The prison was originally built in 1594. It is still in operation in a facility built in 1966. Many of the building date to Victorian times. It houses high profile sex offenders.
Prisoners from Leeds were sent to Wakefield until a prison was opened in Leeds in October 1847.
A section known as the "new prison" was opened in 1849.
In August 1865 there were a total of 1,372 prisoners in the jail - 1,176 men and 196 women.
The prisoners at Wakefield Prison worked as indicated by Parliamentary Papers of 1849 which stated that Wakefield Prison had iron looms.
" WAKEFIELD PRISON. - The exact date at which this Prison was built is not known, but it is clear that there was no Prison at Wakefield before the year 1595 from the following extract from the Will, dated 16th December, 1594, of Mr. George Savil, of Wakefield, which was proved at York, on the 17th February in the following year (viz., 1595) "Also I give twentie poundes "for and towardes the Buildinge of an House of Correction "within Seaven Miles of Wakefield, for the settinge of the poore "on worke or towardes a starte for the Keepinge of them in "worke accordinge to the statute, if so be there be any such "house builded within the space of two yeres next after my decease, and if there be not, then this bequest utterlie to be void."1890 - Yorkshire Notes and Queries: with the Yorkshire Genealogist ..., Volume 2
Executions by hanging at Wakefield Prison 1906 to 1915
According to Pierrepoint: A Family of Executioners by Steven Fielding, 2008, the Pierrepoint bothers, Henry and/or Thomas executed by hanging the following prisoners at Wakefield Prison between 1906 and 1915:
- Walters, Harold, AKA Harry, miner, age 38, born Derbyshire, executed 10 April, 1906 - hanged for the murder of his common law wife, Sarah Ann McConnell at Sheffield on 23 December 1905 - the first hanging at Wakefield Prison - He was cited for drunkenness 11 times between 1895 and 1905 (Wakefield Prison Records) .
- Mouncer, Thomas Acomb, butcher,
age 25, 9 August 1906 - for the murder by strangulation of Elizabeth Baldwin at Middlebro' 13 May 1906.
He had two other arrests: May 1898 for stealing a cash box and June 1899 for
bestiality. (West Yorkshire Prison Records).
He was baptized on 5 September 1880 in Bilbrough, Yorkshire, the son of John William and Sarah Ann Mouncer.
1881 Census Bilbrough, Tadcaster, butcher shop, John Wm. Mouncer 25, butcher, employing apprentice, Sarah Ann Mouncer 23, ife, Thomas Acombe Mouncer, son age 10 months, George Acombe Mouncer 16, brother in law, butcher apprentice, George Mouncer 18, brother, bucher, unemployed
- Hutchinson, Ernest, age 24, butcher, 23 February, 1909 killed his girlfriend Hannah Marie Whtiley age 29, of Halifax a married woman. (West Yorkshire Prison Records). See Maria, murdered on Christmas Day
- Davis, Walter, AKA Fred Evens, age 37, painter, 9 July, 1909 - battering to death a woman named Hester Richards, he was having an affair with in Middlesbrough - cited for 2 summary convictions - unmuzzling a dog in 1895 and neglecting his family in 1905. (West Yorkshire Prison Records).
- Galbraith, William Wallace, age 27, labourer, December 1912, murdered his 20 year old wife,
Mary May Galbraith by slitting
her throat in Middlesbrough, August 14, 1912 - cited 4 times from 1903 to 1905
(3 betting bye-laws and 1 damage to grass) (West Yorkshire Prison Records and Pierrepoint: A Family of Executioners).
- Sykes, Walter William, age 24, laborer, April 1913, for the murder of Amy Nicholson, age 10, at Rotherham, on or about 15th 16th November 1912 and the murder of Frances Alice Nicholson, age 7, at Rotherham on or about 15th 16th November 1912 cited for being detained numerous times between 1907 and 1911 for loitering, begging, sleeping out, and lodging out. (West Yorkshire Prison Records)
- Law, George Frederick, age 21, forgeman, December 1913 for the murderby strangulation of Annie Cotterrill at Sheffield on October 21, 1913. (West Yorkshire Prison Records)
- Marriott, Walter, age 24, 10 August 1915 for the murder of his wife, Nellie by stabbing at Barnsely, 5 June 1915
- Thompson, Harry, age 22, December 1915, for the murder of his girlfriend Alice Kaye
- McCarthy, John - December 1915, bigamist, cut the throat of his second wife