Whitemoor Prison
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| Location | March, Cambridgeshire |
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| Security class | Adult Male/Category A |
| Population | 458 (as of December 2011) |
| Opened | 1992 |
| Managed by | HM Prison Services |
| Governor | Paul Cawkwell |
| Website | Whitemoor at justice.gov.uk |
HM Prison Whitemoor is a Category A men's prison, located near the town of March in Cambridgeshire, England. The prison is operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service.
Whitemoor Prison was built on the site of an old railway marshalling yard and was opened in 1991 by Norma Major. In September 1994 while under the governorship of Brodie Clark, six prisoners including London gangster Andy Russell, Paul Magee and other IRA members, escaped from the prison's Special Secure Unit after smuggling a gun into the prison. All were later recaptured.
In April 2005, it was alleged that a wind turbine situated near Whitemoor Prison was being switched off in the early mornings because the flickering shadows it created annoyed inmates. The turbine had been halted because of possible security problems if prisoners became upset over the flickering shadows.
In August 2005, the prison was locked down for two days following an explosion in a wing. A full search was carried after the firework-like blast, however it caused no damage to the prison.
In June 2006, an inspection report from Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons criticised staff at Whitemoor Prison for ignoring prisoners, and not responding to their queries and requests for help promptly enough. The report also criticised the prison's healthcare provision and pharmacy, as well stating that black and Asian prisoners felt subtle discrimination against them. However, the report did praise Whitemoor's specialist units - such as the dangerous and severe personality disorders wing - which were said to be performing well.
A further inspection report stated, in October 2008, that staff at Whitemoor Prison felt fear that Muslim inmates were attempting to radicalise others held at the jail. According to inspectors, officers tended to treat Muslim prisoners as extremists and potential security risks, even though only eight of them had been convicted of terrorist offences. Due to the concerns raised by this inspection, further visits by researchers from the Cambridge Institute of Criminology, commissioned by the Ministry of Justice, were arranged between 2009 and 2010 to interview staff and inmates.
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