Statutory Instruments
2013 No. 485
Prisons, England And Wales
The Closure of Prisons Order 2013
Made
4th March 2013
Laid before Parliament
7th March 2013
Coming into force
28th March 2013
The Secretary of State makes the following Order in exercise of the power conferred by section 37(1) and (2) of the Prison Act 1952( 1 ).
Citation and commencement
1. This Order may be cited as the Closure of Prisons Order 2013 and comes into force on 28th March 2013.
Closure of prisons
2. The following prisons are closed—
(a) HM Prison Bullwood Hall, High Road, Hockley, Essex SS5 4TE;
(b) HM Prison Canterbury, 46 Longport, Canterbury, Kent CT1 1PJ;
(c) HM Prison & Young Offender Institution Gloucester, Barrack Square, Gloucester GL1 2JN;
(d) HM Prison Kingston, 122 Milton Road, Portsmouth, Hampshire PO3 6AS;
(e) HM Prison Shepton Mallet, Cornhill, Shepton Mallet, Somerset BA4 5LU;
(f) HM Prison Shrewsbury, the Dana, Shrewsbury, Shropshire SY1 2HR.
Special reasons in relation to the closure of HM Prison Shepton Mallet
3. —(1) The Secretary of State makes the provision in article 2(e) for the special reasons( 2 ) stated in paragraph (2).
(2) The special reasons are that the Secretary of State considers—
(a) that the size and location of HM Prison Shepton Mallet are such that it is appropriate to close it;
(b) that the closure of HM Prison Shepton Mallet will not have an adverse impact on the operation of the criminal courts in Somerset; and
(c) that enough prison places are available in England and Wales to ensure that the closure of HM Prison Shepton Mallet will not have an adverse impact on the operation of the justice system.
Signed by the authority of the Secretary of State
Jeremy Wright
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State
Ministry of Justice
4th March 2013
Section 37(2) of the Prison Act 1952 requires the Secretary of State (when providing for the closure of the only prison in the county) to state in the Order the special reasons for doing so.