Managed by HM Prison Services Phone +44 1386 295100 | Governor Tom Wheatley Opened 1971 | |
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Location South Littleton, Worcestershire Population 615 (as of October 2012) Website Long Lartin at justice.gov.uk Address South Littleton, Evesham WR11 8TZ, UK Security class Prisoner security categories in the United Kingdom Similar HMP Hewell, Honeybo, Evesham, Long Marston Airfield, HMP Onley | ||
HM Prison Long Lartin is a Category A men's prison, located in the village of South Littleton (near Evesham) in the District of Wychavon in Worcestershire, England. It is operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service.
Contents
History
Long Lartin Prison was opened as a Category C training prison in 1971, with additional security features and systems being added in 1972 to enable it to operate as a dispersal prison.
In April 1990, inmates at Long Lartin Prison attempted a mass breakout, and about 30 prisoners barricaded themselves on a landing after guards foiled their escape bid. As a consequence of this and other security breaches, as well as the Woodcock/Learmont reports, the establishment was further upgraded between 1995-97 to a maximum security prison.
In August 1998, the then Governor of Long Lartin, Jim Mullen claimed that mentally ill inmates at the prison faced unacceptable delays before being transferred to appropriate hospital accommodation. Mullen stated that up to 20 of his 379 inmates should have been in secure hospital accommodation, after a report by the Chief Inspector of Prisons called for action to speed up the movement of prisoners in need of specialist care.
A supermax segregation unit (the biggest in Europe) & a new residential wing called Perrie Wing was opened at Long Lartin in June 1999, designed to hold the most violent and dangerous types of offenders. The new wing substantially increased the capacity of Long Lartin Prison.
A November 2003 inspection report from Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons stated that Long Lartin Prison was generally safe for inmates and offered good staff-prisoner relations and reoffending work. However the report also cited serious deficiencies at the prison in areas such as race relations, the overloaded and understaffed drug treatment team, and too many prisoners being locked up instead of in work.
The prison today
Long Lartin Prison is a maximum security prison for sentenced adult males, about a third of whom are Category A, with all inmates serving a minimum sentence of four years. In addition the prison holds Category A remand prisoners awaiting trial.
There are eight main residential units at the prison for sentenced inmates. Two other residential units were demolished and the construction of a replacement purpose built two wing 180 house block has been now been completed and prisoners have moved in.
Martin Evans of The Daily Telegraph described Long Lartin as "top security jails". Prisoner Sidonio Teixeira, who murdered his three-year old daughter and received a life sentence in 2008, was beaten to death in 2016.
Notable inmates
Evans stated that the prisoners included "some of Britain's most notorious".
Current notable inmates include Ian Watkins of former Welsh rock band Lostprophets, who on 26 November 2013 pleaded guilty to 13 sexual offence charges, including attempted rape of a baby. On 18 December 2013, he was sentenced to 29 years' imprisonment and six years on extended licence.
Another notable inmate is Ben Geen, a former nurse who since 2006 is serving 30 years (17 concurrent life sentences) for 15 charges of grievous bodily harm and 2 of murder. He still claims to be innocent of all these crimes.