HM Prison Belmarsh

His Majesty's Prison Belmarsh is a Category A men's prison located in Thamesmead, south-east London, England. Belmarsh Prison is run by His Majesty's Prison Service and is situated next to HMP Isis and HMP Thameside. The prison is used for high-profile cases, particularly those concerning national security. Within the grounds of the prison is the High Security Unit (HSU), consisting of 48 single cells.

HMP Belmarsh

Aerial view of HM Prison Belmarsh (centre). To the left is HMP Isis, to the right is HMP Thameside
Location	Western Way, Thamesmead, London, SE28 0EB
Security class	Adult Male/Category A
Capacity	792
Population	675 (as of August 2021)
Opened	1991; 34 years ago (1991)
Managed by	HM Prison Services
Governor	Jenny Louis
Website	Belmarsh at justice.gov.uk

Belmarsh is also nicknamed "Hellmarsh," owing to the high number of physical and authority abuses reported by both the prison's inmates (including former politician Jeffrey Archer, who coined the name and was imprisoned there for four years for perjury), and by human rights activists.^[1]

History

Belmarsh Prison was built on part of the East site of the former Royal Arsenal in Woolwich and became operational on 2 April 1991. It adjoins Woolwich Crown Court.^[2]

In 1991, the armed robber Ronnie Field, an associate of London gangland boss Joey Pyle, was the first person to be held in Belmarsh's High Security Unit, shortly followed by members of the Arifs and those convicted of the £10 million Heathrow airport diamond heist.^[3]

Between 2001 and 2002, Belmarsh Prison was used to detain a number of people indefinitely without charge or trial under the provisions of Part 4 of the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001, leading it to be called the "British version of Guantanamo Bay".^[4] The Law Lords later ruled in A v Secretary of State for the Home Dept that such imprisonment was discriminatory and against the Human Rights Act 1998.^[5]

It is often used for the detention of prisoners for terrorist-related offences. In September 2006, 51 such prisoners were held.^[6]

In 2009, an archaeological dig on the site led to the discovery of a nearly 6,000-year-old wooden trackway, which, behind Sweet Track near Glastonbury is the second oldest known wooden trackway discovered in the British Isles.^[7]

In November 2009, an inspection report from the Chief Inspector of Prisons criticised the "extremely high" amount of force used to control inmates.^[8] The report also stated that an unusually high number of prisoners had reported being intimidated or victimised by staff.

In 2010, HMP Isis Young Offenders Institution opened within the perimeter wall of Belmarsh Prison.^[9]

The prison today

Car park and main entrance

Belmarsh is a Category A Prison holding inmates from all over England and Wales. It also houses other categories of prisoners from primarily the Central Criminal Court (Old Bailey) and Magistrates' Courts in South East London, as well as Crown and Magistrates' Courts in South West Essex. Accommodation at the prison is a mixture of approximately 60% multi-occupancy cells and 40% single cells, distributed mainly across four residential units.^[10]

Inmates at Belmarsh have access to education, workshops^[10] and two gyms. The gym staff have a partnership with Charlton Athletic F.C. to deliver FA accredited coaching courses for prisoners.^[11]

A listener scheme for prisoners at risk from suicide or self-harm is in operation, as well as a support group providing advice on immigration law for foreign national prisoners.^[10]

Notable Governors

Jenny Louis, the current governor of HM Prison Belmarsh and Britain’s first female black governor.

Notable inmates

Current inmates

• Ali Harbi Ali,^[12] murdered MP David Amess.^[13]
• Hashem Abedi,^[14] aided in the Manchester Arena Bombing alongside his brother Salman Abedi.^[15]
• Paul 'Des' Ballard,^[16] television presenter and staged actor; caused death by dangerous driving; convicted of rape.
• Kyle Clifford,^[17] raped and murdered his ex-girlfriend and murdered her mother and sister in July 2024.
• David Copeland,^[18] neo-Nazi who bombed Brixton Market, Brick Lane, and a gay pub.
• Louis De Zoysa,^[19] shot dead an on-duty police sergeant at Croydon police station in September 2020.
• Delroy Grant,^[20] the "Night Stalker", serial rapist and burglar.
• Danyal Hussein,^[21] murdered two sisters in a London park.
• Stephen Port,^[22] the "Grindr Killer", serial killer and serial rapist.
• Axel Rudakubana,^[23] convicted of possessing terrorist material and ricin; murdered 3 children and attempted to murder 10 others in the 2024 Southport stabbings.
• Khairi Saadallah,^[24] stabbed three people to death in a Reading park, seriously injured others.

Former inmates

• Michael Adebowale,^[25][26] moved to Broadmoor Hospital.^[27]
• Jonathan Aitken^[28]
• Abu Hamza al-Masri,^[29] sentenced to life imprisonment in the United States; incarcerated at ADX Florence.
• Sudesh Amman^[30]
• Jeffrey Archer^[31]
• Julian Assange,^[32] accused by the United States of espionage.^[33]
• Ronnie Biggs^[31]
• Charles Bronson^[31]
• David Carrick,^[34] moved to HM Prison Full Sutton.^[35]
• Anjem Choudary^[36]
• Wayne Couzens,^[37] moved to HM Prison Frankland.
• Richard Huckle, moved to HM Prison Full Sutton, where he was later murdered.^[38][39]
• Ian Huntley,^[31] moved to HM Prison Frankland in 2008.
• Daniel Khalife,^[40] moved to HM Prison Frankland^[41]
• Usman Khan^[42]
• Denis MacShane^[43]
• Thomas Mair,^[44] moved to HM Prison Frankland^[45]
• Jordan McSweeney,^[46] moved to HM Prison Long Lartin.^[47]
• Marcus Monzo,^[48] moved to Broadmoor Hospital.
• Darren Osborne, murdered one person and attempted to murder others by driving into them;^[49][50] moved to HM Prison Full Sutton.^[51]
• Maurice Robinson,^[52] moved to HM Prison Lowdham Grange.^[53]
• Tommy Robinson,^[31] anti-Islam campaigner and far-right activist.
• Urfan Sharif,^[54][55] moved to HM Prison Frankland.^[56]
• Richard Tomlinson^[57]
• John Worboys,^[31] moved to HM Prison Wakefield.