The Prisons Handbook 2026
THE PRISONS HANDBOOK 2026.
The Definitive 1,350-Page Annual Guide to the Prison System of England and Wales – now in its 27th annual edition
ISBN 978-1-7396323-7-3
Status: PRE-PUBLICATION: COMING 25 OCTOBER 2025
BUY NOW AT DISCOUNTED PRICE!
“The Prisons Handbook continues to be essential reading, providing a comprehensive understanding of the prison and justice systems, and rightly sits in every prison library” (taken from the Foreword to The Prisons Handbook 2025 by…)
What’s they say about The Prisons Handbook…
“Providing accurate information about prisons to government, the Prison Service and the wider community is the role The Prisons Handbook performs so well it is widely used throughout the whole Prison Service; it does a unique job”: Paul Goggins MP, Under-Secretary of State for Offender Management
“A Jewel in the Publishers Crown”: Justice of The Peace
“A ‘must’ for anyone with a personal or professional interest in prisons”: Prison Service News
“A tour-de-force through current penal policy and practice”: Prison Service Journal
“An invaluable source of authoritative information about prisons”: Baroness Scotland KC
What’s in the 2026 Edition?
Status: Published: 25 October 2025.
ISBN 978-1-7396323-7-3
Editor: Mark Leech
Prison Privatisation Timeline 1970-2026, 6
Preface: 2026, 7
Summary – September 2026, 7
Types of prison and YOIs, 7
Adult male prisons – types, 7
Adult female prisons, 7
Female Strategy Delivery Plan 2022-2025, 7
Prisons for children and young adults, 7
Private sector prisons, 8
Timeline: Prison Privatisation 1970-2026, 8
Age of the prison estate, 8
Construction: 10-Year Prison Capacity Strategy –
December 2024, 8
• New Prisons, 9
• Houseblocks, 9
• Refurbishments, 9
• Rapid Deployment Cells, 9
• Women’s Estate, 9
• Category D, 9
• Additional Sites, 9
Ministerial Statements, 9
Accommodation Standards:
• Sanitation, 12
• Lighting, 12
• Heating, 12
• Ventilation, 13
• Fittings, 13
• Communication with an officer, 13
The Prison Estate, October 2025, 14-26
Prisons: By Name, Operator & Function 2026, 16
Prison Estate Tables: England & Wales 2026 , 17
Area Executive Directors, 25
Map of Prison Service Establishments 2026, 27-30
HMPPS CEO, DG and Director structure, 30
Governing Governors/Directors, 32
Private Sector Prison Contractors, 34
Other UK Prison Addresses, 34
Mark Leech Biography, 43
Prisoner Location Service, 44
HMPPS Contact Details, 44
Ministry of Justice Press Office, 44
Foreword: Adrian Usher, Prison and Probation Ombudsman for England and Wales: Mental Health Is Everyone’s Concern, 44
Dedication, Audrey Edwards, Winner of the First Longford Prize and Mental Health Campaigner, By Peter Stanford, Director – Longford Trust, 46
OpEd, Lucy Barnes LL.B.,LL.M., Barrister-atLaw: ‘From Care to Counsel’, 47
Acknowledgements, 49
Introduction to the 2026 Edition, 50
MOJ Directory of Service Specifications, 52
Glossary of Terms, 53
SECTION 1: PRISONS
1.1 Prison Service Establishments in England and Wales 2026, 57-644
SECTION 2 – ADVICE
2.1 Early Days in Custody, 655
2.2 Offending Behaviour Programmes, 687
2.3 Criminal Cases review Commission, 692
2.4 requests and Complaints, 695
2.5 Prisoner Communications, 706
2.6 Drugs and Alcohol in Prison Institutions, 722
2.7 The Prison Disciplinary System, 725
2.8 Who Can Help?, 737
2.9 Healthcare, 741
2.10 religion, 746
2.11 Equality Age, Gender, Disability & race, 751
2.12 Benefits and Subsistence Payments, 755
2.13 release and recall, 757
2.14 Indeterminate Sentences, 793
2.15 Women Prisoners, 805
2.16 Young Offenders (18-21 year olds), 810
2.17 Young People (15-17 year olds), 813
2.18 Foreign Nationals, 816
2.19 Disability in Prison, 819
2.20 Education, Training & Skills, 822
2.21 Work and Pay, 826
2.22 Incentives, 832
2.23 Civil Partnerships & Marriage, 845
2.24 Elderly Prisoners, 850
2.25.1 Segregation, 852
2.25.2 Close Supervision Centres, 868
2.25.3 Separation Centres, 872
2.26 Security Categorisation, 873
SECTION 3 – THE DIRECTORY
3.1 Government & Statutory Agencies, 883
SECTION 4 – LEGAL
4.1 Prisoners & The Law; an introduction, 889
4.1.1 Prisons Rules 1999: September 2025, 890
4.1.2 Parole Board Rules 2019: September 2025, 913
4.2 A-Z Subject Index: ‘Access to Justice’ through
to ‘Zoonotic Infections’, 925
4.3 Criminal Appeals: September 2025, 1,071
SECTION 5 – FORUM: Something to Say?
5.1. Mark Fear, Senior Product & Marketing Manager Thruvision: Safe and respectful disruption of contraband within custody establishments., 1,101
5.2. Lord Timpson, Prisons Minister: I’ve spent decades inside prisons – here’s how I’ll fix them for good., 1,103
5.3. Charlie Taylor, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons: Four years on: Neurodiversity in prisons. 1,104
5.4. Wyn Jones, Director, HMP Fosse Way: How can the private sector bring positive change to prisons?, 1,105
5.5. Rob Hastings, journalist and editor: How open prisons help offenders., 1,107
5.6 Vicki Harman, Professor of Sociology at the University of Reading and co-investigator of the Doing Porridge research project: Prison Food: Path to rehabilitation or a form of punishment., 1,110
5.7. Dr Lisa Forsberg, Senior Research Fellow in the Uehiro Oxford Institute, Somerville College, Oxford: Mandatory chemical castration could be ethically acceptable., 1,111
5.8. Kathryn Reece-Thomas, Director, Reece Thomas Watson solicitors: Misdiagnosis in Prison: Why ADHD, Autism or PTSD are so often missed — and why it matters at parole hearings., 1,113
5.9. Brian Thornton, Senior Lecturer in Journalism at the University of Winchester: Peter Sullivan was wrongly jailed for 38 years – and it’s not a bizarre one-off., 1,115
5.10. Maggie O’Riordan, deputy Editor, The Times, London: The justice system is in crisis. We spent a year finding solutions., 1,116
5.11. Sonja Jessup, BBC Home Affairs Editor, London: Why victims are quitting the criminal justice system., 1,117
5.12. Mike Trace, Chief Executive Officer, The Forward Trust: I’m More Than My Past. 1,118
SECTION 6 – REPORTS
6.1 Annual Reports, 1,121
6.1.1 HM Prison & Probation Service Annual report 2023/2024, 1,121
6.1.1.1 HM Prison & Probation Service IPP Annual report 2024/2025, 1,122
6.1.2 Prison & Probation Ombudsman’s Annual report 2024/25, 1,123
6.1.3 HM Chief Inspector of Prisons Annual report 2024/25, 1,125
6.1.4 Parole Board For England & Wales Annual report 2024/25, 1,127
6.1.5 HM Chief Inspector of Probation Annual Youth report 2024, 1,131
6.1.5.1 HM Probation Inspectorate National Inspection report 2025, 1,132
SECTION 7 – ANNEXES
7.1 Over 900 Parliamentary Questions 2024/2025, 1,133
7.2 Safety in Custody, 1,187
7.2.1 Deaths in Custody, 1,187
7.2.2 Self-Harm in Custody, 1,194
7.2.3 Assaults in Custody, 1,196
7.3 Policy Frameworks, PSIs, PSOs, PIs, 1,198
7.4 Staff Awards & Prizes, 1,228
SECTION 8 – PRISON STAFF 2026
8.1 Officers: Becoming a Prison Officer, 1,233
8.2 Governors: Future Prison Leaders Programme, 1,248
8.3 Promotion – from bottom to top, 1,250
8.4 HMPPS Workforce Statistics August 2025, 1,251
8.5 HMPPS Annual Staff Equalities Report 1,259
8.6 Pay Scales 2025/2026, 1,274-1,286
INDEX, 1,287-1,324
Important Questions Answered
Do we know what we’re doing?
Yes! Prisons Org UK is an MOJ Approved Book Retailer verify us on Gov.UK here (page 12) – and we’ve been doing this for over 25 years!
Will the prison accept the books?
Yes! As an Approved Book Retailer we have special procedures for sending books into prisons that are not available to the public, so when our books arrive prison staff will have already had advance notice to expect them – and they can tell instantly that they have come directly from our securely held stock. This ensures our books are accepted on arrival – and are often issued much faster too.
Can I send the book to the prison myself
Yes – but… If you prefer to have the book sent to you, so you can send the book to the prison yourself, be aware this means:
- You lose all the prisoner discount – you must pay the full public price and until you do, the order will be stopped; and
- You pay two lots of postage – one for us to send you the book, and a second when you to send the book to the prison; and
- There is likely to be a delay in the book being issued while it is subject to security checks.
International Postage
The postage and packing prices are set by default to the mainland United Kingdom, however if you want the book(s) you have purchased to be sent outside of the UK, please study our international postage rates below and select the right rate during the check out process.
There are three rates, Europe, World Zone 1 (WZ1) and World Zone 2 (WZ2). Each of these postage methods are fully tracked and signed for on delivery, and when you select the appropriate Shipping rate during the check out process the correct postage and packing rates is automatically inserted.
Please note the delivery time scale for international – whatever the zone – is five to seven days
E&OE.
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