HM Prison Liverpool (formerly Walton Gaol) is a
category B local men's
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, correc ...
in
Walton, Liverpool
Walton is an area of Liverpool, England, north of Anfield and east of Bootle and Orrell Park. Historically in Lancashire, it is largely residential, with a diverse population.
History
The name may derive from the same origin as Wales. The inco ...
,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
. It is operated by
His Majesty's Prison Service
His Majesty's Prison Service (HMPS) is a part of HM Prison and Probation Service (formerly the National Offender Management Service), which is the part of His Majesty's Government charged with managing most of the prisons within England and Wale ...
.
History
Liverpool Prison (originally known as Walton
Gaol
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, correct ...
) was constructed between 1848 and 1855 to the designs of John Weightman borough surveyor (not to be confused with his near contemporary
John Grey Weightman
John Grey Weightman (29 March 1809 – 9 December 1872) was a British architect based in Sheffield.
Career
He was born on 29 March 1809 in Bawtry, West Riding of Yorkshire, the son of Robert Weightman and Mary Gray.
He trained in the offices of ...
) to replace an 18th-century establishment in the
centre of Liverpool, which had become too small for current needs. It originally housed male and female inmates.
On 4 February 1939 the IRA attempted, but failed, to break a wall of the prison during the
S-Plan
The S-Plan or Sabotage Campaign or England Campaign was a campaign of bombing and sabotage against the civil, economic and military infrastructure of the United Kingdom from 1939 to 1940, conducted by members of the Irish Republican Army (IRA). ...
bombing campaign in Britain that year.
During the
Liverpool Blitz
The Liverpool Blitz was the heavy and sustained bombing of the English city of Liverpool and its surrounding area, during the Second World War by the German ''Luftwaffe''.
Liverpool was the most heavily bombed area of the country, outside Lo ...
of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, on 18 September 1940, German high explosive bombs falling on a wing of the prison partially demolished it, killing 22 inmates. The body of one was not found until 11 years later when rubble was finally cleared.
The prison was the site of 62
judicial executions, from 1887 to 1964. The last execution at the prison was that of
Peter Anthony Allen
The murder of John Alan West on 7 April 1964 was the crime which led to the last Capital punishment, death sentences being carried out in the United Kingdom. West, a 53-year-old van driver for a laundry company, was beaten and stabbed to death b ...
. He and his accomplice
Gwynne Owen Evans
The murder of John Alan West on 7 April 1964 was the crime which led to the last death sentences being carried out in the United Kingdom. West, a 53-year-old van driver for a laundry company, was beaten and stabbed to death by Gwynne Evans and P ...
were convicted for the murder of
John Alan West
John is a common English name and surname:
* John (given name)
* John (surname)
John may also refer to:
New Testament
Works
* Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John
* First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John
* Second ...
in April 1964. They were simultaneously
hanged
Hanging is the suspension of a person by a noose or ligature around the neck.Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed. Hanging as method of execution is unknown, as method of suicide from 1325. The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' states that hanging in ...
on 13 August 1964; Allen was hanged at Walton Gaol, and Evans at
Strangeways
HM Prison Manchester is a Category A and B men's prison in Manchester, England, operated by His Majesty's Prison Service. It is still commonly referred to as Strangeways, which was its former official name derived from the area in which it is ...
in
Manchester
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...
.
Their executions were the last to be carried out in the United Kingdom before the abolition of capital punishment the following year.
In May 2003 an inspection report from
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 insp ...
severely criticised Liverpool Prison for its overcrowding and poor industrial relations which had led to an unacceptable regime. The inspection found that parts of the jail were generally unclean, had cockroach infestations and broken windows. Inmates were able to shower and change their clothes just once a week at the prison.
A further inspection report in February 2010, stated that drugs, bullying and violence were still prevalent at Liverpool Prison, despite the jail improving in other areas. Days later, it emerged that the Prison Service had refunded nearly £10,000 to inmates at HMP Liverpool, who were being overcharged for watching television in their cells. The prison was charging £1 per prisoner per week instead of per cell, meaning that inmates who were sharing a cell were paying more than they needed to.
In January 2015, three prison officers were hospitalised after being attacked by prisoners.
The prison today
HM Prison Liverpool is a local prison for remand and sentenced adult males in the Merseyside area. The prison has eight wings, all of which have been refurbished to include integral sanitation. As of May 2009, its population was 1,184, one of the largest in the UK, but smaller than a peak population of 1,443 in 2008.
Liverpool Prison offers
education
Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty. Va ...
and training courses, provided by Novus as well as workshops and programmes organised by the prison's Psychology Department. The establishment houses a hugely successful in cell radio programme 'Walton Radio', offering prisoners radio production qualifications, music technology qualifications, along with emphases on rehabilitation through employability upskilling. A Listener Scheme, supported by the
Samaritans
Samaritans (; ; he, שומרונים, translit=Šōmrōnīm, lit=; ar, السامريون, translit=as-Sāmiriyyūn) are an ethnoreligious group who originate from the ancient Israelites. They are native to the Levant and adhere to Samarit ...
, operates for prisoners who are at risk from
suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and s ...
or self-harm. There is a resettlement unit at HMP Liverpool which comprises a Citizens' Advice Unit,
Connexions, Shelter and Job Centre Plus. All healthcare services at Liverpool Prison are commissioned through Liverpool
Primary Care Trust
Primary care trusts (PCTs) were part of the National Health Service in England from 2001 to 2013. PCTs were largely administrative bodies, responsible for commissioning primary, community and secondary health services from providers. Until 31 May ...
. A new all-purpose 28-bed inpatient and primary care service was opened in summer 2007. In October 2017 Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust announced that they were to end their contract to provide healthcare services by April 2018, with a new provider to be arranged in the near future.
In October 2017, the prison's governor, Peter Francis, was dismissed from his role for 'operational reasons' after a snap inspection by His Majesty's Inspectorate of Prisons. He had previously been labelled a 'questionable leader' and 'lacking in credibility' in reports by HMI Prisons. The prison was reported in 2017 to be rat and cockroach infested and basic maintenance such as repairing toilets and leaking sinks had in too many cases not been carried out. There are claims that prisoners have died or been seriously injured through poor care.
Peter Clarke wrote in a report, "I found a prisoner who had complex mental health needs being held in a cell that had no furniture other than a bed. The windows of both the cell and the toilet recess were broken, the light fitting in his toilet was broken with wires exposed, the lavatory was filthy and appeared to be blocked, his sink was leaking and the cell was dark and damp. Extraordinarily, this man had apparently been held in this condition for some weeks." Clarke also wrote, "We saw clear evidence that local prison managers had sought help from regional and national management to improve conditions they knew to be unacceptable long before our arrival, but had met with little response." Local MP
Dan Carden
Daniel Joseph Carden (born 28 October 1986) is a British Labour Party politician serving as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Liverpool Walton since 2017. Carden served as Shadow Secretary of State for International Development from 2018 to 20 ...
called the situation in the prison a "state failure of the highest magnitude".
On 24 January 2018, the
Justice Select Committee
The Justice Select Committee of the United Kingdom is a select committee of the House of Commons which scrutinizes the policy, administration, and spending of the Ministry of Justice. In addition, the committee examines the work of the Law Offi ...
of the House of Commons held a one off hearing on the conditions in Liverpool Prison with the Governor and senior representatives from HM Prison and Probation Service and NHS England. Following the hearing the Committee produced a report which cited concerns about the lack of follow-up after previous poor inspections. That report was followed by a debate in the House of Commons Chamber led by the Chair of the Committee
Sir Robert Neil and the Justice Minister,
Rory Stewart
Roderick James Nugent Stewart (born 3 January 1973) is a British academic, diplomat, author, broadcaster, former soldier and former politician. He is the president of GiveDirectly, a visiting fellow at Yale University's Jackson Institute for G ...
. The committee's work resulted in
HM Inspectorate 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 ...
being given additional funding to follow up on its own inspections.
In 2018, it was reported that prisoners with psychiatric needs are at risk according to a psychiatrist, they have to wait too long to be seen and do not get proper care due to lack of staff. Two workers at the prison expressed concerns when a new policy required them to work alone. They feared prisoners could steal their tool box and use the tools as weapons. They were dismissed for raising this concern. An employment tribunal ruled this dismissal was unfair.
In January 2020, a report following an inspection concluded that conditions at the prison had "improved dramatically" since 2017.
Notable former inmates
*
Akinwale Arobieke
Akinwale Oluwafolajimi Oluwatope Arobieke (born 15 July 1961) is a British convicted criminal. Known locally in North West England as Purple Aki, he is a tall bodybuilder who weighs .
According to the ''Daily Mirror'', Arobieke became known ...
*
Brendan Behan
Brendan Francis Aidan Behan (christened Francis Behan) ( ; ga, Breandán Ó Beacháin; 9 February 1923 – 20 March 1964) was an Irish poet, short story writer, novelist, playwright, and Irish Republican activist who wrote in both English an ...
*
Fenner Brockway, Baron Brockway
Archibald Fenner Brockway, Baron Brockway (1 November 1888 – 28 April 1988) was a British socialist politician, humanist campaigner and anti-war activist.
Early life and career
Brockway was born to W. G. Brockway and Frances Elizabeth Abbey in ...
*
Charles Bronson
Charles Bronson (born Charles Dennis Buchinsky; November 3, 1921 – August 30, 2003) was an American actor. Known for his "granite features and brawny physique," he gained international fame for his starring roles in action, Western, and war ...
*
Lady Constance Bulwer-Lytton
Lady Constance Georgina Bulwer-Lytton (12 February 1869 – 2 May 1923), usually known as Constance Lytton, was an influential British suffragette activist, writer, speaker and campaigner for prison reform, votes for women, and birth control. Sh ...
*
Selina Martin
Selina Martin (21 November 1882 – 1972) was a member of the Suffragette, suffragette movement in the early 20th century. She was arrested several times. Her Hunger Strike Medal given 'for Valour' by the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU ...
*
Martin Murray
*
Henry Tibbs
Henry Stanley Tibbs (1877 – 5 February 1943) was an Irish-British Anglican priest briefly interned in the Second World War under Defence Regulation 18B for his alleged pro-Nazi sympathies.
Henry Tibbs was the rector of the parish of Teigh, ...
*
Robert Tressell
Robert Noonan (17 April 1870 – 3 February 1911), born Robert Croker and best known by the pen name Robert Tressell, was an Irish writer best known for his novel ''The Ragged-Trousered Philanthropists''.
Tressell spent his entire early adult w ...
*
Mark Ward
*
Laetitia Withall
Laetitia Withall (30 August 1881 – 11 March 1963) was an Australian-born poet, author and militant suffragette who campaigned in the United Kingdom for the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) under the name Leslie Hall. On her impriso ...
References
External links
*
*
{{Authority control
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
Buildings and structures in Liverpool
1855 establishments in England
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...