts victim murdered by serial killers after going missing at Brookmans Park station". HertsLive. 19 September 2021. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
18. "Rapist David Mulcahy demands 6,000 documents from police for his appeal". Evening Standard. 31 March 2015. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
19. "Finsbury Park mosque attacker fears eye loss after prison stabbing". BBC News. 11 September 2021. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
20. Sanvitale, Fabio; Palmegiani, Armando (2019). The case of Elisa Claps (in Italian). Italy: Armando Editore. p. 178. ISBN   9788869926136.
21. Davis, Carol Anne (2016). Masking Evil: When Good Men and Women Turn Criminal. Chichester: Summersdale Publishing. ISBN   9781783728893.
22. Johnson, Wesley (26 April 2012). "Jeremy Bamber murder appeal bid rejected". The Independent. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
23. Bronson, Charles; Ackroyd, Robin (2000). Bronson. Blake. p. 206. ISBN   1-85782-393-1.
24. McCormick, K. (5 June 2009). "Prison breaches human rights, says killer of Bristol newlywed". Evening Post. Bristol. Archived from the original on 28 August 2009. Retrieved 3 August 2013.
25. Topping, Alexandra (26 August 2013). "Dale Cregan goes on hunger strike". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 August 2013.
26. Madden, Sophie (22 April 2024). "Schoolboy murderer Brian Field dies in prison". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
27. "Horne recovering after hunger strike". BBC News. 14 December 1998. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
28. "Serial killer Dennis Nilsen dies in prison". Sky News. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
29. "Dennis Nilsen: Serial killer dies in prison aged 72". BBC News. 12 May 2018. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
30. "Ailing 'Black Panther' serial killer Donald Neilson wanted to die". The Independent. 9 August 2012. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
31. "Drug dealer Curtis Warren to fight court order". BBC News. 25 November 2011. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
32. "Bernadette Walker: Man guilty of murdering girl who called him her father after sexual abuse claims". Sky News . 26 July 2021. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
33. "Prison Gripes". The York Press. 18 July 2006. Retrieved 20 September 2024.

External links

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

53°59′N0°52′W / 53.983°N 0.867°W / 53.983; -0.867