What HMPPS is and what it is responsible for
In shortHMPPS is an executive agency sponsored by the Ministry of Justice, responsible for prisons and probation in England and Wales only.
Within England and Wales HMPPS is responsible for running prison and probation services, rehabilitation services for people leaving prison, support to stop reoffending, and contract managing private sector prisons and services such as the prisoner escort service and electronic tagging.
The 2017 framework document, which sets out the arrangements agreed between the Secretary of State and the Chief Executive, describes the agency as delivering the orders of the courts on behalf of the Secretary of State. It is dated, so use it for the principle, not for current names or job titles.
- HM Prison and Probation Service
- An executive agency, sponsored by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ). GOV.UK’s “About us” page describes it as made up of HM Prison Service, the Probation Service, the Youth Custody Service and a headquarters focused on creating tools and learning.
- Executive agency
- Explains who decides what. The Secretary of State for Justice answers to Parliament for the system, while the agency’s Chief Executive is responsible for day-to-day delivery.
The four parts: prisons, probation, youth custody and headquarters
In shortHMPPS has 65,945 FTE staff across four parts, and a prison officer sits in the prisons part, with a day-to-day line through the prison.
- Public sector prisons36,155FTE, 30 June 2026
- Probation22,133
- HQ and frontline support6,323
- Youth Custody Service1,333
In practice the HMPPS workforce statistics break staff down the same way: at 30 June 2026 total HMPPS staff in post were 65,945 FTE. These figures exclude private-sector prison staff.
For someone working on a prison wing, the practical point is that “HMPPS” is a large employer with national policy teams, a probation service and a youth custody arm, but your day-to-day line runs through your prison.
Roles such as prison officer, operational support grade and custodial manager sit in the prison part of the agency.
- HM Prison Service
- The part most readers mean when they say “the prison service”. According to GOV.UK, HMPPS manages public sector prisons and the contract for private prisons in England and Wales.
- Probation Service
- Oversees probation delivery in the community.
- Youth Custody Service (YCS)
- Oversees custody for under-18s; our guide to the youth custody estate covers how that estate works.
- Headquarters
- Described on GOV.UK as focused on creating tools and learning.
| Part of HMPPS | Staff in post (FTE) |
|---|---|
| Public sector prisons | 36,155 |
| Probation | 22,133 |
| Headquarters and frontline support | 6,323 |
| Youth Custody Service | 1,333 |
| Total HMPPS | 65,945 |
Source: HMPPS workforce quarterly, June 2026 (published 20 August 2026). Private-sector prison staff are not included. Sections may not sum exactly because of rounding in the source.
Governance at the top: board, executive committee and leadership roles
In shortA board sets strategy, an executive committee runs day-to-day activity and the Chief Executive is accountable for delivery, including designating and closing prisons by delegation.
The HMPPS “About us” structure chart, last updated on GOV.UK in August 2024, shows roles including a Director General Chief Executive Officer, a Director General for Operations, a Chief Operating Officer for Prisons, a Chief Probation Officer, an Executive Director for the Youth Custody Service, an Executive Director for the Long Term and High Security Estate and non-executive directors.
We do not name post-holders here because senior appointments change; check GOV.UK for the current chart.
The Chief Executive is also the agency’s accounting officer.
- HMPPS Board
- GOV.UK’s “Our governance” page says it is responsible for top-level agency decisions including strategy, finance, risk assessment and performance management.
- Executive management committee
- Advises the board and reports on all day-to-day activity in the agency, and has power to make management decisions between board meetings.
- Audit committee
- A separate committee that gives independent advice on risk, governance and control.
Prison groups, regions and Prison Group Directors
In shortEach region is managed by a Prison Group Director (Band 12), and the regional map changes, so check the current region for any prison.
- Prison Group DirectorBand 12Spot rate £125,902, National zone, from 1 April 2026; no Required Hours Addition
Between national headquarters and the prison gate sits the regional layer. HMPPS workforce statistics list the public sector prison regions as at June 2026, shown below. The statistics guide notes that some regions are functional rather than geographic.
- Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Norfolk
- Cumbria and Lancashire
- East Midlands
- Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire
- Hertfordshire, Essex and Suffolk
- HMPS Wales
- Kent, Surrey and Sussex
- London
- Long Term and High Security North
- Long Term and High Security South
- North East
- South Central
- South West
- West Midlands
- Women’s Estate
- Yorkshire
- Youth Custody Estate
What a Prison Group Director does
The pay tables name the grade: Band 12 is “Prison Group Director”, a spot rate of £125,902 in the National zone from 1 April 2026 with no Required Hours Addition.
HMPPS policy frameworks show what the role does in practice. The Local Security Strategy policy framework, for example, says Prison Group Directors monitor compliance in public sector prisons, and the dogs framework says Governors agree certain security deployments with the Prison Group Director.
Governors: running a single prison
In shortEvery prison has a governor, accountable through the management line, with specific legal functions under the Prison Rules 1999.
- GovernorBand 10 and 11
- Deputy GovernorBand 9
Section 7 of the Prison Act 1952 says every prison shall have a governor, a chaplain and a medical officer and such other officers as may be necessary. The framework document adds that governors are accountable through the management line for the performance of their prison.
In the pay tables, Band 10 and Band 11 are titled Governor and Band 9 Deputy Governor.
Governors are not only managers; the Prison Rules 1999 give them specific legal functions, as retrieved on legislation.gov.uk on 3 October 2026.
- Rule 45
- Makes the governor the authority for removing a prisoner from association.
- Rule 53
- Disciplinary charges are inquired into by the governor or, in certain cases, an independent adjudicator.
- Rule 81
- Allows a governor, with the leave of the Secretary of State, to delegate powers and duties under the Rules to another officer of the prison.
Public sector, contracted and Scottish or Northern Irish prisons
In shortNot every prison is run by HMPPS: 15 contracted establishments are staffed by their operators, and Scotland and Northern Ireland are separate employers.
- Contracted establishments (England and Wales)15
- Scotland16 publicly managed + 1 privateScottish Prison Service
- Northern Ireland3 establishmentsMaghaberry, Magilligan, Hydebank Wood
Not every prison in England and Wales is run by HMPPS. The estate research behind this site identifies 15 contracted establishments, listed below. HMPPS contract-manages them.
The operator named on each GOV.UK establishment page is shown in that research, but several pages date from 2022, so confirm an operator before relying on a company name. Birmingham (public since July 2019) and Lowdham Grange (public since 1 August 2024) are no longer private.
- Altcourse, Ashfield, Bronzefield, Doncaster, Dovegate
- Five Wells, Forest Bank, Fosse Way, Millsike, Northumberland
- Oakwood, Parc, Peterborough, Rye Hill and Thameside
Private-sector staff
Private-sector staff are employed by the operator, not by HMPPS, and the HMPPS workforce statistics exclude them. Their terms are not the Fair and Sustainable pay structure described in our pay bands guide.
Our guide to private prisons in the UK explains the differences, and the job offer comparator can help you set an offer from a private operator against an HMPPS one.
Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland’s Scottish Prison Service says it has 16 publicly managed prisons and one run by a private sector operator under contract. Northern Ireland has three establishments: Maghaberry, Magilligan and Hydebank Wood College and Women’s Prison.
These are separate employers with separate rules, which is why we state the nation whenever we quote pay.
Independent bodies that sit outside the line
In shortInspectors, monitors, an ombudsman and a pay review body watch the system from outside the management line.
Separately, HMPPS publishes annual prison performance ratings. The 2025/26 ratings, published on 30 July 2026, covered 120 prisons. The publication cautions that framework changes limit year-on-year comparison.
- HM Chief Inspector of Prisons
- The 2017 framework document says the Secretary of State receives reports from His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Prisons on independent inspections of prisons.
- Independent Monitoring Board (IMB)
- Appointed by the Secretary of State for every prison to provide an independent assessment of the humane and just treatment of those in custody.
- Prisons and Probation Ombudsman
- Appointed to consider complaints once internal procedures are exhausted. The Ombudsman also has a standing commission to investigate deaths in custody.
- Prison Service Pay Review Body (PSPRB)
- Independent too. HMPPS submits evidence, as do the POA, the PCS and others, and the PSPRB recommends pay for the remit group. Its 25th Report, published on 26 March 2026, recommended a 3.5% consolidated and pensionable increase from 1 April 2026, which the government accepted in full. Our guide to the 2026/27 pay rise covers the award.
| Rating | Prisons |
|---|---|
| 4 (outstanding) | 16 |
| 3 (good) | 65 |
| 2 (concern) | 25 |
| 1 (serious concern) | 14 |
The publication cautions that framework changes limit year-on-year comparison.
Where a prison officer fits in the structure
In shortA prison officer is Band 3, and most staff are officers or operational support grades, which is why each step up is competitive.
- Remit group, 30 September 202528,905 FTEPSPRB
- Bands 3 and 4 officers (incl. specialists)19,124 FTE
- Band 2 operational support5,388 FTE
- Bands 9 to 12212 FTE
A prison officer is Band 3 in the Fair and Sustainable structure. Above that sit Band 4 supervising and specialist officers, Band 5 custodial managers, Band 6 to 8 managers and heads of function, then Band 9 to 11 deputy governors and governors and Band 12 Prison Group Directors.
The PSPRB counted 28,905 FTE in its remit group at 30 September 2025, of whom 19,124 FTE were Band 3 and 4 officers including specialists, 1,663 Band 4 supervising officers, 1,747 Band 5 custodial managers, 771 in Bands 6 to 8 and 212 in Bands 9 to 12, plus 5,388 Band 2 operational support grades.
That shape explains why promotion is competitive: most staff are officers or operational support grades, and each step up has far fewer posts.
| Grade group | FTE |
|---|---|
| Bands 9 to 12 / senior managers | 212 |
| Bands 6 to 8 / managers | 771 |
| Band 5 / custodial managers | 1,747 |
| Band 4 / supervising officers | 1,663 |
| Bands 3 to 4 / prison officers including specialists | 19,124 |
| Band 2 / operational support grades | 5,388 |
| Total remit group | 28,905 |
Source: PSPRB Twenty-Fifth Report 2026, Table 2.2. The remit group covers operational staff in HM Prison Service, the Youth Custody Service and HMPPS headquarters on the grades the PSPRB advises on.
Common mistakes when reading the structure
In shortConfusing HMPPS, the MoJ and HM Prison Service, assuming private prisons are HMPPS, or trusting job titles over bands are the main errors.
The titles are consistent enough once you know them, but job adverts can use local labels, so read the band and the duties rather than the title.
Finally, remember that policy changes: HMPPS publishes policy frameworks on GOV.UK and revises them. When we quote one we give its date, and we recommend you check your own establishment’s local instructions, because many security and regime details are set locally.
- Check the employer named on the advert: HMPPS, a private operator, SPS or NIPS.
- Check the band, not just the title.
- Check the policy framework’s issue date before relying on it.
- Ask your establishment which region and Prison Group Director it falls under.
Three common mistakes
Mistakes
- Treating “HMPPS”, “the Ministry of Justice” and “the prison service” as the same thing.
- Assuming a private prison is part of HMPPS.
- Expecting the same grade names everywhere.
What is true
- HMPPS is the agency, the MoJ is the sponsoring department, and HM Prison Service is one part of the agency.
- A private prison is contract-managed by HMPPS but staffed and run by the operator.
- HMPPS pages use “Band 4 prison officer” for the specialist and supervising roles, the pay tables use “Supervising / Specialist Officer”, and older conduct policy refers to Custodial Manager or Hub Manager.
Frequently asked questions
What is HMPPS?
HM Prison and Probation Service is an executive agency of the Ministry of Justice. GOV.UK says it carries out sentences given by the courts in custody and the community, and is made up of HM Prison Service, the Probation Service, the Youth Custody Service and a headquarters. It covers England and Wales only.
Is HMPPS the same as the Ministry of Justice?
No. The Ministry of Justice is the government department, and HMPPS is an executive agency sponsored by it. The Secretary of State for Justice answers to Parliament; the HMPPS Chief Executive is responsible for day-to-day delivery and is the agency’s accounting officer.
Who runs an individual prison?
A governor. Section 7 of the Prison Act 1952 says every prison must have one, and the framework document says governors are accountable through the management line for their prison’s performance. In public sector prisons, governors report within a regional group led by a Prison Group Director.
What is a Prison Group Director?
A senior grade, Band 12 in the pay tables (a spot rate of £125,902 in the National zone from 1 April 2026), responsible for a regional group of prisons. HMPPS frameworks show them monitoring compliance, for example with the Local Security Strategy policy framework.
Are private prison staff employed by HMPPS?
No. Private-sector staff are employed by the operator, and HMPPS workforce statistics exclude them. HMPPS contract-manages the 15 contracted prisons in England and Wales, but pay and conditions are set by the operator.
Do Scotland and Northern Ireland use HMPPS?
No. Scotland has the Scottish Prison Service and Northern Ireland has the Northern Ireland Prison Service. Pay, structure and conduct rules differ, so check the nation before comparing roles or salaries.
Which independent bodies oversee prisons?
HM Inspectorate of Prisons inspects them, Independent Monitoring Boards monitor each prison, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman handles complaints and investigates deaths, and the Prison Service Pay Review Body recommends pay. They report outside the HMPPS management line.
Sources
- gov.ukGOV.UK: HM Prison and Probation Service, About us
- gov.ukGOV.UK: HMPPS, Our governance
- assets.publishing.service.gov.ukHMPPS framework document (April 2017)
- legislation.gov.ukPrison Act 1952, section 7 (legislation.gov.uk)
- gov.ukHMPPS workforce quarterly, June 2026
- gov.ukPSPRB Twenty-Fifth Report on England and Wales 2026
- gov.ukHMPPS prison performance ratings 2025 to 2026