The Isle of Wight has had three prisons, all on one stretch of land just north of Newport: Parkhurst, Albany and Camp Hill. Camp Hill closed in 2013. Parkhurst and Albany are still open and since 2009 have been run as a single prison, HMP Isle of Wight, which holds over 1,000 men.
The three prisons at a glanceSection titled The three prisons at a glance
| Prison | Opened | Status today |
|---|---|---|
| Parkhurst | Prison for boys from 1838; adult prison later | Open, part of HMP Isle of Wight (Category B) |
| Albany | 1967, on the site of Albany Barracks | Open, part of HMP Isle of Wight (Category B) |
| Camp Hill | 1912 | Closed March 2013 |
The three sites sit side by side between Newport and Cowes, next to Parkhurst Forest. If you drive the A3020 between the two towns you pass them.
Parkhurst prisonSection titled Parkhurst prison
Parkhurst is the oldest of the three. The site began in 1778 as a military hospital and children's asylum. In 1838 it became a prison for boys, and the regime was harsh: boys were initially kept in leg irons, and reformer Mary Carpenter campaigned against it. Nearly 1,500 boys aged 12 to 18 were sent on from Parkhurst to Australia and New Zealand, including the 123 "Parkhurst apprentices" shipped to New Zealand in 1842 and 1843.
It later became an adult prison. In 1966 Parkhurst became one of the UK's top-security "dispersal" prisons, and that is when its reputation was made.
The 1995 escapeSection titled The 1995 escape
On 3 January 1995 three prisoners, described at the time as two murderers and a blackmailer, escaped from Parkhurst. One of them, Keith Rose, was an amateur pilot, and the group tried and failed to steal a plane from the island's flying club. They spent four days on the run, sheltering in a garden shed in Ryde, before they were recaptured. Parkhurst lost its dispersal status the same year.
Albany prisonSection titled Albany prison
Albany opened in 1967, built in the early 1960s on the site of Albany Barracks, which had been in military use from 1798 to 1960. It was designed as a Category C training prison but joined the high-security dispersal system in 1970. In 1972 a series of serious disturbances closed most of the prison for over a year.
Today Albany is a Category B site that holds men convicted of sexual offences and other vulnerable prisoners serving four years or more.
Camp Hill prisonSection titled Camp Hill prison
Camp Hill opened in 1912. It was built using prisoner labour from Parkhurst and was formally opened by Winston Churchill, who was then Home Secretary. In later years it ran as a Category C men's prison.
The government announced in January 2013 that Camp Hill would close as part of a national reorganisation of prison places, and it formally closed in March 2013, removing 595 places. The site has repeatedly been talked about for housing, but the Ministry of Justice still owns it and no scheme has been confirmed.
HMP Isle of Wight todaySection titled HMP Isle of Wight today
On 1 April 2009 Albany, Parkhurst and Camp Hill were merged into one prison, HMP Isle of Wight. The Ministry of Justice said the merger would save around £1 million a year, and the Prison Officers' Association opposed it on safety grounds. Each site kept its old name.
Since Camp Hill closed, HMP Isle of Wight is two sites:
- Albany: men convicted of sexual offences and vulnerable prisoners serving four years or more.
- Parkhurst: men serving over four years, including vulnerable prisoners and life-sentence prisoners, plus men remanded by the island's courts.
GOV.UK describes it as a high-security men's prison holding over 1,000 prisoners.
Famous inmatesSection titled Famous inmates
Parkhurst's dispersal years mean it has held some of Britain's best-known prisoners:
- Ronnie and Reggie Kray, the East End gangsters.
- Peter Sutcliffe, the Yorkshire Ripper.
- Graham Young, the "Teacup Poisoner", who died at Parkhurst in 1990.
- Michael Gaughan, an IRA prisoner who died on 3 June 1974 after a 64-day hunger strike during which he was force-fed.
- Radovan Karadžić, the former Bosnian Serb leader, who was transferred to the prison in 2021 to serve a life sentence for genocide and war crimes.
Visiting HMP Isle of WightSection titled Visiting HMP Isle of Wight
There are no public tours of either working prison. You can only visit if you are on a prisoner's approved visitor list.
- Booking: at least 24 hours ahead on 01983 634 218 (Monday to Thursday 10am–midday and 1pm–4:15pm; Friday 10am–midday and 1pm–4pm).
- Address: HMP Isle of Wight, Albany House, Newport, Isle of Wight, PO30 5RS.
- ID: bring the required ID. At least one visitor must be 18 or over.
- Getting there: wait for email confirmation of your visit before you book a ferry. Both sites have parking, including Blue Badge spaces, and buses run past from Newport. See can you drive to the Isle of Wight for the ferry options.
- Costs: help with travel and overnight costs may be available if you receive certain benefits.
The prisons and the islandSection titled The prisons and the island
The island has its own police and courts for the same reason any area of 140,000 people does (see are there police on the Isle of Wight). If you are here for the island's history rather than its prisons, Carisbrooke Castle, where Charles I was held in 1647–48, is a short drive south of Parkhurst, and our museums and history guide covers more. For other things visitors ask, see our Isle of Wight questions.
