HM Prison Hull

HMP Hull

Location	Kingston upon Hull,
Security class	Adult Male/Category B&C
Population	1043
Opened	1870
Managed by	HM Prison Services
Governor	Shaun Mycroft
Website	Hull at justice.gov.uk

HMP Hull is a Category B men's local prison located in Kingston upon Hull in England. The term 'local' means that this prison holds people on remand to the local courts. The prison is operated by His Majesty's Prison Service.

History

Hull Prison opened in 1870, and is of a typical Victorian design. Ethel Major was the last person and only woman to be executed at Hull in 1934. She had been convicted of the murder of her husband. ^[1] An exhibition "Within These Walls" follows the prison's history from 1299 to 1934. The exhibition was designed and created by Officer Rob Nicholson and officially opened by Lawrence Major, Ethel's grandson.

In 1976 Hull prison was involved in a three-day riot by inmates of the prison. Over 100 prisoners were involved in a protest that erupted over staff brutality. The riot ended peacefully on 3 September 1976 but over two thirds of the prison was destroyed, ^[2] with an estimated repair cost of £3 – £4 million. The prison was closed for a year while repairs were carried out. ^[3] Disciplinary proceedings following the riots led to a number of legal challenges. ^[4]

The Prison was removed from the high-security estate in 1985 and became a local prison holding inmates remanded and sentenced by courts in the area. ^[3]

In 2002 a major expansion was completed making the prison more modern rather than Victorian, which added four new wings, a new gymnasium, a new health care centre and a multi-faith centre. ^[3]

In January 2013, the Ministry of Justice announced that older parts of Hull Prison will close, with a reduction of 282 places at the prison. ^[5] In April 2014 the Ministry of Justice announced that these would be brought back into use as the "prison population is currently above published projections". ^[6]

After rioting at Birmingham Prison in December 2016, some prisoners were transferred from Birmingham to Hull. Disturbances were reported at HMP Hull. ^[7]

On 14 September 2018, Staff at HMP Hull, along with many other prisons across the country, walked out under protest due to health and safety conditions across the prison estate. The protest was amid fears of rising violence, wanting safety improvements and a reduction in violence and overcrowding. ^[8]

In January 2019, it was announced that HMP Hull will be one of 10 prisons chosen for body scanners which aims to reduce drugs and violence, while improving standards, in the country's most challenging jails providing a template for the wider estate. ^[9]

In January 2021, it was reported that HMP Hull had been dealing with a huge COVID-19 outbreak which saw around 80 prisoners and staff struck down by the virus. ^[10]

The prison today

Hull is a local prison holding remand, sentenced and convicted males. Prisoners are employed in the workshops, kitchens, gardens and waste management departments. Education classes are also available to prisoners.

HMP Hull houses the Within These Walls exhibition which charts the history of Hull's prisons from 1299 through to the present day. The exhibition was created and opened in 2011. ^[11]

Notable inmates

• Charles Bronson ^[12]
• Malcolm Fairley (aka "The Fox") ^[13]
• Robert Maudsley ^[14]
• Tommy Robinson ^[15]
• Paul Sykes ^[16]

References

1. "Events – Heritage Open Days". Heritage Open Days. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
2. "1976: Hull prison riot ends". On This Day. BBC News. 3 September 1976. Retrieved 25 January 2008.
3. "Prison Information – Hull". HM Prison Service. Archived from the original on 14 December 2007. Retrieved 25 January 2008.
4. R v Board of Visitors of Hull Prison, Ex parte St. Germain [1979] QB 425; O'Reilly v Mackman [1983] 2 AC 237
5. "Seven prison closures in England announced". BBC News. BBC. 10 January 2013. Retrieved 11 January 2013.
6. "Hull Prison to reopen two closed 19th Century cell wings". BBC News. BBC. 10 April 2014. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
7. "Disturbance at Hull Prison after transfer of inmates from Birmingham after riots". ITV . 18 December 2016. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
8. Grove, Alex (15 September 2018). "Inmate says Hull Prison 'on verge of riot and could blow any minute'". Hull Daily Mail. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
9. "Drug detection technology arrives at 10 prisons" (Press Release). UK Government. 31 January 2019. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
10. Campbell, James (18 January 2021). "Hull Prison Covid outbreak sees up to 100 sex offenders struck down". Hull Daily Mail. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
11. "HMP Hull". 7 August 2014. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
12. "Charles Bronson tells of prison 'hell'". BBC News. BBC. 16 February 2000. Retrieved 3 April 2012.
13. Issimdar, Mariam (29 May 2024). "Sex attacker Malcolm Fairley dubbed 'The Fox' dies in prison". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
14. "Britain's most notorious criminals behind bars in Hull and East Yorkshire". Hull Daily Mail. 30 October 2016. Retrieved 5 January 2017.
15. "Former EDL leader Tommy Robinson 'being held in Hull prison'". Hull Daily Mail. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
16. Hubbard, Alan (3 May 1978). "The man who pulled his first punches behind bars". Glasgow Herald. p. 25. Retrieved 3 April 2012.

External links

• Ministry of Justice pages on Hull
• Texts on the 1976 riot
• HMP Hull – HM Inspectorate of Prisons Reports

53°44′52″N0°17′45″W / 53.74778°N 0.29583°W / 53.74778; -0.29583