Overview

• HMP Wakefield, nicknamed ‘Monster Mansion,’ was founded in 1594 and rebuilt in the Victorian era to confine Britain’s most notorious offenders.
• Robert Maudsley has spent almost 46 years separated from other inmates in a specially built cell after killing three fellow prisoners.
• Maudsley will appear before a Parole Board to argue for release despite past violent incidents and repeated refusals by authorities.
• The Ministry of Justice insists there is no solitary confinement, stating segregated inmates receive daily outdoor time, visits, calls, and medical care.
• A 2023 hostage stand-off involving three inmates holding Ian Watkins led to deployment of an armed ‘Tornado’ team, highlighting Wakefield’s security challenges.