Information released through The Freedom Of Information Act reveals that in the last five years nearly 500 prisoners including murderers, drug dealers, illegal immigrants and other prisoners convicted of GBH, attempted murder, manslaughter and possession of firearms have escaped.
A prison service spokesperson said: “All those located in open conditions have been risk assessed and categorised as being of low risk to the public.”
Ford Open Prison Escape Records
The category D men’s prison near Arundel, West Sussex, supposedly specialises in housing prisoners with a low risk of escape, however, Ford Open Prison escape statistics show in 2003-04, an astonishing 142 prisoners including four murderers escaped and only 110 were returned. The prison is low security and surrounded by just an ordinary wooden fence, the gates and inmates rooms are never locked and there are no bars on the windows.
Escape records have improved since then. In 2004-05, 119 prisoners left early, with only three remaining at large. The following year this reduced to 94, including four more murderers, with twelve evading capture. The prison was heavily criticized and this has led to better security.
The last year that figures are available from, 2007-2008, show just 46 prisoners escaped, of which, only three avoided recapture. In total, between 2003 to 2008, 463 prisoners escaped or absconded before their sentences had finished and 63 evaded recapture.
Freedom of Information Act
The highest numbers for each year are for prisoners convicted of Burglary, Robbery and Theft. Through the five year period 13 murderers walked out of the prison, 17 drug dealers, 14 convicted of possession of drugs with intent to supply, 5 sentenced for GBH and for convicted of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life and three illegal immigrants.
The prison spokesperson said: “The nature of open prisons means that we can never guarantee that prisoners will not abscond, but the number of those who do is at its lowest level since centralised reporting of this type of incident began in 1995. When they are caught, the prison service, Police and CPS work together to ensure absconders are prosecuted both as a punishment for the offence and to deter other prisoners in the future.”
Celebrity Ex-Prisoners from Ford Open Prison
The prison was, until recently, well known as the favoured location for high profile prisoners. Lord Brockett, convicted of insurance fraud, was housed there for a time. George Best, convicted of drunk driving and assaulting a Police Officer, even turned out for the prison football team.
Playwright, Joe Orton and actor Kenneth Halliwell were sentenced to six months for the theft and desecration of library books in 1962. In 1967 Halliwell murdered Orton, killing him by hitting him on the head with a hammer nine times. More recently the prison has suffered problems of criminals breaking IN to steal tools and cleaning equipment.
