Built over 200 years ago Dartmoor prison held French and American prisoners of war. In the 1800’s it became a criminal justice prison, latterly until 2000 as a Cat B training prison when it reroled as a Cat C . The prison is owned by the Duchy of Cornwall, and while reports have abounded in the past regarding its closure its lease was renewed until 2048 as the Prison Service was running out of places. HMP Dartmoor is run by HMPS as part of the South West Region. It has a capacity of 689 and the #1 governor is Stephen Mead, who has been in charge since January 2021.
Accommodation
- Arch Tor – 144-bed unit; integrated unit for mainstream prisoners and those convicted of a sexual offence. Comprises four landings, with 132 single occupancy cells and 12 double occupancy cells.
- Burra Tor – 146-bed unit; integrated unit for mainstream prisoners and those convicted of a sexual offence. Comprises five landings, with 134 single occupancy cells and 12 double occupancy cells.
- Coombe Tor – Closed.
- Down Tor – 143-bed unit; integrated unit for mainstream prisoners and those convicted of a sexual offence. Comprises five landings, with 122 single occupancy cells and 21 double occupancy cells. Dedicated first night centre.
- East Tor – 54-bed unit; integrated unit for mainstream prisoners and those convicted of a sexual offence. Comprises two landings, with 49 single occupancy cells and five double occupancy cells. Dedicated enhanced unit for employed prisoners.
- Fox Tor – 48-bed unit; integrated unit for mainstream prisoners and those convicted of a sexual offence. Comprises two landings, with all single occupancy cells. Prioritised for social care provision and allocated peer support orderlies.
- Granite Tor – 157-bed unit; integrated unit for mainstream prisoners and those convicted of a sexual offence. Comprises five landings, with all single occupancy cells.
- Stone Tor – six-bed unit. Segregation unit.