Russell Brand is reportedly set to transfer to HMP Wakefield, the Category A prison in West Yorkshire known as 'Monster Mansion', where Lost Prophets paedophile Ian Watkins was murdered last year. The sex predator is serving a 10-year sentence for raping one woman and sexually abusing three others.
Former governor describes life inside Wakefield
Tom Wheatley, who served as governor of Wakefield from 2018 until 2024, spoke about the challenges of running the facility. He said it holds a range of people with different outlooks, all living in one place where the environment is "inherently stressful". He added: "In some ways, it is a real testament to the forbearance of people in prison and the skill of staff and others who are around people in prison that this doesn't happen more regularly."
Wheatley, now President of the Prison Governors Association, made the comments on The Secret Life of Prisons podcast. He recalled a conversation with an inmate serving a natural life sentence in a close supervision centre, who told him: "You do realise, Tom, if I killed you now, nothing would happen to me?" Wheatley said he laughed because there was little else to do, and replied that the prisoner would not do it. The inmate responded: "No I am not going to do that because I quite like you."
Half of inmates have given up on life after prison
Wheatley said Wakefield is home to many criminals who have appeared on the front pages of newspapers, and that half of the 750 inmates there have "given up on a prospect of a life after prison". He explained that because of the horror of their crimes, their loved ones abandon them and they eventually have all their ties to society cut, making them dangerous and unpredictable.
He contrasted this with other UK prisons, where inmates serving shorter sentences may prepare for release, knowing their children, partners and homes will still be there. However, a 25-year-old serving a 40-year tariff has no prospect of what that period looks like, and the outside world can begin to lose meaning. He added: "That is really difficult to cope with. It means that things that are, you know, things outside of prison people would consider really minor go wrong, are not minor [in Wakefield]. It changes perspectives on all sorts of stuff, and to some extent it removes rules that most of us would live by because we wouldn't do things for the fear of negative consequences."
Wakefield's Victorian design and ageing population
Wheatley described Wakefield as a traditional prison, with a tall and narrow Victorian building containing four main wings, each holding 180 prisoners. All cells are single, so nobody is forced to bunk together. He also noted that Wakefield traditionally has an older prison population, with many men who committed sexual offences and were older when convicted. He said: "Many who come to Wakefield and stop thinking about doing the things they need to do to earn their eventual release so they stay there and they invest in their life in the prison."
As for Brand's potential move, a source told The Sun: "Brand will not be happy about the move, if it goes ahead. He would be hoping for a much softer low-security jail, and he might end up in one towards the end of his sentence."
