Female prisons
Women's prisons hold adult women and, at some sites, young women. Closed conditions for women are not split into Category B and C. The Female group has 12 prisons in our dataset: 10 run by HMPPS; 2 privately run (Sodexo: Bronzefield, Peterborough). By designation they are 11 HMP & YOI, 1 HMP, and all hold women. This is HMPPS's role label for the prison, not the security category of any individual prisoner.
- Prisons
- 12 2 privately run
- Operational capacity
- 4,782 Itemised sites, 24 Aug 2026
- Market supplements
- 2 HMPPS pay page, 3 Oct 2026
- Regions
- 9 Geographic regions
The Female group in numbers
Across the 11 sites with an itemised figure, HMPPS reports an operational capacity of 3,478 and a population of 3,072 (88%) at 24 August 2026. The largest is HMP & YOI Bronzefield at 527; the smallest is HMP & YOI East Sutton Park at 100; the highest occupancy is HMP & YOI New Hall at 97% of its operational capacity. Peterborough, whose HMPPS figure covers its men's and women's prisons together, is also left out.
Of the 10 HMPPS-run prisons, 9 in the National zone, 1 in the Outer London zone. Band 3 entry pay on 39 hours runs from £37,131 (Styal) to £45,290 (Downview) once any supplement is counted. On the HMPPS market supplement list: Downview (£2,000), Send (£2,000).
HMPPS's 2025/26 performance ratings cover 12 of them: 2 outstanding, 8 good, 2 of concern. The highest overall score is 90.1% (Askham Grange) and the lowest is 55.4% (Foston Hall).
12 prisons have an HMIP report on record; 12 have four graded tests from a full inspection. On safety the latest full inspections gave 7 good, 2 reasonably good, 3 not sufficiently good and 0 poor. 6 had every test at reasonably good or better. 2 were graded poor on at least one test (Foston Hall, Peterborough). The newest report is New Hall (July 2026) and the oldest is Askham Grange (September 2023).
Staffing against target (Band 3 to 5, hours-adjusted FTE, 30 June 2026) is published for 10 of them: 156 FTE short in total, with Eastwood Park furthest below (-29). A gap is a staffing measure, not advertised vacancies.
Geographically the group is spread across South East (3), Yorkshire and the Humber (2), London (1), West Midlands (1), South West (1), East Midlands (1), North East (1), East of England (1), North West (1).
This page also covers HMP & YOI Peterborough (listed by HMPPS as "Female / Reception"), folded in because a single-prison group would be too thin to be useful.
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peterborough | 1,304 | 95% | 2 of 4, 57.1% | reasonably good | November 2024 | Not HMPPS pay |
| Bronzefield | 527 | 94% | 3 of 4, 62.9% | reasonably good | November 2025 | Not HMPPS pay |
| Styal | 454 | 85% | 3 of 4, 67.6% | not sufficiently good | March 2025 | £37,131 |
| Eastwood Park | 371 | 89% | 3 of 4, 60.7% | not sufficiently good | September 2025 | £37,131 |
| Downview | 356 | 83% | 3 of 4, 61.7% | good | May 2026 | £45,290 * |
| Drake Hall | 338 | 90% | 3 of 4, 72.4% | good | October 2024 | £37,131 |
| New Hall | 337 | 97% | 3 of 4, 61.0% | good | July 2026 | £37,131 |
| Foston Hall | 314 | 91% | 2 of 4, 55.4% | not sufficiently good | January 2026 | £37,131 |
| Low Newton | 298 | 90% | 3 of 4, 68.5% | good | February 2026 | £37,131 |
| Send | 255 | 87% | 3 of 4, 67.9% | good | July 2025 | £41,131 * |
| Askham Grange | 128 | 66% | 4 of 4, 90.1% | good | September 2023 | £37,131 |
| East Sutton Park | 100 | 76% | 4 of 4, 89.4% | good | January 2024 | £37,131 |
All Female prisons
| Prison | Region | Town | Type | HMPPS group | Run by | Capacity | Band 3 entry, 39h | Supplement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HMP & YOI Askham Grange | Yorkshire and the Humber | Askham Richard, near York | HMP & YOI | Female | Public (HMPPS) | 128 | £37,131 | None |
| HMP & YOI Bronzefield | South East | Ashford | HMP & YOI | Female | Private | 527 | n/a | n/a |
| HMP & YOI Downview | London | Sutton | HMP & YOI | Female | Public (HMPPS) | 356 | £45,290 | £2,000 |
| HMP & YOI Drake Hall | West Midlands | Eccleshall | HMP & YOI | Female | Public (HMPPS) | 338 | £37,131 | None |
| HMP & YOI East Sutton Park | South East | Maidstone | HMP & YOI | Female | Public (HMPPS) | 100 | £37,131 | None |
| HMP & YOI Eastwood Park | South West | Wotton-under-Edge | HMP & YOI | Female | Public (HMPPS) | 371 | £37,131 | None |
| HMP & YOI Foston Hall | East Midlands | Foston | HMP & YOI | Female | Public (HMPPS) | 314 | £37,131 | None |
| HMP & YOI Low Newton | North East | Brasside, Durham | HMP & YOI | Female | Public (HMPPS) | 298 | £37,131 | None |
| HMP & YOI New Hall | Yorkshire and the Humber | Flockton, near Wakefield | HMP & YOI | Female | Public (HMPPS) | 337 | £37,131 | None |
| HMP & YOI Peterborough | East of England | Westwood, Peterborough | HMP & YOI | Female / Reception | Private | 1,304 | n/a | n/a |
| HMP & YOI Styal | North West | Wilmslow | HMP & YOI | Female | Public (HMPPS) | 454 | £37,131 | None |
| HMP Send | South East | Woking | HMP | Female | Public (HMPPS) | 255 | £41,131 | £2,000 |
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
- London
- North East
- North West
- South East
- South West
- West Midlands
- Yorkshire and the Humber
Other functional groups
Female prisons: FAQs
What is a Female prison?
Women's prisons hold adult women and, at some sites, young women. Closed conditions for women are not split into Category B and C. 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 Female group?
Askham Grange, Bronzefield, Downview, Drake Hall, East Sutton Park, Eastwood Park, Foston Hall, Low Newton, New Hall, Peterborough, Styal and Send.
Do Female prisons pay officers more?
9 in the National zone, 1 in the Outer London zone. Band 3 entry pay on 39 hours runs from £37,131 (Styal) to £45,290 (Downview) once any supplement is counted. On the HMPPS market supplement list: Downview (£2,000), Send (£2,000).
Are any Female prisons privately run?
Yes: HMP & YOI Bronzefield (Sodexo) and HMP & YOI Peterborough (Sodexo), with operators confirmed from recent HMIP reports and contract announcements. Their staff are employed by the operator, not HMPPS.
How big is the Female group?
12 establishments with an operational capacity of 4,782 across those with an itemised figure (24 August 2026).