UK Prison Statistics

Data-driven insights into the state of the UK prison system

Snapshot

Week-over-week changes in the latest reporting period.

Report date: 06 July 2026

Total Population

85,840

Latest reported population

79 (0.09%)

Capacity

89,090

Useable operational capacity

30 (-0.03%)

Headroom

3,250

Available spaces

109 (-3.25%)

Overcrowding Rate

96.4%

Capacity utilization

0 (0.12%)

Prison Population

85,840

79 (0.09%)

England & Wales 06 July 2026

Reoffending Rate

25.4%

Proven reoffending

Occupancy Rate

96.4%

Prison capacity utilization

Employment on Release

17.0%

Find employment

Useable Operational Capacity

89,090

30 (-0.03%)

Total prison places

Headroom

3,250

109 (-3.25%)

Available spaces

Population vs Capacity

85,840 89,090
Population Capacity

Adult Male

82,223

85 (0.10%)

Adult male prisoners

Female

3,334

15 (-0.45%)

Female prisoners

Young Custody (YCS)

283

9 (3.28%)

Youth custody service

Home Detention Curfew

4,318

42 (0.98%)

HDC caseload

Prison Population Trend

England & Wales total prison population

Overcrowding Trend

Occupancy rate across the weekly reporting period

Population vs Capacity Trend

Historical comparison of prison population against operational capacity

Population by Region

Latest reported prison population for each UK jurisdiction.

England and Wales

85,840

Latest figure (2026)

Scotland

7,800

Latest figure (2024)

Northern Ireland

1,850

Latest figure (2024)

Prison Capacity

Capacity and population for individual prisons across the estate.

Prison Category Region Operator Capacity Population Occupancy
HMP & YOI Bronzefield Women's prison Privately Managed Prisons Sodexo
HMP & YOI Parc Category B Privately Managed Prisons G4S
HMP & YOI Peterborough Sodexo
HMP Altcourse Category B Privately Managed Prisons Sodexo 1,194 1,193 99.9%
HMP Ashfield Category C Privately Managed Prisons Serco
HMP Aylesbury Category C South Central HMPPS 435 401 92.2%
HMP Bedford Category B East of England HMPPS 371 418 112.7%
HMP Bedford Category B Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Norfolk Group HMPPS
HMP Belmarsh Category A Long Term & High Security HMPPS
HMP Belmarsh Category A London HMPPS 831 847 101.9%
HMP Berwyn Category C HMPPS Wales HMPPS
HMP Birmingham Category B West Midlands Group HMPPS 997 976 97.9%
HMP Birmingham Category B West Midlands HMPPS 997 976 97.9%
HMP Bristol Category B South West HMPPS 564 526 93.3%
HMP Bristol Category B Avon and South Dorset Prison Group HMPPS
HMP Brixton Category B London Group HMPPS
HMP Brixton Category B London HMPPS 801 789 98.5%
HMP Buckley Hall Category C North West HMPPS 343 447 130.3%
HMP Buckley Hall Category C Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire Group HMPPS
HMP Bullingdon Category B / Category C South Central Group HMPPS 1,112 1,102 99.1%
HMP Bullingdon Category B / Category C South Central HMPPS 1,112 1,102 99.1%
HMP Bure Category C East of England HMPPS 708 699 98.7%
HMP Bure Category C Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Norfolk Group HMPPS
HMP Cardiff Category B HMPPS Wales HMPPS
HMP Cardiff Category B Wales HMPPS 850 840 98.8%
HMP Channings Wood Category C Devon and North Dorset Prison Group HMPPS
HMP Coldingley Category C Kent, Surrey and Sussex Group HMPPS 513 505 98.4%
HMP Coldingley Category C South East HMPPS 513 505 98.4%
HMP Cookham Wood Category C HMPPS
HMP Cookham Wood Category C Kent, Surrey and Sussex Group HMPPS 180 150 83.3%
HMP Dartmoor Category C South West HMPPS 659 649 98.5%
HMP Dartmoor Category C Devon and North Dorset Prison Group HMPPS
HMP Deerbolt Category C North East HMPPS 513 479 93.4%
HMP Doncaster Category B Yorkshire and the Humber Serco 1,145 1,121 97.9%
HMP Doncaster Category B Privately Managed Prisons Serco
HMP Dovegate Category B Privately Managed Prisons Serco
HMP Downview Female South East HMPPS 332 348 104.8%
HMP Drake Hall Female West Midlands HMPPS 315 361 114.6%
HMP Durham Local North East HMPPS 917 917 100.0%
HMP Durham Category B North East Group HMPPS
HMP Elmley Category B / Category C South East HMPPS 846 846 100.0%
HMP Erlestoke Category C South West HMPPS 519 541 104.2%
HMP Erlestoke Category C Avon and South Dorset Prison Group HMPPS
HMP Exeter Category B Devon and North Dorset Prison Group HMPPS 310 307 99.0%
HMP Exeter Category B South West HMPPS 310 307 99.0%
HMP Featherstone Category C West Midlands HMPPS 709 692 97.6%
HMP Featherstone Category C West Midlands Group HMPPS
HMP Feltham YOI London HMPPS 863 761 88.2%
HMP Five Wells Category C Privately Managed Prisons G4S
HMP Ford Category D Kent, Surrey and Sussex Group HMPPS
HMP Ford Category D South East HMPPS 521 480 92.1%
HMP Forest Bank Category B North West Sodexo 1,470 1,463 99.5%
HMP Forest Bank Category B Privately Managed Prisons Sodexo 1,470 1,463 99.5%
HMP Fosse Way Category C Privately Managed Prisons Serco
HMP Foston Hall Female East Midlands HMPPS 321 339 105.6%
HMP Frankland Category A / Category B North East HMPPS 839 801 95.5%
HMP Frankland Category A / Category B Long Term & High Security HMPPS
HMP Full Sutton Category A / Category B Long Term & High Security HMPPS
HMP Garth Category B Long Term & High Security HMPPS
HMP Gartree Category B Long Term & High Security HMPPS
HMP Grendon Category B South Central Group HMPPS
HMP Guys Marsh Category C Devon and North Dorset Prison Group HMPPS
HMP Haverigg Category D Cumbria and Lancashire Group HMPPS
HMP Hewell Category B West Midlands Group HMPPS
HMP Highpoint Category C Hertfordshire, Essex and Suffolk Group HMPPS
HMP Holme House Category B North East Group HMPPS
HMP Hull Category B / Category C / Category D Yorkshire Group HMPPS
HMP Humber Category C Yorkshire Group HMPPS
HMP Huntercombe Category C South Central Group HMPPS
HMP Isle of Wight Category B Long Term & High Security HMPPS 968 961 99.3%
HMP Kirkham Category D Cumbria and Lancashire Group HMPPS
HMP Kirklevington Grange Category D North East Group HMPPS
HMP Lancaster Farms Category C Cumbria and Lancashire Group HMPPS
HMP Leeds Category B Yorkshire Group HMPPS 1,110 1,088 98.0%
HMP Leeds Category B Yorkshire HMPPS 1,110 1,088 98.0%
HMP Leicester Category B / Category C / Category D East Midlands Group HMPPS
HMP Leyhill Category D Avon and South Dorset Prison Group HMPPS
HMP Lindholme Category C Yorkshire Group HMPPS
HMP Littlehey Category C Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Norfolk Group HMPPS
HMP Liverpool Category B Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire Group HMPPS
HMP Liverpool Category B North West HMPPS 1,244 1,180 94.9%
HMP Long Lartin Category A / Category B Long Term & High Security HMPPS
HMP Lowdham Grange Category B Long Term & High Security HMPPS 888 836 94.1%
HMP Maidstone Category C Kent, Surrey and Sussex Group HMPPS 583 526 90.2%
HMP Manchester Category A / Category B Long Term & High Security HMPPS
HMP Manchester Category A / Category B North West HMPPS 1,206 1,150 95.4%
HMP Millsike Category C Privately Managed Prisons Mitie C&C 1,500
HMP Morton Hall Category C East Midlands Group HMPPS
HMP North Sea Camp Category D East Midlands Group HMPPS
HMP Northumberland Category C Privately Managed Prisons Sodexo 1,236 1,223 98.9%
HMP Nottingham Category B East Midlands Group HMPPS
HMP Oakwood Category C Privately Managed Prisons G4S
HMP Oakwood Category C West Midlands G4S 2,106 1,950 92.6%
HMP Onley Category B East Midlands Group HMPPS 742 729 98.2%
HMP Pentonville Category B / Category C / Category D London HMPPS 1,205 1,189 98.7%
HMP Prescoed Category D (open) HMPPS Wales HMPPS
HMP Preston Category B Cumbria and Lancashire Group HMPPS
HMP Ranby Category C East Midlands Group HMPPS
HMP Risley Category B Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire Group HMPPS
HMP Rye Hill Category C Privately Managed Prisons G4S
HMP Send Women's prison Women’s Estate HMPPS
HMP Spring Hill Category D South Central Group HMPPS
HMP Stafford Category C West Midlands Group HMPPS
HMP Standford Hill Category D Kent, Surrey and Sussex Group HMPPS 464 412 88.8%
HMP Stocken Category C East Midlands Group HMPPS
HMP Sudbury Category D West Midlands Group HMPPS
HMP Swaleside Category B Long Term & High Security HMPPS 922 879 95.3%
HMP Swansea Category B HMPPS Wales HMPPS
HMP Thameside Category B Privately Managed Prisons Serco 1,232 1,213 98.5%
HMP Thameside Category B London Serco 1,232 1,213 98.5%
HMP The Mount Category C Hertfordshire, Essex and Suffolk Group HMPPS 1,032 1,022 99.0%
HMP The Verne Category C Avon and South Dorset Prison Group HMPPS
HMP Usk Category C HMPPS Wales HMPPS
HMP Wakefield Category A / Category B Long Term & High Security HMPPS
HMP Wandsworth Category B / Category C London Group HMPPS
HMP Wandsworth Category B / Category C London HMPPS 1,628 1,450 89.1%
HMP Warren Hill Category C Hertfordshire, Essex and Suffolk Group HMPPS 269 267 99.3%
HMP Wayland Category C Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Norfolk Group HMPPS
HMP Wealstun Category C Yorkshire Group HMPPS
HMP Whatton Category C East Midlands Group HMPPS
HMP Whitemoor Category A / Category B Long Term & High Security HMPPS 458 455 99.3%
HMP Wormwood Scrubs Category B / Category C / Category D London Group HMPPS
HMP Wymott Category C Cumbria and Lancashire Group HMPPS
HMP/YOI Askham Grange Female Open Women’s Estate HMPPS
HMP/YOI Aylesbury Category C South Central Group HMPPS
HMP/YOI Brinsford Category C West Midlands Group HMPPS
HMP/YOI Chelmsford Category B Hertfordshire, Essex and Suffolk Group HMPPS
HMP/YOI Chelmsford Category B East of England HMPPS 780 750 96.2%
HMP/YOI Deerbolt Category C North East Group HMPPS
HMP/YOI Downview Women's prison Women’s Estate HMPPS
HMP/YOI Drake Hall Women's prison Women’s Estate HMPPS
HMP/YOI East Sutton Park Women's prison Women’s Estate HMPPS
HMP/YOI Eastwood Park Women's prison Women’s Estate HMPPS
HMP/YOI Elmley Category B / Category C Kent, Surrey and Sussex Group HMPPS
HMP/YOI Foston Hall Women's prison Women’s Estate HMPPS
HMP/YOI Hatfield (Main site) Category D HMPPS
HMP/YOI High Down Category B London Group HMPPS
HMP/YOI Hindley Category C Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire Group HMPPS
HMP/YOI Hollesley Bay Category D Hertfordshire, Essex and Suffolk Group HMPPS
HMP/YOI Isis Category C London Group HMPPS
HMP/YOI Lewes Category B / Category C / Category D Kent, Surrey and Sussex Group HMPPS
HMP/YOI Lincoln Category B East Midlands Group HMPPS 614 567 92.3%
HMP/YOI Low Newton Female Closed Women’s Estate HMPPS
HMP/YOI Moorland Category C Yorkshire Group HMPPS
HMP/YOI New Hall Women's prison Women’s Estate HMPPS
HMP/YOI Norwich Category B / Category C / Category D Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Norfolk Group HMPPS
HMP/YOI Pentonville Category B / Category C / Category D London Group HMPPS 1,205 1,189 98.7%
HMP/YOI Portland Category C Avon and South Dorset Prison Group HMPPS 534
HMP/YOI Rochester Category C Kent, Surrey and Sussex Group HMPPS
HMP/YOI Stoke Heath Category C West Midlands Group HMPPS
HMP/YOI Styal Women's prison Women’s Estate HMPPS
HMP/YOI Swinfen Hall Category C West Midlands Group HMPPS
HMP/YOI Thorn Cross Category D Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire Group HMPPS
HMP/YOI Winchester Category B / Category C South Central Group HMPPS
HMP/YOI Woodhill Category B Long Term & High Security HMPPS
HMYOI Feltham HMPPS
HMYOI Werrington Youth & young offenders CYPSE HMPPS
HMYOI Wetherby Youth & young offenders CYPSE HMPPS 288

Electronic Monitoring

Data as of December 2025

Source: Ministry of Justice

Total EM Caseload

28,111

1.5%

All monitoring types

GPS/Location

16,010

2.4%

Location monitoring

Curfew/RF

8,510

0.5%

Radio frequency curfew

EM Caseload Trends

Monthly caseload by monitoring type

Caseload by Cohort

Distribution of EM caseload across different cohort types

Data Sources

Data compiled from Ministry of Justice, HMPPS annual reports, Prison Reform Trust, and Howard League research. Last updated: 06 July 2026.