In its latter years, the base was home to the 'Jaguar Force', its pink-painted Jaguars playing a major role in the 1991 Gulf War as part of Operation Granby.

[3] The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) took temporary control of the entire site of the base whilst building works were underway.

Most of the prison is housed at part of the domestic site – in the former airmen's H-blocks, along with the junior ranks mess and NAAFI social club of the airbase.

The prison is largely used to hold Category C adult males from the East of England, convicted of sex offences.

Other services and organisations which offer support to inmates at the prison include Nacro, Citizens Advice Bureau, Jobcentre Plus and Alcoholics Anonymous.