Bronzefield (HM Prison)

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HMP Bronzefield

HM Prison Bronzefield at Ashford, Surrey, England is a purpose built privately run women's prison. Opened in June 2004 to accommodate 465 women, it includes a mother and baby unit and a special section for women with behavioural problems (the HDU or Help & Direction Unit) It also has a full time healthcare centre which can accommodate 18 women.

The Prison has been asked to build a new 77 bed unit. Due to be ready in the summer of 2009, this will take the operational capacity up to 532. It has yet to be decided what function the new unit will perform.

HM Prison Bronzefield is the largest female prison in Europe and is currently only one of two prisons to house category-A prisoners in the female estate (female and juvenile category-A prisoners are called "restricted status" prisoners), the other being Low Newton (HM Prison) Durham, which following security upgrades now holds ‘restricted status’ (high risk) women, along with DPSD women prisoners. ^[1] ^[2]

Bronzefield is a privately run prison operated by Kalyx (Sodexho) and is staffed by approx 160 prison officers which has a ratio of 60% female and 40% male officers to reflect the need for a women's prison. The jail has also been the subject of many news articles in the tabloid press, most notably about well-known prisoners, its suposedly lax regime and continued poor industrial relations. There have also been at least two high profile cases of prisoner/officer relationships.^{[citation needed]}