HM Prison Thameside is a Category B men's

private prison A private prison, or for-profit prison, is a place where people are imprisoned by a third party that is contracted by a government agency. Private prison companies typically enter into contractual agreements with governments that commit ...

in the

Thamesmead Thamesmead is an area of south-east London, England, straddling the border between the Royal Borough of Greenwich and the London Borough of Bexley. It is located east of Charing Cross, north-east of Woolwich and west of Erith. It mainly con ...

area of the

Royal Borough of Greenwich The Royal Borough of Greenwich (, , or ) is a London borough in southeast Greater London. The London Borough of Greenwich was formed in 1965 by the London Government Act 1963. The new borough covered the former area of the Metropolitan Borough ...

, south-east

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

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 ...

. Thameside Prison is operated by Serco and is situated next to

Belmarsh His Majesty's Prison Belmarsh is a Category-A men's prison in Thamesmead, south-east London, England. The prison is used in high-profile cases, particularly those concerning national security. Within the prison grounds there is a unique unit c ...

and Isis prisons.

History

The prison was designed and constructed by Serco and opened on 30 March 2012, becoming fully operational in Autumn 2012, with a capacity of 900. It holds prisoners from courts previously served by

Brixton Prison HM Prison Brixton is a local men's prison, located in Brixton area of the London Borough of Lambeth, in inner-South London. The prison is operated by His Majesty's Prison Service. History The prison was originally built in 1820 and opened a ...

and other prisons in London. In January 2013, the

Ministry of Justice A Ministry of Justice is a common type of government department that serves as a justice ministry. Lists of current ministries of justice Named "Ministry" * Ministry of Justice (Abkhazia) * Ministry of Justice (Afghanistan) * Ministry of Just ...

announced that an additional houseblock would be constructed at Thameside Prison, increasing its capacity. In May 2013, a report by the

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 ...

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.

The prison today

The regime 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 that can currently hold 1232 convicted and remand male prisoners. The prison has a baseline Certificate of Normal Accommodation of 932, and an in-use Operational Capacity of 1232.

References

External links

Serco pages on ThamesideInside Time information on HMP Thameside
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thameside Prisons in London Buildings and structures in the Royal Borough of Greenwich Category B prisons in England 2012 establishments in England 2012 in London Private prisons in the United Kingdom Serco