HM Prison New Hall

HMP New Hall

Location	Dial Wood, Flockton, Wakefield, West Yorkshire [1] [2] [3]
Security class	Female/Closed Category
Population	395 [4] (as of March 2019)
Managed by	HM Prison Services
Governor	Julia Spence
Website	New Hall at justice.gov.uk

HMP New Hall is a closed-category prison for female adults, juveniles, and young offenders. The prison is located in the village of Flockton (near Wakefield) in West Yorkshire, England. New Hall is operated by His Majesty's Prison Service.

History

In 1933, New Hall became the first prison to implement the then-experimental Open Prison system. ^[5] This was seen as a potential method for dealing with the combined problems of the rising numbers of prisoners and the lack of proper employment for them. At first, the prison was populated by prisoners from HMP Wakefield who were soon due to be released, but in 1961 the prison became a Senior Detention Centre for male young offenders. ^[6] It was during this time that, on some occasions, the 'short, sharp shock' regime was introduced. In 1987, the prison was assigned to serve a different population, and it was re-designated for a second time to become a women's prison. ^[6]

In 1999, the BBC programme Jailbirds was filmed at New Hall, with director Chris Terrill being given unlimited access to the prison officers and inmates for a period of eight months. ^[7]

The prison today

Currently, New Hall is a closed female local prison which holds all categories of adult female prisoners. Aside from this, it caters to young offenders and juveniles who are on Detention and Training Orders. Accommodation at the prison is mainly in cells. There is a mother & baby unit, a health care centre, segregation unit, and some dormitories. ^{[8] [9]}

This prison provides full- and part-time education courses for prisoners in areas such as business administration, food hygiene, literacy, numeracy, information technology, NVQ Hairdressing, BTEC, and Art. New Hall has workshops where inmates can gain experience in assembly work, light textile work, catering, and gardening. Employment and careers advice by Jobcentre Plus is also available. ^[10] The prison's governor is Julia Spence. ^[11] The Ministry of Justice has received planning permission to install solar panels at the site in a bid to reduce the prison's carbon footprint. ^[12]

Notable inmates

Notable people held at the prison include:

• Sarah Barrass, mother who in 2019 murdered two of her children and attempted to murder four others via poisoning and strangulation ^[13]
• Alice Cutter, member of the terrorist group National Action, released in 2022 ^[14]
• Tanya French, convicted of raping a 12 week old baby. (since released) ^[15]
• Lucy Letby, neonatal nurse who murdered numerous babies in her care. ^[16]
• Frankie Smith, mother who allowed the death of her child Star Hobson in 2020, who was murdered by her partner Savannah Brockhill ^[17]
• Katrina Walsh, killer ^[18]
• Rose West, serial killer ^[19]

References

1. "New Hall Prison and Young Offender Institute". GOV.UK. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
2. "HMP & YOI New Hall". DoingTime, a guide to prison and probation. 13 November 2013. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
3. "HMP New Hall". The Law Pages. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
4. "Report on an unannounced inspection of HMP & YOI New Hall (25 February – 8 March 2019)" (PDF). justiceinspectorates.gov.uk. March 2019. p. 5. Retrieved 19 August 2023.
5. "The Howard League | New Hall". howardleague.org. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
6. "Report on an unannounced inspection of HMP & YOI New Hall" (PDF). justiceinspectorates.gov.uk. August 2015. p. 7. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
7. Devlin, Angela (16 March 1999). "The turn of the screws". The Independent. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
8. "Prison inspection report 2008" (PDF). reports.ofsted.gov.uk. 5 November 2010. p. 4. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
9. "PORRIDGE - THE FEMALE WAY". Wakefield Express. 20 April 2001. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
10. Williams, Zoe (30 January 2015). "When prison works: inside New Hall, the women's prison where inmates are equals". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
11. "New Hall Prison information". www.justice.gov.uk. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
12. Carney, James (14 June 2021). "Solar panels to be installed at New Hall prison near Wakefield". Wakefield Express. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
13. "Huddersfield woman tells of life on same prison wing as child killers Rose West and Sarah Barrass". Yorkshire Live. 23 June 2021. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
14. "'Miss Hitler' beauty queen to be released from prison early". The Independent. 13 October 2022. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
15. "Hatfield Baby Rapist back in jail". Welwyn and Hatfield Times. 12 March 2009. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
16. Pilling, Kim (18 August 2023). "Lucy Letby always wanted to work with children, court heard". Evening Standard. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
17. "Frankie Smith's pitiful existence hiding from 'unforgiving' inmates alone in cell before 200-mile move". Leeds Live. 12 March 2022. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
18. Mitra, Shraman (31 July 2021). "Sarah Williams and Katrina Walsh Now: Where Are Sadie Hartley's Killers Today? Update". The Cinemaholic. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
19. Warburton, Dan; Davison, Emma (21 July 2019). "This is the reason Rose West has been moved to a West Yorkshire prison". Yorkshire Live. Retrieved 2 April 2020.

External links

• Ministry of Justice pages on New Hall
• BBC Radio 4 programme about New Hall

53°38′09″N1°36′42″W / 53.6358°N 1.6118°W / 53.6358; -1.6118