Britain’s luxury prisons: Inside jails where lads live like kings

BERWYN: In some jails in the UK, prisoners are living luxury lives behind bars with tennis courts, televisions and computer-access on site. Earlier this month it was reported that British prisons were at breaking point, with record suicides and nearly 70 assaults every day. But, in these places at least, the prisoners are leading pretty cushy lives.

This wing looks like a luxury hotel

HMP Berwyn which is set to open later this month has been described by Governor Russ Trent as the "Oxford University of prisons". In Berwyn, prisoners will be held in "rooms", not "cells". They'll be given phones next to their beds so they can ring their mates. And the wardens will even have to knock on their doors before entering.

The prison, on the outskirts of Wrexham, cost a whopping £212 million to put up and will operate under the principle of "changing behaviour through reward, rather than punishment".

Prisoners get training sessions from Cardiff City

HMP Parc in Brigend, South Wales boasts an incredible range of sports facilities.It has a sports hall, complete with climbing wall, tennis court and gym.

There are also two 3G all weather, floodlight football pitches where coaches from Cardiff City FC regularly come to train with prisoners. The jail already offers its lags Sky Sports 1. But the prison was threatened with legal action in 2011 over a failure to provide Sky Sports 2 and 3.

One prison officer complained: "They can spend all day watching Sky Sports 1. But they're hacked off because they don't have Sky Sports 2 and 3. They've been moaning it is a breach of their human rights."

One prisoner at HMP Altcourse had a phone, PS4 and weed

HMP Addiewell is a privately-run jail in West Lothian which has facilities like a Microsoft computer room, library and gym. The prison's 12 wings have "electronic kiosks" so that prisoners can check menus and order meals. They can also use them to check account balances and top-up their phones.

When it opened in 2008 the prison was described as "more high tech than most modern apartment blocks". HMP Altcourse in Liverpool offers prisoners a range of luxury facilities ranging from a comprehensive and delicious food menu delivered to their cells along with gyms, tennis courts and full healthcare.

The jail also made the headlines recently when one of its prisoners shared several selfies on Facebook showing him playing PS4 on the flatscreen TV in his cell. He posted pictures in which he claimed to be smoking joints which had been smuggled into the prison. Daily Star Online has contacted HM Prison Service for comment.