3718 x 5578 px | 31,5 x 47,2 cm | 12,4 x 18,6 inches | 300dpi
Data acquisizione:
2013
Altre informazioni:
Erected during the 19th century, the prison buildings are a typical Victorian design. In 2006, it was revealed that 25% of random drug tests on inmates had proven positive. Though cannabis was the most commonly detected drug, a substantial amount of inmates had tested positive for opiates such as heroin.[1] In 2007 the Prison Reform Trust said that prison staff were "battling against overwhelming odds in old and overcrowded premises", after an inspection report from Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons said there were too many inmates there, and too little investment in prison buildings and facilities. The report also criticised the lack of work opportunities for inmates.[2] Conditions improved to an extent, and the prison was awarded ‘Most Improved Prison for 2008'. Before closure, Dorchester Prison held adult males and young adult males from Dorchester, Poole and Bournemouth Crown Courts, as well as Magistrates' courts in Dorset and some in Somerset. The prison population was made up of roughly half convicted prisoners, and half remanded inmates. Dorchester Prison's education department offered courses such as Catering and industrial cleaning. The physical education department also offered recognised qualifications for some heath and training programmes, as well as recreational activities. Other facilities for inmates at the prison included a library and chaplaincy support. On 4 September 2013, the Ministry of Justice announced that it intended to close Dorchester Prison, [3] and the prison was formally closed in December 2013. The site of the prison was put up for sale by the Ministry of Justice, and in August 2014 Dorchester Town Council and the Dorchester Civic Society published a blueprint that is aimed at guiding the redevelopment of the prison site into a residential led mixed-use development.[4] On 24 December 2014 it was announced that Dorchester Prison had been sold to be converted into 190 homes.
