HM Prison Thameside
Prison in London, England
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
HM Prison Thameside is a Category B men's private prison in the Thamesmead area of the Royal Borough of Greenwich, south-east London, England. Thameside Prison is operated by Serco and is situated next to Belmarsh and Isis prisons.
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Aerial view of HM Prison Thameside. To the left, a section of HM Prison Belmarsh. | |
 Interactive map of HMP Thameside | |
| Location | Thamesmead, London, England |
|---|---|
| Security class | Adult Male/Category B |
| Population | 1,232 (as of February 2017) |
| Opened | March 2012 |
| Managed by | Serco[1] |
| Director | Dave Bamford[2] |
History
The prison was designed and constructed by Serco and opened on 30 March 2012, becoming fully operational in the autumn of 2012, with a capacity of 900. It holds prisoners from courts previously served by Brixton Prison and other prisons in London.[3][4]
In January 2013, the Ministry of Justice announced that an additional houseblock would be constructed at Thameside Prison, increasing its capacity.[5]
In May 2013, a report by the Chief Inspector of Prisons 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.[6]
The prison today
The regimen 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.
The prison has a baseline Certificate of Normal Accommodation of 932, and an in-use operational capacity of 1232 convicted and remand male prisoners.[7]