HMP Isle of Wight was opened in April 2009; it was formed by the clustering of three former establishments (HMP Parkhurst, HMP Albany and HMP Camp Hill), Camp Hill was closed in 2013. The 2 remaining establishments are on the same basic location next to each other. . It is run by HMPS as part of the South West region and has a capacity of 1085. The #1 governor is Steve Phillips, who has been acting governor since February 2022
Parkhurst site: Originally a military hospital, Parkhurst became a prison in 1863 and in the late 1960s it became one of a maximum security prison. It now holds vulnerable prisoners/sex offenders and ordinary prisoners in mixed units.
Albany site: On the site of an old barracks and was designed and built as a category C training prison in the early 1960s. Security was subsequently upgraded, and from 1970 to 1992 Albany was part of the dispersal system. It then changed to its present role as a category B training prison with an integrated population of vulnerable/sex offenders and mainstream prisoners.
Accommodation
Parkhurst:
8 residential units, 7of which are Victorian-style galleried units and the last a small former health care unit.
Albany:
- 5 (A to E wings), identical in design and located off one main corridor. Each wing contains 4 floors, each with 3 spurs of 8 cells.
- 2 (F and G wings) opened in May 2003 and housed up to 80 prisoners.
- Dedicated health care facility serving both sites