| HMP Buckley Hall | |
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Buckley Hall Prison entrance |
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| Management | HM Prison Service |
| Prison type | Adult Male/Category C |
| Prisoner figures | 445 (March 2011) |
| Location | Rochdale, Greater Manchester |
| Governor | Susan Kennedy |
| Information | www.justice.gov.uk |
HM Prison Buckley Hall is a Category C men's prison, located in the Buckley district of Rochdale in Greater Manchester, England. The prison is operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service.
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Buckley Hall takes its name from a historic house which previously occupied the site, by the name of Buckley Hall. After World War II the old mansion was demolished and Buckley Hall Young Offenders Institution was built in its place, The site acted as a prison for young males until 1989. After that date the hall was used by the Prison Service as a venue to Control & Restraint training (C & R).
In 1994 the majority of the old prison was demolished, and a new Category C prison for adult males was constructed in its place.[1] The new Buckley Hall prison was initially operated by Group 4 Prison Services, and was the fourth private prison to be run in the UK. However, after a tendering process in June 2000 the establishment reverted to Prison Service control. Buckley Hall therefore has the distinction of being the only currently operating prison in the UK to be taken back into the public sector.[2] However, management of the prison was due to be re-tendered in 2010. However, the change of Government delayed the process and the preferred bidder for the contract is due to be announched at the end of March 2011.
In November 2001 the Prison Service announced that Buckley Hall would be converted to take female inmates after increased demand for women's places in prison.[3] The first female prisoners arrived in April 2002, but the prison was back in the news a year later after the Prison Reform Trust criticised Buckley Hall for being dangerously overcrowded.[4] In 2004 the prison was criticised again for not being adequately prepared after it was converted from a men's prison.[5]
Buckley Hall did not remain as a women's prison for long. In 2005 (as a result of population pressures in prisons for men) it was announced that Buckley Hall would be converted back to a Category C male prison.[6] Male prisoners began arriving at Buckley Hall on December 5, 2005.
Since its conversion back to a Male Category C establishment, the Prison has consistently performed well against the Prison Service's Key Performance Targets (KPT's). It is viewed as a progressive, modern thinking establishment which offers prisoners a variety of opportunities to better themselves prior to their release.
The announcement concerning the future managership of the establishment was made on 31 March 2011 and coincided with announcements for three other prison contracts. HM Prison Buckley Hall was the only one to remain within the Prison Service management, which is testament to the quality of work undertaken by all the staff employed there.
Buckley Hall Prison houses sentenced male Category C prisoners, primarily from the Manchester area. Transferred inmates from other prisons must be within nine months of their Parole Eligibility Date.
Accommodation at the prison is split into three units, with an additional Care and Separation Unit for vulnerable prisoners. Due to the residential units at Buckley Hall being on a 1:15 incline, the prison is unable to accept prisoners with mobility or heart problems. All cells have full integral sanitation and in-cell TV.
Education and training at the prison is contracted out to The Manchester College. Courses and workshops include Adult Basic Education, Open Learning, Information Technology, Art and Design, Key Skills, Life & Social Skills. Barbering, Industrial Cleaning, Painting and Decorating and Construction. The prison also has a library.
Other facilities at Buckley Hall include tables for pool, table football and table tennis, as well as board games and a video library. There is also a gym and sports pitches, as well as a full-time prison chaplaincy. There is also a health centre for prisoners on site.
The capacity of the establishment will increase in March 2011, with the introduction of a new accommodation unit built within the grounds. The newly built unit will house an additional 60 men which will increase capacity to 445.
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