Built as a hospital for the US Air Force for the D-Day landings, HMP Sudbury was converted to a prison in 1948. Most of the original single-storey accommodation is still in use but has been converted to double or single rooms. New single-storey buildings accommodate prisoners in either single or two-man rooms. A modular temporary unit (MTU), containing 40 single rooms on two floors, was installed in 2003.
The #1 governor is called Craig Smith, who has been in charge since January 2021 and the prison has a capacity of 621. It is run by HMPS as part of the North Midlands/East Midlands region
Description of residential units
- East and West 1-7 – 14 older units consisting of single and double rooms
- W5 – induction unit
- W7 – designated for older prisoners and those with mobility issues
- P1-4 – four newer buildings mainly for prisoners working outside the prison
- D wing – 80 new temporary modular accommodation of single units (‘pods’).
- D1 – used for shielding prisoners
- D5 – used for protective isolation
- Secure accommodation unit (SAU) – two cells
There are plans to open two new accommodation blocks, holding 60 prisoners, at the end of 2023.