HM Prison Blundeston was a Category C men's prison, located in the Village of Blundeston in Suffolk, England. The prison was operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service, and close in December 2013.
Opened in 1963 with four wings, Blundeston Prison was expanded in 1975 with two additional wings.
In 1996 the prison came under intense criticism after six inmates escaped whist being transferred to other jails. The escapers had allegedly been running their own 'criminal empire' at Blundeston before their transfer. Further controversy hit the prison in 2003 when a prison officer was "sacked for making an insulting remark about...Osama bin Laden." This followed reports that inmates at Blundeston had seen their fruit quota cut after some had been accused of fermenting it to make alcohol.
Before closure, accommodation at the prison included 4 wings of single cells and 2 wings of 2 or 4 man cells. The therapeutic wing had single cell accommodation. Blundeston provided workshops, training courses, a Listener Scheme and a full-time Resettlement Officer. The visitor centre was staffed and managed by the Ormiston Children and Families Trust with facilities including a refreshments area, toilets, public pay phone and play facilities for children.
On 4 September 2013, the Ministry of Justice announced that it intends to close Blundeston Prison by March 2014. The prison formally closed in December 2013. The closure of the prison has led to criticism from local politicians, though the Ministry of Justice intends to sell the site for redvelopment by the end of the year.