'Sex offenders only' prison claim denied

The prison's status has been the subject of recent speculation, with Shrewsbury Crown Court being told this week that inmates were being moved out to make way for prisoners convicted of sex crimes.

But the Ministry of Justice today denied the prison would be used solely for sex offenders.

Officials did however confirm the prison was being re-classified imminently, meaning its role will change.

A spokesman for the prison service said: "HMP Shrewsbury will be re-rolled from a Category B local prison, which serves the courts by holding unsentenced prisoners, to a Category C training prison that holds convicted prisoners.

"The prison will still retain a small remand facility. There is no truth in claims the prison will exclusively hold sex offenders."

Speculation about the prison mounted when Joanne Griffiths, a solicitor with Lanyon Bowdler, said in court: "The Dana is becoming a sex offenders prison only, so all other prisoners are being moved out."

Asked about her comments today, she said: "I have heard that the Dana will be primarily for sex offenders and that our local remand prisoners will be moved to Dovegate Prison, Uttoxeter.

"It makes it more difficult for us as solicitors because we have got to incur the costs of travelling to see them."

But Bryan Foulkes, from the independent monitoring board for the Dana, said the move would provide benefits.

He said: "The role of Shrewsbury prison is changing. It means we shouldn't be having the turnover of prisoners going out to courts. We shall be a far more settled prison with prisoners there serving longer sentences."

Daniel Kawczynski, Shrewsbury & Atcham MP, today said he would write to justice secretary Jack Straw to clear up the matter and said he was concerned about the change.

He said: "I would have thought they would have told us if a change such as the one being mentioned was being brought in and consulted on it."

By Andrew Morris