The prison is located in the village of Appleton Thorn, near Warrington in Cheshire, England.

Thorn Cross Prison opened in 1985, on the site of the former RNAS Stretton (HMS Blackcap) airfield.

At the time, Thorn Cross was the first such institution in the United Kingdom to enforce military-style disciplinary regime for some of its inmates, which led to a part of the prison (unit 5) being labelled a boot camp.

The report also noted that Thorn Cross managed to reduce re-offending amongst its ex-inmates to just over 20 per cent, one of the best rates in the country.

Thorn Cross has a number of partnerships with national and local employers, offering opportunities for work placements prior to, and on release.