HM Prison Thameside

Prison in London, England

HMP Thameside

Aerial view of HM Prison Thameside.
To the left, a section of HM Prison Belmarsh.

Location| Thamesmead, London, England
Security class| Adult Male/Category B
Population| 1,232 (as of February 2017)
Opened| March 2012
Managed by| Serco[1]
Director| Dave Bamford[2]

HM Prison Thameside is a Category B men's private prison in the Thamesmead area of the Royal Borough of Greenwich, south-east London, England. Thameside Prison is operated by Serco and is situated next to Belmarsh and Isis prisons.

## History

[edit]

The prison was designed and constructed by Serco and opened on 30 March 2012, becoming fully operational in the autumn of 2012, with a capacity of 900. It holds prisoners from courts previously served by Brixton Prison and other prisons in London.[3][4]

In January 2013, the Ministry of Justice announced that an additional houseblock would be constructed at Thameside Prison, increasing its capacity.[5]

In May 2013, a report by the Chief Inspector of Prisons was critical of the levels of violence at the prison and its restricted regime. The report found that there was a high level of assaults and use of force, while 60% of prisoners were locked up during the working day, and some inmates spent 23 hours a day in their cells. However, the report also praised the quality of accommodation throughout the prison.[6]

## The prison today

[edit]

The regimen at Thameside Prison combines work, education, vocational training, accredited offending behaviour programmes, and prisoner health and appropriate interventions. It is a Local category B establishment.

The prison has a baseline Certificate of Normal Accommodation of 932, and an in-use operational capacity of 1232 convicted and remand male prisoners.[7]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Thameside Prison". 7 January 2022.
2. ^ "Serco appoints new Prison Director at HMP Thameside". Serco (Press release). 15 June 2020. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
3. ^ "Two New Private Sector Prisons To Open | UK Police News". Police Oracle. 31 March 2012. Retrieved 6 August 2012.
4. ^ "Action for Prisoners' Families: New prison HMP Thameside opens today". Prisonersfamilies.org.uk. Archived from the original on 11 April 2012. Retrieved 6 August 2012.
5. ^ Danny Shaw (10 January 2013). "BBC News - Seven prison closures in England announced". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 12 April 2013.
6. ^ "BBC News - Thameside prison criticised over violence and regime". Bbc.co.uk. 14 May 2013. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
7. ^ "Welcome to HMP Thameside". serco.com. Archived from the original on 14 September 2019. Retrieved 6 February 2017.

## External links

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* Serco pages on Thameside
* Inside Time information on HMP Thameside

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Prisons in London

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