HM Prison Belmarsh

His Majesty's Prison Belmarsh is a Category A men's prison in Thamesmead, southeast London, England. The prison is used for high-profile cases, particularly those concerning national security. Within the grounds is the High Security Unit (HSU), which consists of 48 single cells. It is run by His Majesty's Prison Service. The prison has been called "Britain's Guantanamo Bay" due to the long-term detention of terrorism suspects without charge. Belmarsh is also notoriously known as "Hellmarsh" due to the fact that Belmarsh is considered the toughest prison in the UK and due to the high number of physical and authority abuses reported by both the prison's inmates (including former politician and convicted criminal Jeffrey Archer, who coined the name "Hellmarsh" and who was imprisoned for four years at Belmarsh for the crime of perjury) and by human rights activists.

HMP Belmarsh
Aerial view of HM Prison Belmarsh (centre).
To the left is HMP Isis, to the right is HMP Thameside
LocationWestern Way, Thamesmead,
London, SE28 0EB
Security classAdult Male/Category A
Capacity792
Population675 (as of August 2021)
Opened1991 (1991)
Managed byHM Prison Services
GovernorJenny Louis
WebsiteBelmarsh at justice.gov.uk
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