Category C Trainer prisons
Category C trainer prisons typically hold sentenced men assessed as Category C, with work, education and training central to the regime. The Category C Trainer group has 15 prisons in our dataset: 13 run by HMPPS; 2 privately run (Serco: Ashfield and G4S: Rye Hill). By designation they are 13 HMP, 2 HMP & YOI. This is HMPPS's role label for the prison, not the security category of any individual prisoner.
- Prisons
- 15 2 privately run
- Operational capacity
- 11,058 Itemised sites, 24 Aug 2026
- Market supplements
- 2 HMPPS pay page, 3 Oct 2026
- Regions
- 9 Geographic regions
The Category C Trainer group in numbers
Across the 14 sites with an itemised figure, HMPPS reports an operational capacity of 11,058 and a population of 10,824 (98%) at 24 August 2026. The largest is HMP Stocken at 1,285; the smallest is HMP Aylesbury at 402; the highest occupancy is HMP Bure at 100% of its operational capacity. 1 site here share a combined HMPPS figure with a neighbour and is left out of these totals.
Of the 13 HMPPS-run prisons, 13 in the National zone. Band 3 entry pay on 39 hours runs from £37,131 (Wymott) to £43,131 (Aylesbury) once any supplement is counted. On the HMPPS market supplement list: Aylesbury (£3,000), Stocken (£2,000).
HMPPS's 2025/26 performance ratings cover 15 of them: 2 outstanding, 11 good, 2 of concern. The highest overall score is 84.9% (Usk) and the lowest is 56.1% (Swinfen Hall).
15 prisons have an HMIP report on record; 15 have four graded tests from a full inspection. On safety the latest full inspections gave 9 good, 3 reasonably good, 3 not sufficiently good and 0 poor. 3 had every test at reasonably good or better (Rye Hill, Stafford, Usk). One was graded poor on at least one test (Deerbolt). The newest report is Bure (September 2026) and the oldest is Stocken (May 2023).
Staffing against target (Band 3 to 5, hours-adjusted FTE, 30 June 2026) is published for 13 of them: 155 FTE short in total, with Stocken furthest below (-40). A gap is a staffing measure, not advertised vacancies.
Geographically the group is spread across West Midlands (3), South West (2), North West (2), East of England (2), East Midlands (2), North East (1), South East (1), Yorkshire and the Humber (1), Wales (1).
Counted from our dataset, 3 October 2026.
Prison by prison: key numbers
| Prison | Capacity | Full | HMPPS rating | HMIP safety | Latest HMIP report | 39h entry pay (* with supplement) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stocken | 1,285 | 98% | 3 of 4, 63.7% | good | May 2023 | £41,131 * |
| Littlehey | 1,243 | 100% | 3 of 4, 60.8% | good | December 2023 | £37,131 |
| Wymott | 1,144 | 98% | 3 of 4, 61.2% | reasonably good | April 2024 | £37,131 |
| Rye Hill | 1,122 | 100% | 3 of 4, 78.4% | good | November 2024 | Not HMPPS pay |
| Lindholme | 1,010 | 93% | 3 of 4, 65.7% | not sufficiently good | September 2026 | £37,131 |
| Whatton | 805 | 96% | 3 of 4, 66.8% | good | April 2024 | £37,131 |
| Stafford | 761 | 99% | 3 of 4, 75.3% | good | March 2025 | £37,131 |
| The Verne | 645 | 100% | 3 of 4, 74.3% | good | October 2024 | £37,131 |
| Bure | 643 | 100% | 3 of 4, 72.8% | good | September 2026 | £37,131 |
| Swinfen Hall | 624 | 98% | 2 of 4, 56.1% | not sufficiently good | November 2024 | £37,131 |
| Usk | 496 | n/a | 4 of 4, 84.9% | good | August 2025 | £37,131 |
| Deerbolt | 490 | 98% | 2 of 4, 56.7% | not sufficiently good | November 2025 | £37,131 |
| Buckley Hall | 469 | 96% | 3 of 4, 68.8% | reasonably good | May 2024 | £37,131 |
| Ashfield | 415 | 99% | 4 of 4, 81.5% | good | July 2026 | Not HMPPS pay |
| Aylesbury | 402 | 94% | 3 of 4, 62.8% | reasonably good | May 2026 | £43,131 * |
All Category C Trainer prisons
| Prison | Region | Town | Type | HMPPS group | Run by | Capacity | Band 3 entry, 39h | Supplement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HMP & YOI Deerbolt | North East | Barnard Castle | HMP & YOI | Category C Trainer | Public (HMPPS) | 490 | £37,131 | None |
| HMP & YOI Swinfen Hall | West Midlands | near Lichfield | HMP & YOI | Category C Trainer | Public (HMPPS) | 624 | £37,131 | None |
| HMP Ashfield | South West | Pucklechurch, Bristol | HMP | Category C Trainer | Private | 415 | n/a | n/a |
| HMP Aylesbury | South East | Aylesbury | HMP | Category C Trainer | Public (HMPPS) | 402 | £43,131 | £3,000 |
| HMP Buckley Hall | North West | Rochdale | HMP | Category C Trainer | Public (HMPPS) | 469 | £37,131 | None |
| HMP Bure | East of England | near Norwich | HMP | Category C Trainer | Public (HMPPS) | 643 | £37,131 | None |
| HMP Lindholme | Yorkshire and the Humber | near Doncaster | HMP | Category C Trainer | Public (HMPPS) | 1,010 | £37,131 | None |
| HMP Littlehey | East of England | near Huntingdon | HMP | Category C Trainer | Public (HMPPS) | 1,243 | £37,131 | None |
| HMP Rye Hill | West Midlands | near Rugby | HMP | Category C Trainer | Private | 1,122 | n/a | n/a |
| HMP Stafford | West Midlands | Stafford | HMP | Category C Trainer | Public (HMPPS) | 761 | £37,131 | None |
| HMP Stocken | East Midlands | near Oakham | HMP | Category C Trainer | Public (HMPPS) | 1,285 | £41,131 | £2,000 |
| HMP The Verne | South West | Isle of Portland | HMP | Category C Trainer | Public (HMPPS) | 645 | £37,131 | None |
| HMP Usk | Wales | Usk | HMP | Category C Trainer | Public (HMPPS) | 496 | £37,131 | None |
| HMP Whatton | East Midlands | Whatton, Nottinghamshire | HMP | Category C Trainer | Public (HMPPS) | 805 | £37,131 | None |
| HMP Wymott | North West | near Leyland | HMP | Category C Trainer | Public (HMPPS) | 1,144 | £37,131 | None |
Related
Read prison categories explained for how Category A to D and the functional groups fit together, the UK prisons list, the Category A prisons guide, or compare sites in the prison finder.
- East Midlands
- East of England
- North East
- North West
- South East
- South West
- Wales
- West Midlands
- Yorkshire and the Humber
Other functional groups
Category C Trainer prisons: FAQs
What is a Category C Trainer prison?
Category C trainer prisons typically hold sentenced men assessed as Category C, with work, education and training central to the regime. The label is HMPPS's functional group from its 2025/26 performance ratings: it describes a prison's role, not the security category of each prisoner.
Which prisons are in the Category C Trainer group?
Deerbolt, Swinfen Hall, Ashfield, Aylesbury, Buckley Hall, Bure, Lindholme, Littlehey, Rye Hill, Stafford, Stocken, The Verne, Usk, Whatton and Wymott.
Do Category C Trainer prisons pay officers more?
13 in the National zone. Band 3 entry pay on 39 hours runs from £37,131 (Wymott) to £43,131 (Aylesbury) once any supplement is counted. On the HMPPS market supplement list: Aylesbury (£3,000), Stocken (£2,000).
Are any Category C Trainer prisons privately run?
Yes: HMP Ashfield (Serco) and HMP Rye Hill (G4S), with operators confirmed from recent HMIP reports and contract announcements. Their staff are employed by the operator, not HMPPS.
How big is the Category C Trainer group?
15 establishments with an operational capacity of 11,058 across those with an itemised figure (24 August 2026).