Why was Wellingborough prison closed?

On 17 July 2012, UK Justice Secretary Kenneth Clarke announced that HMP Wellingborough would be closed by the end of the year, claiming it would save the tax payer £10m a year. The prison formally closed on 21 December 2012.

Is Wellingborough Prison reopening?

G4s has been awarded with a £300m contract for the new Wellingborough mega- prison. Originally closed in 2012, the new Prison is set to be reopened as early as 2022 with its new name “Five Wells”, chosen by the community after the five surrounding wells around Wellingborough.

Is Wellingborough prison high security?

With a maximum capacity of 1,680, it is the largest prison in the East Midlands, and one of the largest in the UK. The prison is operated by G4S….HMP Five Wells.

Five Wells under construction in 2020
Wikimedia | © OpenStreetMap
Location	Wellingborough, Northamptonshire
Status	Operational
Security class	Adult Male/Category C

Who will run Wellingborough prison?

G4S
G4S has been awarded the contract to manage Wellingborough’s new jail, Prisons Minister Lucy Frazer announced today (6 October 2020). The new prison will be called Five Wells, a name chosen by the local community after the five historic wells surrounding Wellingborough.

What category will Wellingborough prison be?

At full capacity the prison will house 1,680 male category C offenders, most in single occupancy rooms, and employ up to 700 people – and the person in charge is director (governor) John McLaughlin. He said: “It’s about rehabilitation and resettlement. There’s loads and loads of good work going on.

What type of prison is Wellingborough?

New Wellingborough prison with gym and table tennis table ‘no soft-touch’, Justice Secretary insists. Britain’s first “smart” prison has opened in Wellingborough, in a move the government hopes will help drive down crime. HMP Five Wells will hold around 1,700 inmates when its at full capacity in December.

How many prisoners are in Wellingborough prison?

February saw the first hand-picked inmates – known as ‘residents’ – moved from other jails to set the ethos for the rest of the prisoners – there are currently 137 inmates and 343 staff.

Is Wellingborough Prison private?

HMP Five Wells, Britain’s biggest ever prison, is set to open soon in Northamptonshire. The privately-owned jail has been built with revolutionary X-shaped wings, instead of the typical K shape, in a bid to shorten the length of walkways.

Why is Wellingborough prison called five wells?

Both its governor John McLaughlin and justice secretary Dominic Raab denied it is a soft-touch jail. Named HMP Five Wells in recognition of a group of historic wells which surround the site, the facility is the long term successor of Wellingborough Prison which closed in 2012.

What is being built at Wellingborough?

Wellingborough’s new £253m jail – HMP Five Wells – has opened to prisoners, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has confirmed. The first of the 1,680 inmates have started arrived at the G4S-run ‘super prison’, built on the site of the former Wellingborough prison and one-time borstal.