HM Prison Glen Parva was an adult male prison and
Young Offenders Institution
His Majesty's Young Offender Institution (or HMYOI) is a type of prison in Great Britain, intended for offenders aged up to 18, although some prisons cater for younger offenders from ages 15 to 17, who are classed as juvenile offenders. Typically t ...
, located in
Glen Parva, Leicestershire, England. Glen Parva was operated by
His Majesty's Prison Service.
The prison closed in June 2017, following an announcement at the end of 2016 that it would be replaced with a newly built category C adult prison. It has since been demolished and a new prison,
HMP Fosse Way, is currently under construction on the site.
It became an adult and young offenders institution in July 2011.
History
Glen Parva was constructed on the site of the former
Glen Parva Barracks in the early 1970s as a
borstal
A Borstal was a type of youth detention centre in the United Kingdom, several member states of the Commonwealth and the Republic of Ireland. In India, such a detention centre is known as a Borstal school.
Borstals were run by HM Prison Service ...
and has always held young offenders. Since its opening in 1974 the establishment has seen considerable expansion and change and now serves a catchment area of over 100 courts, holding a mixture of sentenced, unsentenced, and remand prisoners.
In 1997,
His Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons
His Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons is the head of HM Inspectorate of Prisons and the senior inspector of prisons, young offender institutions and immigration service detention and removal centres in England and Wales. The current chief inspe ...
walked out of an inspection at Glen Parva because conditions were so bad. After a subsequent inspection a year later, the report stated that there was "hope for the future" for the prison but added that a lot of work still needed to be done, and recommended that some staff should be moved because of their attitude towards inmates.
In July 2002, four inmates from Glen Parva escaped whilst on a two-day camping trip in the
Peak District
The Peak District is an upland area in England at the southern end of the Pennines. Mostly in Derbyshire, it extends into Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Staffordshire, West Yorkshire and South Yorkshire. It includes the Dark Peak, where moorla ...
. Two were caught soon after, but two inmates managed to evade police capture for some time.
In its annual report in 2003, the
Board of Visitors
In the United States, a board often governs institutions of higher education, including private universities, state universities, and community colleges. In each US state, such boards may govern either the state university system, individual ...
revealed two serious cases of unrest at Glen Parva Prison. On one occasion, 16 inmates barricaded themselves inside a building. The report blamed an unprecedented rise in the number of inmates at the prison, and also the fact that some inmates were bored and unsettled, finding themselves hundreds of miles from home.
In November 2004, the
Prison Reform Trust
The Prison Reform Trust (PRT) was founded in 1981 in London, England, by a small group of prison reform campaigners who were unhappy with the direction in which the Howard League for Penal Reform was heading, concentrating more on community punis ...
condemned Glen Parva for the high amount of time inmates spent in their cells and for the lack of time spent in "useful activity" at the prison. Statistics for 2003–2004 showed that on average inmates spent just 17.3 hours a week in useful activity, and an average of just another seven hours a week out of their cells.
In February 2010 the prison's
Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) described conditions there as "deplorable". Their report said "water from the prison's poorly-maintained toilet plumbing system leaked out of the pipes and seeped through the walls," causing "a horrible smell that fills the corridors and cells on regular occasions" and that the prison "operates within the confines of a sprawling campus of largely shabby buildings which continue to degrade over time, despite the best efforts of the management and staff." The board also warned that the policy of transferring prisoners into Glen Parva from other regions "has recently introduced an increasing level of gang rivalry, thereby adding yet another dimension to an already toxic melting pot".
In August 2016, ambulance personnel called to prison criticised staff for their lack of urgency when faced with a life-threatening medical emergency.
The prison today
Glen Parva Prison was a closed Young Offenders Institution and Remand Centre. At the time of its closure accommodation was divided into ten residential units each having a mixture of single and double cells. All cells had integral sanitation and most had televisions which could be rented by prisoners.
The Healthcare Centre at Glen Parva had 14 inpatient beds with 24-hour nursing cover. Many health services at the prison were provided by Leicestershire
Primary Care Trust.
Education and training provision at Glen Parva was delivered through six skills academies. Courses and programmes on offer included Information Technology,
Computer Aided Design,
Business Studies,
Home Economics
Home economics, also called domestic science or family and consumer sciences, is a subject concerning human development, personal and family finances, consumer issues, housing and interior design, nutrition and food preparation, as well as texti ...
, Catering,
ESOL, Art, Engineering,
Carpentry,
Barbering
A barber is a person whose occupation is mainly to cut, dress, groom, style and shave men's and boys' hair or beards. A barber's place of work is known as a "barbershop" or a "barber's". Barbershops are also places of social interaction and publi ...
,
Bricklaying
Brickwork is masonry produced by a bricklayer, using bricks and mortar. Typically, rows of bricks called ''courses'' are laid on top of one another to build up a structure such as a brick wall.
Bricks may be differentiated from blocks by siz ...
,
Painting and Decorating
A house painter and decorator is a tradesman responsible for the painting and decorating of buildings, and is also known as a decorator or house painter.''The Modern Painter and Decorator'' volume 1 1921 Caxton The purpose of painting is to imp ...
,
Forklift Truck
A forklift (also called lift truck, jitney, hi-lo, fork truck, fork hoist, and forklift truck) is a powered industrial truck used to lift and move materials over short distances. The forklift was developed in the early 20th century by various ...
Driving, Horticulture, Gardening,
Physical Education
Physical education, often abbreviated to Phys Ed. or P.E., is a subject taught in schools around the world. It is usually taught during primary and secondary education, and encourages psychomotor learning by using a play and movement explorat ...
, Plastics, Laundry,
Recycling
Recycling is the process of converting waste materials into new materials and objects. The recovery of energy from waste materials is often included in this concept. The recyclability of a material depends on its ability to reacquire the p ...
and Industrial
Cleaning
Cleaning is the process of removing unwanted substances, such as dirt, infectious agents, and other impurities, from an object or environment. Cleaning is often performed for aesthetic, hygienic, functional, environmental, or safety purposes ...
. The prison also had links with organisations such as The
Prince's Trust
The Prince's Trust ( cy, Ymddiriedolaeth y Tywysog) is a charity in the United Kingdom founded in 1976 by King Charles III (then Prince of Wales) to help vulnerable young people get their lives on track. It supports 11-to-30-year-olds who are u ...
,
Age Concern
Age Concern is the banner title used by a number of charitable organizations ( NGOs) specifically concerned with the needs and interests of all older people (defined as those over the age of 50) based chiefly in the four countries of the United Kin ...
and
National Grid plc to provide employment for Young Offenders on release.
It was announced towards the end of 2016 that HMP Glen Parva would close and be replaced with a newly built category C adult prison. It will be completely demolished and redeveloped with a new built prison on the site.
The Category C resettlement prison is due to hold 1,680 men.
References
External links
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{{Prisons in the East Midlands
Government buildings completed in 1974
Glen Parva
Glen Parva
Glen Parva
1974 establishments in England