Much is made of(人们常谈论) Britain’s Dickensian(狄更斯式的) jails. HMP(英国监狱的正式名称前缀) Dartmoor was opened in 1809, the year Charles Darwin was born. Just now it is temporarily closed, after high levels of radon gas(放射性氡气) were found within its walls. But with 122 prisons across England and Wales, not all are so decrepit(破旧的). HMP Millsike, opened last year, is replete(充满的) with solar panels and air-source heat pumps. So which is the best prison to be a prisoner in?
人们常爱谈论英国那些狄更斯式的监狱。达特穆尔监狱建于1809年，正是查尔斯·达尔文出生的那一年。眼下它被暂时关闭，因为狱墙内检测到高浓度的氡气。但英格兰和威尔士共有122所监狱，并非所有监狱都如此破败。去年启用的米尔斯克监狱配备了太阳能电池板和空气源热泵。那么，在哪所监狱当囚犯最好呢？
Judging from(根据……判断) the Ministry of Justice’s annual performance ratings, it is Haverigg in Cumbria. Housing about 490 men, mostly sex offenders, it scored 97.5 out of 100 on its report card. Last year it recorded just four assault(袭击)s on prisoners and none on staff, while 97% of inmates were signed up to(报名参加) activity programmes. What is more(而且), no one escaped.
从司法部的年度绩效评级来看，答案是坎布里亚郡的哈弗里格监狱。该监狱关押约490名男性囚犯，其中多数是性犯罪者，在评分卡上获得97.5分（满分100分）。去年，该监狱仅记录到四起囚犯之间的袭击事件，没有工作人员遇袭，97%的囚犯报名参加了活动项目。而且，无人越狱。
Haverigg is an “open prison”, a category that tends to outperform(表现优于) the rest in part because of(部分因为) who is sent there. Open prisons are generally reserved for low-risk offender(罪犯)s who are often close to the end of their sentences(临近刑满). As a result, they can afford(给予) prisoners a much greater degree of freedom than others. Inmates can move around the prison, and can apply for temporary licence(许可)s to leave and attend medical appointments, visit family or work.
哈弗里格是一所“开放式监狱”，这类监狱往往表现优于其他监狱，部分原因在于被送往那里的囚犯类型。开放式监狱通常只关押低风险罪犯，他们往往临近刑满。因此，这类监狱能给予囚犯比其它监狱大得多的自由。囚犯可以在监狱内自由走动，还可以申请临时许可外出就医、探亲或工作。