HMP Wolds stands between the villages of North Cave and South Cave and lays directly beside HMP Everthorpe and is situated 16 miles west of the City of Kingston Upon Hull and close to the M62 motorway.
In 1991, GSL won the first prison management contract to be operated by the private sector in Europe. HMP Wolds opened in April 1992 as a remand prison and in 1993 was re-rolled to a local category B prison holding sentenced prisoners. The initial management contract ran for 5 years and was renewed for a further 5 years in 1997. In 2001, HMP Wolds was subject to a competitive re-bid. GSL was the successful bidder for the contract to run HMP Wolds as a category C training prison for a further 10 years.
Following the most recent HMCIP Unannounced Inspection, in October 2001, Her Majesty's (former) Chief Inspector of prisons , Sir David Ramsbotham said: "I am very glad to see how many of the good practices on which we reported in 1998 are still alive and well at HMP Wolds, because many of them are models that others could follow with advantage. For this the Director and his staff deserve congratulations and encouragement to continue the good work in the future."
