Russell Brand has been moved to HMP Littlehey in Cambridgeshire, a category C prison that offers inmates activities including yoga and a football league, according to reports.
The transfer from HMP Wandsworth took place on Friday, November 13, as reported by the Sun on Sunday. Brand was imprisoned after being convicted of raping one woman and sexually assaulting three others during his career.
Facilities and Safety Concerns
HMP Littlehey provides a range of extra-curricular pursuits for prisoners, such as yoga, choir and indoor bowls, alongside an inter-wing football league. The former comedian was reportedly assessed for HMP Wakefield, known as 'Monster Mansion', where Lostprophets' paedophile Ian Watkins was killed last year - it was considered too dangerous for Brand.
The Sun reports that concerns about Brand's safety and his classification as a low escape risk may have prompted the transfer. His new accommodation is a single-occupancy cell on the prison's E Wing, and he has yet to make contact with any of the other 1,200-plus prisoners housed there.
Reaction and Sentence
The transfer has drawn criticism from retired prison governor Vanessa Frake, who said: "I am absolutely flabbergasted that he is in a Category C prison. He has no previous convictions, but he has got a substantial sentence - and there's possibly more in the pipeline."
Brand received a 10-and-a-half-year jail term on Monday afternoon. He is expected to serve two-thirds of his sentence behind bars before being released on licence and will remain on the sex offenders' register for life. The Ministry of Justice says it does not comment on individual prisoners.
