Altcourse Prison was opened in December 1997, being the first designed, constructed, managed and financed private prison in the United Kingdom. While early reports about the management of the Altcourse prison were favourable, the financing of the project drew criticism after it emerged that former owner GSL had managed to make a £10 million windfall from the contracts.[1] In 2005 it was reported that Altcourse was the most overcrowded prison in England,[2] with overcrowding being an issue at the prison ever since.
The prison today
Altcourse is a Category B local prison, receiving prisoners from the courts in Merseyside, Cheshire and North Wales. The prison accepts young offenders and adult male prisoners who are both sentenced and remanded by the courts. Accommodation at the prison comprises of six accommodation units, a First Night Centre, three Vocational Training residential units and the Healthcare Centre. The prison offers full-time education and night classes to inmates as well as workshops and offender management programmes.
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