Isle of Man Prison is a mixed-use

prison A prison, also known as a jail, gaol (dated, standard English, Australian, and historically in Canada), penitentiary (American English and Canadian English), detention center (or detention centre outside the US), correction center, corre ...

located in the

Jurby Jurby ( on, djúra-bý – deer settlement - animal park) () is one of the seventeen parishes of the Isle of Man. It is located in the north-west of the island (part of the traditional ''North Side'' division) in the sheading of Michael. Local ...

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one o ...

of the

Isle of Man ) , anthem = "O Land of Our Birth" , image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg , image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg , mapsize = , map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe , map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green) in Europe ...

. The prison is operated by the Isle of Man Prison Service (part of the

Department of Home Affairs An interior ministry (sometimes called a ministry of internal affairs or ministry of home affairs) is a government department that is responsible for internal affairs. Lists of current ministries of internal affairs Named "ministry" * Ministry ...

) and is the only functioning prison on the island.

History

From 1891 the prison population of the Isle of Man was held at the

Victoria Road Prison Victoria Road Prison is a former prison that was located on Victoria Road in Douglas, capital of the Isle of Man. Victoria Road Prison was the first purpose-built prison to be constructed on the Isle of Man, and held prisoners from April 1891 to Au ...

Douglas Douglas may refer to: People * Douglas (given name) * Douglas (surname) Animals * Douglas (parrot), macaw that starred as the parrot ''Rosalinda'' in Pippi Longstocking *Douglas the camel, a camel in the Confederate Army in the American Civi ...

. Although expanded many times over the course of its history, overcrowding at the prison was a recurring problem from the 1990s onwards, and the prison was often criticised for its limited and outdated facilities. In 2005

Tynwald Tynwald ( gv, Tinvaal), or more formally, the High Court of Tynwald ( gv, Ard-whaiyl Tinvaal) or Tynwald Court, is the legislature of the Isle of Man. It consists of two chambers, known as the branches of Tynwald: the directly elected House of ...

approved the construction of a new prison on the site of the former

RAF Jurby Royal Air Force Station Jurby or more simply RAF Jurby is a former Royal Air Force station built in the north west of the Isle of Man. It was opened in 1939 on of land acquired by the Air Ministry in 1937, under the control of No. 29 Group, ...

to replace the old prison in Douglas. Construction of the prison was largely carried out by local contractors from the island, though all of the cellular accommodation was constructed using pre-formed cast concrete panels, which were shipped to the island from a specialist manufacturer and transported by road to Jurby. In order that the prison might fit harmoniously into its environment, the prison grounds were landscaped, with ongoing maintenance by supervised, trusted prisoners. Construction of the new prison was due to be completed in December 2007, but because of poor weather, Christmas holidays and testing of equipment and security systems, that deadline was not met. The Isle of Man Prison Service took control of the new prison site in late January 2008, with the prison becoming fully operational on 14 August. As of January 2008, construction of the £41.7m facility was the

Isle of Man Government The Isle of Man Government ( gv, Reiltys Ellan Vannin) is the government of the Isle of Man. The formal head of the Isle of Man Government is the Lieutenant Governor, the personal representative of Charles III. The executive head is the Chief M ...

's largest capital project. In October 2011, an inspection report from the Chief Inspector of Prisons called for significant improvements to be made at Isle of Man Prison. The report revealed high reoffending rates, illegal drug use and a lack of activity for inmates as causes for concern. However the report praised the prison buildings and the very good staff-prisoner relationships.

The prison today

All inmates at Isle of Man Prison are located in single cells equipped with a

toilet A toilet is a piece of sanitary hardware that collects human urine and feces, and sometimes toilet paper, usually for disposal. Flush toilets use water, while dry or non-flush toilets do not. They can be designed for a sitting position popu ...

and washing facilities. There are separate units for remand and convicted prisoners as well as units for female prisoners, young offenders and vulnerable prisoners. There is also a segregation unit. The prison offers health, welfare and administration facilities, a visitors’ centre and parking areas. A variety of educational and vocational training is available to inmates at the prison, including

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 ...

joiner A joiner is an artisan and tradesperson who builds things by joining pieces of wood, particularly lighter and more ornamental work than that done by a carpenter, including furniture and the "fittings" of a house, ship, etc. Joiners may work in ...

y, and

plumbing Plumbing is any system that conveys fluids for a wide range of applications. Plumbing uses pipes, valves, plumbing fixtures, tanks, and other apparatuses to convey fluids. Heating and cooling (HVAC), waste removal, and potable water deliv ...

skills, with additional courses in basic

literacy Literacy in its broadest sense describes "particular ways of thinking about and doing reading and writing" with the purpose of understanding or expressing thoughts or ideas in written form in some specific context of use. In other words, hum ...

and numeracy,

information technology Information technology (IT) is the use of computers to create, process, store, retrieve, and exchange all kinds of Data (computing), data . and information. IT forms part of information and communications technology (ICT). An information te ...

, arts and crafts,

music Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspe ...

, PSHE and general academic subjects provided by tutors from the

University College Isle of Man University College Isle of Man (UCM; gv, Colleish-Olloscoill Ellan Vannin) is the primary centre for tertiary, vocational education, higher education and adult education on the British Crown dependency of the Isle of Man, located in the Manx ca ...

. Inmates who study

catering Catering is the business of providing food service at a remote site or a site such as a hotel, hospital, pub, aircraft, cruise ship, park, festival, filming location or film studio. History of catering The earliest account of major services be ...

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 ...

may work towards National Vocational Qualifications.

Notable inmates

Trevor Baines John Trevor Roche Baines (19 December 1939 – 1 August 2022) was a British convicted criminal, formerly a businessman, who claimed to have amassed an estimated fortune of over £130 million, through banking, financial trading, and investment i ...

References

External links

Isle of Man Prison Service
{{DEFAULTSORT:Isle Of Man Prison Prisons in the Isle of Man