{{Short description|Men's prison and young offender institution in Liverpool}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2015}} {{Use British English|date=April 2015}} {{Infobox prison |prison_name = HM Prison Altcourse |image = Admin block, HMP Altcourse 1.jpg |location = Liverpool, Merseyside |coordinates = |status = Operational |classification = Category A/B Adult Male & Young Offenders Institution |capacity = 1,164 (March 2022) |opened = 1997 |closed = |managed_by = Sodexo |director = Steve Williams }} '''HM Prison Altcourse''' is a Category B men's private prison and Young Offender Institution in the Fazakerley area of Liverpool in Merseyside, England. The prison is operated by Sodexo, which took over from G4S in 2023.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-68241318 | title=HMP Altcourse: Prison criticised after inmate dies in cell | work=BBC News | date=9 February 2024 }}</ref>
==History== Altcourse became the first prison to be procured under a Private Finance Initiative contract when the contract was signed in December 1995.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nao.org.uk/pubsarchive/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2018/11/The-PFI-Contracts-for-Bridgend-and-Fazakerley-Prisons.pdf|title=The PFI Contracts for Bridgend and Fazakerley Prisons|publisher=National Audit Office|date=31 October 1997|page=66|access-date=17 April 2019}}</ref> It was built by Tarmac Construction and opened in December 1997.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/business/lfc-main-stand-pest-control-14157480|title=LFC main stand, pest control and blacklisting. What hasn't Carillion done on Merseyside?|newspaper=Liverpool Echo|date=15 January 2018|access-date=3 March 2018}}</ref> While early reports about the management of the prison were favourable, the financing of the project drew criticism after it emerged in 2002 that G4S, which oversaw construction and operated the prison, had made a £10 million windfall from the contracts.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/business/2001/ppp/1529482.stm|title=Liverpool's profitable prison|date=26 September 2002|via=news.bbc.co.uk}}</ref>
In 2005 it was reported that Altcourse was the most overcrowded prison in England with 1,324 inmates.<ref>{{cite journal|url=https://www.questia.com/read/1G1-135225488|title=Altcourse Prison Top of League for Overcrowding|date=16 August 2005}}</ref>
In November 2009, the prison's own Independent Monitoring Board published a report which criticised the amount of illegal drugs that were being smuggled into Altcourse. The report suggested that mobile phones (which were also being smuggled into the jail) were helping to fuel the trade.<ref>[https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/merseyside/8345067.stm Prison control in 'parlous state'] BBC News, 5 November 2009</ref> A month later, it emerged that inmates at Altcourse were being given access to satellite television as a reward for good behaviour.<ref>[https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/merseyside/8419674.stm Inmates given satellite TV access] BBC News, 17 December 2009</ref>
==The prison wings== Altcourse is separated into two main halves by facility buildings such as the segregation block, gymnasium, library, religious hall, education centre, and the first night centre. There are 7 main wings on the site, all named after fences of the Grand National steeplechase course.<ref name=inside>{{cite web|url=https://insidetime.org/hmp-altcourse-prison-regime-info/|title=HMP Altcourse: Prison regime information|publisher=Inside Time|access-date=14 November 2017}}</ref>
==Notable inmates== Notable inmates include: * Mike Amesbury, MP for Runcorn and Helsby, was sentenced to 10 weeks in prison for assaulting a man in October 2024<ref>{{Cite web |title=MP Mike Amesbury jailed for 10 weeks for punching constituent in street |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cx2rnp29p7xt |access-date=2025-02-24 |website=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref> * Benjamin Mendy, French international footballer playing for Manchester City, held on remand whilst awaiting trial accused of four counts of rape and one count of sexual assault at his home in Cheshire.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-58408990|title=Benjamin Mendy: Manchester City player to remain in custody on rape charges|publisher=BBC News|date= 1 September 2021|accessdate= 1 September 2021}}</ref> * Thomas Waring, the man who assisted Connor Chapman, gunman from the Christmas Eve 2022 Wallasey pub shooting, by helping him dispose of a stolen car used during the shooting.<ref>{{Cite news |date=6 July 2023 |title=Man convicted of assisting Elle Edwards killer attacked in prison for being a 'grass' |work=ITV News |url=https://www.itv.com/news/granada/2023-07-06/man-guilty-of-assisting-elle-edwards-killer-attacked-in-prison |access-date=10 July 2023}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [http://www.justice.gov.uk/global/contacts/noms/prison-finder/altcourse/ Ministry of Justice pages on HMP Altcourse] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111013051338/http://www.justice.gov.uk/global/contacts/noms/prison-finder/altcourse/ |date=13 October 2011 }} * [http://www.hmpaltcourse.co.uk/ Official site] * [http://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprisons/inspections/?location=altcourse HMP Altcourse - HM Inspectorate of Prisons Reports]
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{{Prisons in North West England}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Altcourse (Hm Prison)}} Category:G4S Category:Prisons in Merseyside Category:Buildings and structures in Liverpool Category:Category B prisons in England Category:Young offender institutions in England Category:1997 establishments in England Category:Private prisons in England Category:Men's prisons