13 June 2013
The Detention Forum is alarmed to learn that the government is yet again planning to expand UK’s immigration detention estate. A discussion appears to be underway to determine the future of HMP Verne, a former prison in Portland, Dorset. The news was also reported in the local newspaper, Dorset Echo.
Although no formal decision has been taken, converting HMP Verne into an immigration detention centre will add 600 spaces to the detention estate. With the 1,000 prisons spaces that are currently used to hold post-sentence immigration detainees, this increases the UK’s detention estate to 5,000 spaces. Only in November last year, a similar proposal was made when the Lincoln prison was under review and was swiftly dropped.
The Detention Forum has now written to Minister for Justice, Chris Grayling MP, urging him to reconsider this proposal. The joint-letter was signed by 19 member organisations.
Ali McGinley, one…
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