HMP Weare (Prison Ship)

"HMP Weare is a prison ship berthed in Portland Harbour in Dorset, England. HMP stands for "Her Majesty's Prison" The UK established in 1997 the Weare as a temporary measure to ease prison overcrowding. Weare was docked at the disused Royal Navy dockyard at the Isle of Portland. On 9 March 2005 it was announced that Weare was to close. Mainly due to the costly running and it being unnecessary. Among the options about what to do with the ship were moving it to London or sinking it in Portland Harbour or around the Isle of Portland as a man-made reef and as a diving location. Famous inmates of HMP Weare include Dan Treacy, founder of the influential UK new-wave band Television Personalities, who was incarcerated from 1998 to June 2004 for a drug- related offence." -Wikipedia

is it reali a shipp..

The prison ship was closed because the conditions were too harsh for the poor murderers and rapists, here a news clipping:-

The last inmates have departed and a skeleton staff is left guarding Britain's only prison ship - in case anyone is minded to break in rather than out.

After eight years in which it has gone from being an object of political controversy to something of a tourist attraction, the prison ship Weare closes for business today.

Prison campaigners were pleased, arguing that the Weare never provided suitable facilities, and people who live and work near its berth in Portland Port, Dorset, were relieved that they would not have to deal with prisoners as they left the ship.

But some business leaders and local politicians, including those who originally spoke out against Weare, regretted the loss of jobs and multimillion pound income it brought to the area.

Les Ames, a local councillor and the mayor of Weymouth and Portland, said: "I had reservations when it first came. But, in truth, now the Weare is a tourist attraction. When people come to Portland, the first thing they say to me is: 'Where is the prison ship?' I'll be sad to see it go in some ways."

The future of the floating grey metal box, which the Home Office closed because it would cost millions to refurbish, is unclear. There has been talk of it being towed to London to be used by the Metropolitan police to hold prisoners, or being moved east to Southampton and mothballed in case it is needed by the prison service.

But the government said yesterday that no decision had been made on the Weare, whose seaworthiness certificate runs out next May.

The ship was bought by the prison service from the US in 1997 to ease overcrowding in British jails. Two hundred and fifty jobs were instantly created in the Portland area which had suffered unemployment after the navy moved most of its operations out. It is estimated that the Weare boosted the economy by £9m a year.

But the prison ship, which held up to 400 male inmates nearing the end of their sentences, attracting unfavourable comparisons with Victorian prison hulks.

Source - The Guardian