Russell Brand, sentenced to ten years and six months in jail for rape and three sexual assaults, was sent to HMP Wandsworth. Reports suggest the former comedian may be moved from the south west London prison to high-security HMP Wakefield in West Yorkshire.
The Category A northern prison has been called the "Monsters' Mansion" due to the number of notorious murderers and sex offenders held there over the years, according to The Sun.
High-Profile Inmate Transfer
Former Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins was allegedly murdered at Wakefield jail last autumn while serving a 29-year sentence for child sex offences. Child killer Kyle Bevan was murdered a month later. They were among five prisoners who were allegedly killed or took their own life at the jail in a year.
Despite the death toll, Brand, 51, may be moved to Wakefield from Category B HMP Wandsworth, as staff there are better equipped to deal with high-profile inmates who could be at risk of attack. "Brand is being risk-assessed for a move," a source told the newspaper. "And Wakefield is the most likely place."
Notorious Past Inmates
Past inmates at the Yorkshire jail are believed to include eight-year-old Sarah Payne's killer Roy Whiting, serial killer and rapist Levi Bellfield who murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler, as well as child molester and killer Sidney Cooke. Some of the most dangerous inmates have been moved out of the prison.
Brand, who faces accusations of sexual misconduct from six more women, may be put into segregation for his own protection before being moved onto a wing. Prison inspectors wrote a damning report on the jail after a visit in April.
Prison Conditions and Safety
Following the death of Watkins, some dangerous prisoners were moved to other jails. "The population had previously been integrated, with prisoners convicted of sexual offences accommodated alongside those convicted of other serious offences," says the report published in June. "Nearly all prisoners at Wakefield were now deemed vulnerable due to their offence or circumstances."
The number of self-isolating prisoners had fallen from 12 to one. Incidents of prisoner-on-prisoner violence had reduced by 68%, the report added. "Almost all prisoners who had lived in Wakefield before these changes told us they felt much safer," it stated.
Two wings, C and D, were designated for prisoners deemed most at risk. Prisoners now exercise in wing-based groups rather than mixed cohorts, and cell doors are locked during communal activities. The changes have enabled staff to supervise prisoners "more effectively".
Daily Life and Healthcare
Inmates were offered about one hour of exercise each day, an increase from 30 minutes. About twice as many prisoners were now using the yards, said the inspectors who stressed that "overall uptake of exercise remained too low".
Inspectors found 45% of inmates locked in their cells, a "marginal improvement" from 51% the previous year. Full-time working prisoners could receive up to 8.5 hours out of their cells, half-time workers up to 5.5 hours, those unemployed or not engaged in activities just over two hours a day. The average on Saturday and Sunday was 1.5 hours.
There were "tangible improvements" in accommodation and communal areas, including repairing washing machines. Showers were cleaner but remained in poor condition, with several not working, and damaged flooring and inadequate ventilation.
Inmates waited up to 11 weeks to see a GP and 110 patients were waiting up to 35 weeks for a dental appointment. Planned prison escorts for inmates to hospital had been cut by two a week and there had been breaches of the NHS target of two-week waits for urgent referrals such as potential cancer assessments.
Inmates waited "far too long" for a transfer to specialist mental health beds under the Mental Health Act. Two of them had been waiting for more than 500 and 300 days respectively. The report said: "Conflicting opinions on the levels of security required for these patients on arrival at NHS units effectively led to the NHS failing them." Most prisoners were in education, training and work for at least half the week.
