HM Prison High Down

HM Prison High Down is a Category B men's local prison. High Down is located on the outskirts of Banstead in Surrey, England (overlooking Banstead Downs), and is immediately adjacent to the southern boundary of Belmont in Greater London. The prison is operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service, and is near Downview Prison for women.

HMP High Down
LocationHigh Down Lane, Banstead SM2 5PJ, Surrey
Security classAdult Male/Category B
Capacity1208
Opened1992 (1992)
Managed byHM Prison Services
GovernorKatie Jefferson (Acting)
WebsiteHigh Down at justice.gov.uk

History

High Down Prison was built in 1992 on the site previously occupied by Banstead Hospital. In November 2010 the prison football team played a friendly match against League Two side Wycombe Wanderers, losing 8–0.[1]

The prison today

High Down Prison accepts prisoners (both convicted and on remand) from Croydon and Guildford Crown Courts and surrounding Magistrates' Courts.[2] There is a visitors centre at the prison with facilities including Baby changing facilities and a Crèche.[3] Conditions for prisoners reportedly deteriorated following staff cuts.[4]

Accommodation and facilities

Support includes: Sentence planning, drug counseling, First Night in Prison scheme and Bail Information Scheme. The prison has a Detox unit. Prisoners can wear own clothes rather than uniforms. Showers are provided on each landing. A pinphone system is in use.

Healthcare

The prison has an in-patient capacity of 23 beds in single cells, with a Day Centre facility within in-patient area for both in-patients and outpatients and has an Integrated Substance Misuse service. Dental services are provided three times a week, optician services fortnightly, chiropody services weekly, asthma services weekly and sexual health services weekly. GP and out of hours services are available. There is one full-time consultant forensic psychiatrist and an additional psychiatrist who works two days per week.

Notable inmates
  • Gary Glitter – jailed for 16 years at Southwark Crown Court in 2015 following conviction for multiple historic child sexual offences, was moved to HMP High Down one month into his sentence.[4]
  • Chris Lewis – former England cricketer was jailed in 2009 for drug smuggling and spent 6 years at the prison.

References
  1. "PLAYERS VISIT HIGHDOWN PRISON". wycombewanderers.co.uk. 19 November 2010. Retrieved 19 November 2010.
  2. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 17 November 2009. Retrieved 18 October 2009.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. "Welcome to GOV.UK". www.hmprisonservice.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 23 October 2008. Retrieved 26 November 2008.
  4. "Gary Glitter 'protected by tobacco guards' inside High Down prison". Sutton and Croydon Guardian. 27 April 2015.

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