Wormwood Scrubs (HM Prison)

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Coordinates: 51°31′0″N 0°14′25″W / 51.51667, -0.24028

Entrance to Wormwood Scrubs prison

Wormwood Scrubs (informally "The scrubs") is a Category B British local prison that receives prisoners on remand or after sentencing. It is on the south of Wormwood Scrubs in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. It was built in the 1880s, using prison labour. Until 1902, it housed male and female prisoners. It currently has accommodation for 1256 prisoners in five wings.

There have been numerous disturbances and protests. In 1979 there was a rooftop protest over visiting rights staged by IRA prisoners. 60 inmates and several prison officers were injured. In 1982, an inquiry blamed much of the difficulties on failings in prison management. The governor, John McCarthy, had quit before the rioting. He had described Wormwood Scrubs as a "penal dustbin" in a letter to The Times.

In the 1990s, a police investigation into allegations of staff brutality resulted in the suspension of 27 prison officers and the conviction of six for assault (three later won appeals against conviction). The Prison Service paid over £3 million in out-of-court settlements with ex-prisoners who had alleged brutality. David Ramsbotham, Chief Inspector of Prisons, delivered a damning report on the conditions and regime in which he gave the prison 12 months to improve or close. Since then, the Prison Service has poured resources and relocated talented governors to tackle problems. Subsequent inspections have generally been favourable, and the prison is now held to be one of the better local prisons in the UK.

The nearest tube station is East Acton.

CBBC's The Slammer features Wormwood Scrubs Prison in the titles.

[edit] In popular culture

In films set in Britain, when someone is shown being released from prison, the front entrance of Wormwood Scrubs is frequently chosen as a filming location, e.g.

The Sweeney (TV) - One Of Your Own

It is also mentioned in The Jam's hit song, "Down in the Tube Station at Midnight" and Billy Bragg's 'Rotting on Remand' from the Workers Playtime album.

Comedian Spike Milligan recorded "The Wormwood Scrubs Tango" about an elderly car thief in the prison.

Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards spent 30 hours at Wormwood Scrubs following a drug conviction in 1967. He was released on appeal and his conviction overturned.

Pete Doherty served time in the prison