La Moye prison is believed to be one of the last prisons in Britain in which some cells do not have a toilet and some prisoners still find it necessary at night to use a bucket. The archaic system will become history in December with the opening of a large, new L-shaped cell block with three storeys on one side and two on the other.
The blocks will have 144 bed spaces with some of the larger cells being able to accommodate two prisoners. Prison governor Bill Millar told the JEP that the old block, built 35 years ago, was in a very poor state.
‘The block is claustrophobic, with narrow corridors and there are a number of blind corners which cannot be seen by staff at all times. The new building will be a huge improvement – it is brighter and more open which will make it less intimidating and likely to make staff and prisoners feel safer,’ he said.
