Ultra-thick ‘cages’ & no visits for 15 years – the ‘bleak’ prisons that hold UK’s most DANGEROUS criminals laid bare
THE reality of life in prisons caging the most dangerous men in the UK can be revealed for the first time.
Britain’s most violent prisoners are being held in ‘bleak’ cells known as Close Supervision Centres (CSCs) which are even more secure than regular segregation units.
A new report lays bare the living conditions faced by the 44 criminals across seven high-security jails deemed too destructive to be kept in a standard wing.
Pictures show a treadmill within a thick white cage used by prisoners at HMP Wakefield who have to even exercise away from the rest of the lags.
Another shot shows a cramped single cell at HMP Frankland with the sink within reach of the bed, and a stack of books piled in front of a curtained off window.
Most of those locked up in the units are a high or very high risk to the public and have little prospect of ever being let out.
Prisoner Kevan Thakrar has spent more than 10 years in the units after attacking three prison guards while serving a life sentence for joint enterprise murder.
Last year he launched a legal challenge to the conditions after spending 749 consecutive days in one cell – complaining that the environment was designed to “break him”.
The conditions at Wakefield, nicknamed the “Monster Mansion” because of the sheer number of high-profile sexual offenders locked up there, are described as “bleak and oppressive”.
HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, Charlie Taylor, writes in his report, carried out between March and April this year, that there is “limited facilities and little space” at the jail’s CSC.
He said: “The outside exercise areas had been neglected for far too long and some communal areas needed redecoration and refurbishment.
“For example, the recreation room had been closed for over a month because of damp and the ceiling in the self-catering area suffered from peeling paint, as did the visits room.”
Out of the 66 spaces available, 44 are currently being used in Frankland, Full Sutton, Manchester, Wakefield, Whitemoor, Woodhill A and Woodhill B.
HMP Wakefield has the highest number of criminals locked up in the secure unit, with 12 currently held there.
Infamous inmate Charles Bronson has been held in the CSC in the West Yorkshire prison – and he lists his address as the unit’s “special cage”.
Another prisoner there is the notorious serial killer Robert Maudsley, known as Hannibal the Cannibal, who has spent 39 years in solitary confinement after killing four people, including three prisoners.
Psychologists are regularly deployed to the jails across the country to work with the prisoners.
In general, the environment in the seven high-security units is described as “remarkably stable with infrequent incidents of violence, no self-inflicted deaths and low levels of self-harm”.
The then Justice Secretary, Dominic Raab, invested £6 million in 2022 to expand the CSCs to ensure criminals such as terrorists were kept away from other lags.
Violence in the units is considered to be at a low level compared to in the general prison population which saw 25 assaults in the last year.
In two prisons “Additional food ingredients” are provided to the dangerous lags so that they can “cook together”, “develop new skills and work alongside others”.
Photos show exercise yards at Wakefield and Manchester which are “grim and covered with mould”.
The outdoor space at the West Yorkshire prison has the slogan “Find your inner strength, work hard, stay positive, healthy body is a healthy mind” painted in red letters on the wall.
At Full Sutton, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, a picture of a forest has been plastered onto one wall of the enclosed concrete space.
The garden area at the Category A prison looks far more appealing – with potted plants filling the space and two greenhouses for green-fingered criminals.
Lags also have access to small libraries with pictures from Whitemoor showing a trolley full of novels including one by Roald Dahl.
DVDs of films including ‘The Batman’, ‘The Boat That Rocked’ and ‘The Muppets’ can also be loaned.
Some of those held in the units were last visited by friends or family members 10 or 15 years ago, according to the report.
Out of the 44 men currently detained in the cells, only 40 per cent regularly got visits from the outside world.
Just one prisoner has been released in the last 12 months and was deported from the UK after reaching the end of his sentence.
Inside Britains' most notorious prison
Sun man Harry Goodwin has taken a rare tour of HMP Pentonville, a notorious prison in north London recently branded “inhumane”.
Against all odds, a cutting-edge “neurodiversity wing” has been established within its crumbling Victorian walls.
This pioneering unit offers hope for solving Britain’s prison crisis.
Once infamous for its appalling conditions—overcrowded cells, infestations, and broken facilities—Pentonville now hosts a neurodiversity unit overseen by Custodial Manager Neil Fraser.
Here, 43 inmates with severe learning disabilities or mental health issues receive personalized care. The unit includes a sensory room for calming distressed prisoners and encourages creative expression.
Despite these advancements, the prison struggles with overcrowding and limited resources.
Only 100 of its 1,200 inmates have been convicted; the rest are on remand.
The neurodiversity wing, funded by charities, serves a fraction of those in need.
Nevertheless, staff like Fraser and programs like Time4Change, XO Bikes training, and public speaking courses led by former Speaker John Bercow, aim to transform lives and make Pentonville a model for future prisons.
More than a third of the 44 men had spent more than 10 years in the CSCs.
The staff who work with the dangerous lags have been found to show “commendable resilience” and had “decent, courteous and respectful” relationships with their inmates.
Charlie Taylor, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, praised the quality of the segregation units and said it was a “rarity” to publish a report which notes strong leadership, low levels of self harm, and clean cells.
He said: “While we found that men needed far more to do with their time in terms of education and work, units were clean, calm and stable with violent incidents surprisingly rare, low rates of self-harm and no self-inflicted deaths.
“The quality of multidisciplinary working, and the individualised support and planning offered to each man was impressive.
“Progress, no matter how small, was acknowledged and those selected for the units were given every opportunity to address their risks and move on from the CSC.
“The quality of leadership, at both national and local level, was coherent and effective.
“Leaders and staff knew what they were doing and should be congratulated on their achievements.”
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “Our prisons must keep the public safe and we welcome this positive report which praised the effectiveness of these specialist units.
“However, across the wider prison estate, we know there is much more to be done. Our prisons system is in crisis, and the new Government is taking immediate action to protect the public.”
