International Committee of the Fourth International. The prison sits a few hundred metres away from the southern shore of the River Thames and is located just across the river. All Rights Reserved. Petitions were registered on receipt in a set of records now in HO 19. It was particularly intended for prisoners regarded as a threat to national security. Londons first new mens prison for a century was designed with specific provisions for holding terrorists, including a bomb-proof tunnel to nearby Woolwich Crown Court. He then burned her body in a refrigerator and disposed of her remains in a woodland in Ashford. Each person who arrives at Belmarsh gets an induction that lasts about a week. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. Ian Huntley - Child murderer Huntley killed Holly Marie Wells and Jessica Aimee Chapman, both aged 10, of Soham, Cambridgeshire, in August 2002 in a crime that shocked the nation. We have taken a look back at the prison's history and its notorious inmates. Ronnie Biggs - Ronald Arthur "Ronnie" Biggs was one of the Great Train Robbers and lived as a fugitive for 36 years, mainly in Brazil, after he escaped from Wandsworth prison in 1965. When Aiden James, who suffers PTSD following his experiences in Syria, began self-harming again, Daly was shown struggling to find him a bed in the health unit. Ian Huntley was transferred to Belmarsh in 2003, Charles Bronson took two Iraqis hostage at Belmarsh, Egyptian-born Abu Hamza complained of conditions at Belmarsh, Stay up to date with our daily newsletter. The booking line is open Monday to Friday, 9:30am to 3pm The Prison Advice and Care Trust (PACT) offers support, information and guidance about prison visits to friends and family. Inspectors found Belmarsh staff "had not paid sufficient attention to the growing levels of self-harm," "and there was not enough oversight or care taken of prisoners at risk of suicide," meaning "urgent action needed to be taken" in order to ensure prisoners were kept safe. Find out about call charges, You can also book by emailingBelmarsh.visits@justice.gov.uk. Prisoners are able to buy items from catalogues of approved suppliers. Charlie is shown signing up to a business start-up programme in the hope of breaking the cycle of reoffending. The gym staff have a partnership with Charlton Athletic F.C. For the full list of approved retailers, you can read the HMPPS Incentives Policy, Annex F. Belmarsh is committed to providing a safe and educational environment where prisoners can learn new skills to help them on release. There is also a support group for foreign national prisoners, providing advice on immigration law. During his time at Belmarsh, he took three other prisoners hostage. belmarsh prisoners list. 09:00 to 17:00. It also serves Crown and Magistrates' Courts in South West Essex. Add your voice to our movement for change. The Category A male prison is often used in high-profile cases, particularly those concerning national security. Despite the prestige, Belmarsh was criticised by the Ministry of Justice for not allowing prisoners enough time out of their cells. Around 900 prisoners are accommodated at Belmarsh, across 4 main units, made up of single, double and triple rooms. In November 2019, a group of doctors claimed that Assange was at risk of dying in prison due to his poor mental and physical health. It will only take one of the brothers to change their life for them all to do it, they say. They will meet professionals who will help them with: Everyone also finds out about the rules, fire safety, and how things like calls and visits work. Added link to new safer custody information under Security and safeguarding. The most recent report by the chief inspector of prisons Peter Clarke, published last year, concluded that staff were doing a reasonable job but that Belmarsh needed support from the Ministry of Justice. Robinson is presented as a pathetic figure, crying about his desperate plight in solitaryprompting Kemp to say, Its not solitary confinement, as in terms of the cooler. Huntley was sent to Belmarsh following the murder of two 10-year-old girls, Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman. The phones are inactive after 10pm, but available at many times during the day. Every person at Belmarsh has a right to feel safe. It will take only 2 minutes to fill in. Petitions in HO 17 are described in some detail in our catalogue and a cataloguing project is adding descriptions to HO 18. Notably, Kemps programme heavily promoted the prisons healthcare wing. Belmarsh prison opened in 1991 and was the first adult prison to be built in London since 1874. Some prisons can operate under more than one category. Belmarsh Prison houses many of London's most high-profile criminals (Image: Getty Images). House block three holds new arrivals and includes a dedicated first night centre. The programme also follows a gang school, which brings together members of rival gangs in an effort to get them to share their common problems. As many as 150 prison staff members have been forced into self-isolation as they might have contracted the coronavirus, Smith said. The founder of the British Defence League and far right extremist real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon was recently released from Belmarsh after serving half of his 19 week sentence for contempt of court. A Belmarsh prisoner list obtained by journalist Matt Kennard, a co-founder of Declassified UK, showed Assange being one of just two inmates of the 800 at London's Belmarsh maximum security prison who are being held for violating bail conditions (20 percent of prisoners are murderers, with nearly two-thirds violent offenders). He looks fearful and small in his oversized prison issue and undersized flipflops, telling Kemp he knew that Belmarsh was one of the most dangerous places.. The 70-year old also found himself busy in prison by getting caught up in a love triangle. Belmarsh is only 18% overcrowded compared to Pentonville's 30%, Leeds's 56%, and Shrewsbury's 86%. Browse or search our catalogue in HO 17 (1819-1839) and HO 18 (1839-1853) for petitions for clemency. Mr Davis told the Evening Standard: Rehabilitation is key. This could be quite late in the evening, depending on the time they arrive. If you only know the prisoners name you will be largely restricted to the documents published online. The WikiLeaks founder has been kept at Belmarsh since May 2019 after he was sentenced to 50 weeks in prison for skipping bail. On the 27th Oct as part of Black History Month, Isaiah and his team from Love Life UK, Outreach visited and delivered an amazing performance of music, dance & inspirational talk, finishing with an open mike. The appellants in the 'Belmarsh case' were certified by the Home Secretary under section 21 of the 2001 Act. It is frequently used for the detention of prisoners for terrorist related offences. New visiting times and booking information added. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, Belmarsh prison can hold up to 910 criminals, Hamza gained notoriety for his hate filled preaching at Finsbury Park Mosque, Charles Bronson has become known as the most violent prisoner in Britain, Julian Assange in a prison van on his way to a court appearance in London, Ian Huntley was jailed for life for the Soham murders, Ronnie Biggs earned a reputation as the most famous of the gang after he escaped prison and went on the run for more than 35 years, Tommy Robinson, who co-founded the EDL in 2009, has had numerous run-ins with the law. Within the prison grounds is the High Security Unit (HSU); this has 48 single cells and is regarded as the most secure prison unit in the United Kingdom. Even so, it managed to say more than it intended about appalling conditions inside the prison. In the past 12 months, three prisoners have died inside Belmarsh. Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). The staff are responsible for their safeguarding and welfare at all times. Robinson made clear this was another anti-Muslim provocation, saying he might call on them to broadcast videos of the prophet Muhammad. Underscoring the appalling conditions, one Pope brother describes Spice, which renders users catatonic, as the worst drug, but the best in prison. HMP Belmarsh is a prison built on part of the East site of the former Royal Arsenal in Woolwich, London, adjacent to Woolwich Crown Court. Julian should not have been returned to Belmarsh for any reason. Category A prisons should not be overcrowded, given the high levels of security required. You can send emails to someone in Belmarsh using the Email a Prisoner service. Belmarsh Prison Profile and History. Visitors should arrive to the visitors centre to book in for a visit. Telephone: 0208 331 4890 When it opened in 1991, Belmarsh became the first adult male prison built in London since Wormwood Scrubs in 1874. Paul Edwards, 57, said he feared for his life when he was allegedly hit with a chair and . Opened in southeast London in 1991, the prison has been described as one of the most important in the country. I pay respect to Niki especially for challenging the prison authorities' number of Covid infected prisoners in Belmarsh at the time the bail was rejected (6 Jan 2021). For more information, support and advice on all aspects of the justice system, you can contact the Prisoners' Families Helpline on 0808 808 2003 (9am - 8pm Monday to Friday, and 10am - 3pm at the weekend). users, Photo shows house full of cannabis as arrests made, Plants and cultivation equipment were found at the property in the town centre, The fascinating history of one of Kents most iconic coastal landmarks and what makes it so unique, It is certainly an unmissable feature of Herne Bay, Headteacher addresses racism allegations at school following viral fight videos, There is no place for racism, sexism or homophobia in this school", British tourist from Kent killed in robbery in Colombia, According to reports in newspapers in Colombia, he went walking on the Cerro de las Tres Cruces, Work on Folkestone Debenhams to start with removing asbestos, Plans would see the current Folca site split into two parts for a brand new mixed-use development, Hour-by-hour forecast of when snow is set to hit Kent towns, An arctic airmass is heading to the UK, bringing snow showers which are expected to reach the county, Legendary The Pretenders to perform at Black Deer Festival in Tunbridge Wells, Held in Eridge Park just outside Tunbridge Wells, the Black Deer Festival is a celebration of Americana with music, food, drink and entertainment, Every Kent cafe, restaurant, pub and takeaway with a hygiene rating of 1 out of 5, Here is every Kent eatery with a rating of 1 or 0 stars listed on the FSA website, Academy rated outstanding in all areas by inspectors, It was the primary school's first ever inspection by the education watchdog, Dramatic footage shows police dog and drone track down suspect hiding in tree, The footage shows the moment a suspect was tracked down after trying to flee the scene of a crash, I went back to Kents lowest rated Spoons and still dont get the hate, The pub has been given over 80 one-star reviews. Subscribe now for regular news, updates and priority booking for events.Sign up, All content is available under the Open Government Licence However, in 2018, he was transferred to Belmarsh after the parole board announced plans to release him. The criminal, dubbed Britains most violent prisoner, has spent numerous periods of time in Belmarsh since being sentenced for armed robbery in 1976 bar a brief period of freedom. [2] The law lords later ruled in A v Secretary of State for the Home Dept that such imprisonment was discriminatory and against the Human Rights Act. Bear in mind that prisoners were not always imprisoned near their home or where the offence was committed and that they were often moved between prisons during the course of their sentence. There is a detoxification and drug support service that can continue to offer support after release through community links. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. [12], Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}512947N 00534E / 51.4964N 0.0929E / 51.4964; 0.0929. The prison specially caters to those prisoners that are of interest to National Security including those who have been sentenced for Terrorist Related Crimes. We use some essential cookies to make this website work. They tend to hold un-sentenced prisoners, prisoners on remand awaiting trial, short-sentenced prisoners or those newly sentenced and awaiting transfer to another prison category. This information will help us make improvements to the website. Sign up to our daily newsletter for all the latest Kent stories and breaking news delivered straight to your inbox. This list is checked by security when they first arrive so it may take a few days before they are able to call. HM Prison and Probation Service publishes action plans for Belmarsh in response to independent inspections. Governor Rob Davis is drawing up a weekly list of Belmarsh prison's top 10 most violent inmates, You must be at least 18 years old to create an account, Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number, I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from Evening Standard.