Russell Brand moved from HMP Wandsworth to category C prison HMP Littlehey

The transfer

Russell Brand was moved on Friday, 13 November, from HMP Wandsworth, a higher-security prison, to HMP Littlehey in Cambridgeshire. The Sun first reported the move and said concerns for Brand's safety, and his being judged a low escape risk, could have prompted it. Littlehey is a category C prison, a training and resettlement establishment where inmates build skills to find work after release. The Telegraph reports that Conservative MPs are demanding answers about the transfer.

Life at Littlehey

HMP Littlehey, in Perry near Huntingdon, holds about 1,200 men, according to The Irish Examiner and The Independent. The Independent describes it as Europe's largest sex offenders' prison. Inmates there have access to a sports pitch, a gymnasium, an adult learning centre, yoga, choir, indoor bowls and an inter-wing football league. Education ranges from basic skills to degree level, with practical courses in carpentry, joinery, motor mechanics, hospitality and ICT. The Ministry of Justice set out the prison's purpose:

“Littlehey is committed to providing a safe and educational environment where men can learn new skills to help them on release.”

Cell and first days

Brand has been given a single-person cell on the prison's E Wing, while some cells at the prison are shared. The Sun said on Saturday, 14 November, that Brand had not yet made contact with any of the other prisoners. He will complete a week-long induction, like all new prisoners, and will be able to take part in the prison's activities during it.

Sentence and release terms

Brand, who is 51, was sentenced to ten and a half years on Monday afternoon, 9 November, after being convicted of raping one woman and sexually assaulting three other women. He is expected to serve two-thirds of the sentence before being released on licence. He will be on the sex offenders' register for life.