In pictures: Behind the scenes at Shrewsbury prison
- Published
Shrewsbury prison, also known as the Dana, is due to close at the end of March as part of a national reorganisation of prisons.
The last inmates were transferred to other prisons in February ahead of the closure, one of seven taking place across the country. The Ministry of Justice said the reorganisation would save £63m a year in running costs.
The national reorganisation, announced in January, is expected to see a new 2,000 capacity prison built, along with smaller ones, each holding about 400 prisoners.
About 190 prison officers work at the Category C prison, alongside other staff. Shrewsbury's Conservative MP Daniel Kawczynski said the closure was expected to damage the local economy, particularly in the light of other recent job losses at the nearby sorting office and the planned downgrading of the town's barracks.
Many of the staff left messages on a wall inside the prison. The last governor Gerry Hendry said he hoped people in Shrewsbury would find their own way to remember the Dana.
Built in 1877 to house 170 prisoners, more recently the Dana officially had capacity for 340 inmates. For several years it was one of the most overcrowded prisons in the country.
The Grade-II listed prison was built by Thomas Telford on top of an existing Georgian building.
Gordon Riley was the last prisoner to be hanged in Shrewsbury in 1961 and many of the cells are almost unchanged since then. Dozens of executed inmates are believed to be buried under the prison yard.
Since the last prisoners left in February, staff have been working to decommission the Dana. Many of the facilities, including education, gym and kitchen equipment are to be sent to other prisons.
Since 2010 the institution has catered mainly for vulnerable prisoners. Hundreds of files on former inmates are also waiting to be sent to other sites.
On Friday, prison officers paraded at the Dana to mark what the governor described as "the end of an era". After its closure the prison is expected to be sold off, although it is unclear how the building might be used in the future.
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