Broadmoor hospital is UK's most secure psychiatry hospital and have housed the country's most violent criminals such as Peter Sutcliffe, the Yorkshire Ripper who murdered 13 women and tried to kill seven others. Ronnie Kray - one half of the Kray twins who terrorised people with armed robberies, arson attacks and protection rackets - was housed there. Graham Young, known as the teacup poisoner, was a patient in the 1960s after he murdered his stepmother by poisoning her and tried to kill his father, sister and friend and when released tried to poison 70 more people.
Designed by a military engineer, Broadmoor was the first custom-built asylum to house criminals when it was developed in 1863. But it has since been known as a psychiatric hospital. It may eventually be turned into a hotel as a new site is now being built next door. Broadmoor is one of three maximum security psychiatric hospitals in the UK, the others being Ashworth and Rampton.
The 200 bed hospital which have remained closed to the public for 150 years, has now been opened to the public, revealing the inside of the hospital.
The hospital is known for its high level of security practice, such that each door is opened for an inmate by six heavily protected guards, heavy secured doors and rooms where anything that could be turned to a weapon is removed, staff wear personal attack alarms and when with patients, they are told to wear body cameras too. Also, the staff are also called 30 times a year to disarm patients while they must have gone through a riot training and are well equipped with shields and helmets. These precautions are so because, the staff are averagely attacked four times a week. Such attacks include punching, kicking or in some cases the patients fashioning plastic cutlery into knives. As such security is high to protect both staff and patients.
Dr Amlan Basu, Clinical Director of Broadmoor, said: 'Patients that come here, must have perpetrated often horrendous crimes but they are also victims and it's very easy to see somebody as either the perpetrator or the victim. It's much more difficult to understand that somebody might be both.' Some inmates are able to earn money in a tuck shop by making arts and crafts, but security has to be high to ensure any potential weapons are removed. All tools are checked in and out during every session.
More photos below...
Security doors with holes through which staff view patients in their rooms
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| Kitchen with pictures of artworks produced by patients during watched sessions |
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| CCTV covering the 15 wards to ensure the safety of both staff and patients Source; Dailymail |
It's simply a prison.
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