HM Prison Durham is a Category B men’s prison in the Elvet area of the city of Durham. Operated by Her Majesty’s Prison Service, it has a capacity of 1,071 and serves the courts of County Durham, Tyne and Wear and Teesside. There are seven wings, a healthcare unit and a segregation unit. The prison provides a variety of part-time courses including bricklaying, woodwork, painting and decorating and gardening.

Durham Prison ‘Poorly Ventilated During Heatwave’

Durham prison was criticised for a lack of basic ventilation during a summer heatwave. A charity warned of the risk of rioting at prisons across the UK as temperatures exceeded 30C in July 2018. Eric Allison, a trustee of the Prisoners’ Advice Service, said: “I was speaking to somebody last week and they said the atmosphere in the prison was kicking off quite a lot – this is in a local jail – and he said it is always worse in hot weather.

“They are like ovens, basically, and I say that from experience, and from recent conversations I’ve had with prisoners.”