| HMP Usk | |
|---|---|
| Opened | 1844 |
| Management | HM Prison Service |
| Prison type | Adult Male/Category C |
| Prisoner figures | 250 (August 2008) |
| Location | Usk, Monmouthshire |
| Governor | Steve Cross |
| Information | www.justice.gov.uk |
HM Prison Usk is a Category C men's prison, located in Usk, Monmouthshire, Wales. The prison is operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service, and jointly managed with the nearby HMP Prescoed.
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Usk is a Victorian prison, opened in 1844 as a House of Correction, and after the addition of other buildings in 1870 the establishment became the Monmouthshire County Gaol. It remained in that role until 1922 when it closed, reopening in 1939 as a Borstal and continued in that role until 1964 when it became a Detention Centre. In 1983 Usk became a Youth Custody Centre and from 1988 to 1990 a Young Offenders Institution. In May 1990, Usk became an Adult Category C establishment for Vulnerable Prisoners (mainly sex offenders). The prison continues in that role today.
In May 2003, a special workshop was set up in Usk Prison, in conjunction with a local charity. Prisoners in the workshop worked at removing fake logos from clothing, CDs and videos which have been seized by trading standards officers. The rebranded goods were then sold in local charity shops in the region. The project was the first of its kind to be set up in Wales.[1]
In July 2003, Usk Prison (along with its satellite prison Prescoed) was stated to be one of the top five performing prisons in England and Wales. The statistics were published by the Prison Service, and this was the first time that prisons had been ranked in a league table.[2]
In August 2008, an inspection report from Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons stated that standards at both Usk and Prescoed prisons remained good, despite dips in performance. The report said that the two prisons were safe and clean, and that relationships between staff and prisoners were "relaxed". Race equality work was also found to be good, as was the education and training provision for inmates at both sites. However the report found that staff were not sufficiently trained, and that there was a shortage of trained psychologists at the prison.[3]
Usk is a Category C closed prison for adult male vulnerable prisoners (mainly sex offenders). Accommodation at the prison consists of three main wings, which radiate off a central rotunda. The majority of the cells are double-occupancy, all with integral sanitation. Showers are available on all residential units. Additional accommodation is located on Comber Unit (a 20 bed ground floor wing opened in May 2003). Allocation to Comber Unit is by application. All prisoners have access to in cell TV and limited disabled facilities. There is wheelchair access to most ground floor areas.
The prison offers a range of education courses covering basic skills to higher education. A purpose-built Vocational Training Centre offers City and Guilds courses and qualifications in woodcraft, plasterwork and bricklaying.
Unlike most other UK prisons, there is no staffed Visitor's Centre or children's play area at Usk Prison. In the visits room there are vending machines providing hot & cold drinks, as well as snacks. Baby changing facilities are also available.
The court room, at the historic Sessions House next door, has recently undergone a restoration project costing £200,000 and has re-opened as the base of Usk Town Council..[4]
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