Isle of Wight it hosting three prisons: Albany, Camp Hill and Parkhurst, all located outside Newport near the main road to Cowes. Albany and Parkhurst were among the few Category A prisons in the UK until they were downgraded in the 1990s. The downgrading of Parkhurst was precipitated by a major escape: three prisoners (two murderers and a blackmailer) escaped from the prison on 3 January 1995 for four days, before being recaptured. Parkhurst enjoyed notoriety as one of the toughest jails in the United Kingdom, and housed many notable inmates including the Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe, New Zealand drug lord Terry Clark
Coat of arms of the Isle of Wight Coat of arms of the Isle of Wight The coat of arms of the Isle of Wight was granted to the former Isle of Wight County Council in 1938. The arms were transferred to the new unitary Isle of Wight Council when the county council along with Medina and South Wight district councils were abolished in 1995. The shield contains an image of Carisbrooke Castle, the historical seat of many former governors of the island, and three gold anchors. The azure (blue) field and anchors are representative of Wight's island status and maritime history. The shield is also the basis