The iconic towers of Wormwood Scrubs have been famous throughout the decades for their starring role in feature films. From The Italian Job to the Richard Burton espionage classic, The Spy Who Came In From the Cold. Britain’s Notorious Prisons s1e2: Wormwood Scrubs *****
The prison is also renowned for its real-life spy drama when British Soviet double agent George Blake was sensationally sprung from the Scrubs. In what became one of the most improbable escapes in prison history. ibid.
Every criminal in London has gone into the Scrubs. All of the notorious gangsters in the Scrubs. The Krays were in the Scrubs. It’s a notorious jail. ibid. witness
Scrubs was just ag ag. ibid. Marvin Herbert
Wormwood Scrubs is a category B prison housing close to 1,300 inmates on five wings capacity. It has served the London courts to the present. But its Victorian conditions have prevailed for decades. ibid.
A sea of shit parcels. A dirty dirty place. ibid. witness
The rats would look at me and I’d look at them. ibid. lady worker
1990s: Prisoners have complained of bullying and systematic beatings and general ill treatment. As a result 25 prison officers have been suspended and are now facing prosecution. ibid.
One of Britain’s most notorious spies into its gates: George Blake … Blake was sent down for 42 years. The longest non-Life sentence on record. ibid.
After the Blake escape in ’66, a formal inquiry was launched headed by Lord Mountbatten. He concluded that the level of security was too low at the prison. MPs also complained that the escape was easily accomplished. The Inquiry led to a tightening of security at the Scrubs and UK prisons as a whole and pressure mounted to prevent further escapes and serious incidents. This coincided with some officers adopting a zero tolerance for potential troublemakers. ‘They had a brutal reputation.’ Some officers really did take the law into their own hands.’ ibid.
SHUT DOWN THE SCRUBS. ibid. The Express front page Wednesday June 16 1999
The Scrubs had became known as a squalid and violent prison. But this would be exacerbated by an epidemic of drug abuse and criminality. ibid.
For Anthony jail really was an occupational hazard. ibid.
‘The prison system runs on drugs.’ ibid. Anthony
Use of the synthetic drug Spice was approaching epidemic levels in UK prisons in the 2010s. ibid.
One of the most serious challenges facing UK jails is how to deal with prisoners suffering from mental health issues. ibid.
A prison spokesperson said, Recent independent inspections have found significant improvements at Wormwood Scrubs. ibid. caption
1,241 prison sentences had been served by the Suffragettes. Suffragettes with Lucy Worsley, BBC 2018
I’m Ann Widdecombe. And I’m in Norway. I’ve come to one the most unusual prisons in the world. With a very relaxed approach to relationships … Halden prison: It’s better than the outside world. The World’s Most Luxurious Prison, Channel 5 2023
It all sounds very dubious to me. But does hardened prison actually work? And what is prison for if not punishment? ibid.
More maximum comfort than maximum security. And their reoffending rates are the lowest in the world. ibid.
There are sixty drug dealers here. ibid.
Charlie Bronson is Britain’s most notorious long-serving prisoner. From his maximum security prison cell he has been granted video calls with his son. Bonson: Fit to be Free? Channel 4 2023
48 years in custody. 17 convictions. 11 hostage takings. 9 rooftop protests. 7 failed parole attempts. ibid.
I’m 68 years old. And all I wanna do is get out there and enjoy my fucking life what’s left of it. ibid.
‘Who’s going to want to release Charles Bronson?’ ibid.
Solicitor Dean Kingham has spent 5 years working on Bronson’s case for public parole. Bronson: Fit to be Free II
Bronson has now served 18 years more than the recommended sentence given for holding prison teacher Phil Danielson hostage. ibid.
I’m not the same person I was twenty-five years ago. I’m a lot older. A lot more mature. Parole I: Colin and David, BBC 2023
Last year in England and Wales, 16,000 potentially dangerous criminals were considered for parole. 4,000 were released. Charged with deciding who gets out are the 346 members of the parole board. ibid.
David [4 years Fraud] will take place in front of two parole board members. ibid.
Today is Colin’s sixth parole hearing. In 2017 the parole board released him. But within six months he was recalled to prison. ibid.
‘I ain’t no fret to the community. My life is in their hands.’ Parole II: Matthew & Simran
Matthew has applied to be transferred to a D-Cat or Open Prison. ibid.
Simran Khan, 44 months, Arson & Drug Dealing. ibid.
For the Arson offence, Simran was given a one-year suspended sentence. But three months later he was arrested again. For selling cocaine and heroin. ibid.
In 2021, Simran was automatically released to serve the second half of his sentence in an approved premises in the community. But 5 months later he broke the hostel rules when alcohol and prescription drugs were found in his room. And he ran away.
Matthew’s next parole hearing date has not been set. ibid.
Jon Walker, Life (minimum tariff 5 years, 7 months), Triple armed robbery. Parole III: Jon & Bethany
John first became eligible for parole in 2011. Since then he has had six hearings. ibid.
Bethany de Cogan, 27 months, Breach of Criminal Behaviour Order. ibid.
In 2002, after serving half her sentence, Bethany was automatically released to a hostel. Three weeks later she was found intoxicated and taken to hospital. ibid.
‘I got it. I got my parole. I’m well happy.’ ibid. Jon
4 months after he release, Bethany has moved in with her mum. And hasn’t drunk any alcohol. ibid.
After 4 months in the community Jon lost his place at the hostel after being accused of dealing drugs. And was recalled to prison. ibid.
Ruben Petersen, 8 years, Grievous Bodily Harm. Parole IV: Ruben, Tom & Mark
Two years ago, the prison service moved Ruben to an open prison. He is six years into an eight-year sentence for grievous bodily harm. ibid.
Five years prior to the GBH offence, Ruben was convicted of manslaughter having killed a man in a fight. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three and a half years. ibid.
Tom Lavender, 5 years, Drug Dealing. ibid.
Mark Elwood, 5.5 years, Threats to Kill. ibid.
Two and a half months after his hearing, Mark was automatically released at the end of his custodial sentence. He failed to turn up at his hostel so Probation recalled him to prison within 24 hours. ibid.
Three weeks after he was released, Tom relapsed. He is being supervised by Probation and has not been recalled to prison. ibid.
One in three parole hearings are adjourned. Ten months after his original date, Ruben’s hearing went ahead. Following the psychological risk assessment, the panel requested further information to make their decision. Ruben is now awaiting the result. ibid.
Welcome to Britain’s Alcatraz. It was designed to be impregnable. Here you’ll be locked up with some of the most fearsome criminals in the prison system. Inside HMP Whitemore, Channel 5 2023
One of the prison system’s strict regimes. ibid.
Welcome to Britain’s escape-proof fortress, HMP Whitemore. ibid.
In the middle of the remote fens of Cambridgeshire this is HMP Whitemore, one of Britain’s newest high-grace Category A prisons. ibid.
Ben: ‘I thought it would be a good idea to rob a bank … I nicked the money, about £500.’ Parole V: Ben & Jai, evidence to Parole hearing
Ben: ‘All I can do is change that person and do better.’ ibid.
3 months after his cancer diagnosis, Ben was automatically released to serve the second half of his sentence in the community. ibid. caption
Jai: ‘I do not want this life. Done with it.’ ibid.
Ben: Release … Jai: Release. ibid.
Since being released, Ben has been recalled to prison twice for theft offences. In the community, he started using drugs again and did not attend appointments to receive the test results for his cancer. ibid.
After ten months in the community, Jai was charged with damage to police property and recalled to prison. He received a four-week sentence. ibid.