Downview was converted from a former nurses' home of
Banstead Hospital; it opened in 1989 as a
Category C male prison. In 1992, HMP Downview saw the establishment of the UK's first intensive drug and alcohol rehabilitation programme. The programme was established by the
Rehabilitation for Addicted Prisoners Trust and was opened by
Anthony Hopkins, who remains a patron of the trust. In September 2001, owing to increased demand for places at women's prisons in the UK, Downview's role changed to a "closed" prison for adult women. A year later, one of the prison's
chaplains resigned after claims that he had demanded sexual favours from inmates in exchange for communion wine. In December 2004 a sixteen-bed juvenile unit opened at Downview for young female offenders (both
remand and convicted) aged from 15-18, in partnership with the
Youth Justice Board. The PRIME project was launched at Downview in April 2006; it is now known as The Media House. It is a media educational and broadcast facility inside the prison. The project, managed by Maria Esposito from 2007 to 2013, has won several awards including the Butler Trust Award in 2010/11. Prisoners can achieve a
BTEC qualification for completing the 16-week course. ==The prison today==