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HMP & YOI Brinsford

Brinsford is a prison and young offender institution (YOI) in Featherstone, near Wolverhampton, for men aged 18 to 21. HMPPS places it in the "Category C Resettlement" functional group. Band 3 prison officer pay here starts at £37,131 on a 39-hour contract (2026/27 rates). Its operational capacity of 577 ranks 11th of 14 in West Midlands (1 = largest).

HMPPS prison officer jobsWork out my take-home hereCompare with other prisons

HMP & YOI Brinsford at a glance

  • Its operational capacity of 577 ranks 11th of 14 in West Midlands (1 = largest).
  • Among the 6 prisons in the HMPPS "Category C Resettlement" functional group with a published capacity, it ranks 6th by size.
  • Its latest full HMIP inspection (report published 27 July 2026) graded safety "poor" and purposeful activity "not sufficiently good".
Type
HMP & YOI
Holds
Men
Run by
HMPPS (public sector)
Nation
England
Region (geographic)
West Midlands
HMPPS prison region
West MidlandsWorkforce statistics, June 2026
Town / county
Featherstone, Wolverhampton, Staffordshire
Postcode
WV10 7PY
HMPPS functional group
Category C ResettlementA role label, not each prisoner's security category
Officer pay zone
National (all other locations)
Band 3 market supplement
None listedHMPPS pay page, 3 October 2026
Operational capacity
577As at 24 August 2026
Latest HMIP report published
27 July 2026

Official description (GOV.UK/SPS/NI Justice): “Brinsford is a prison and young offender institution (YOI) in Featherstone, near Wolverhampton, for men aged 18 to 21.” Official page.

History and role

In shortBrinsford opened in 1991 as a young adult institution and since 2016 holds young adults alongside sentenced category C men.

  • MoJ bulletin, 24 August 2026514 / 577Prisoners against operational capacity

GOV.UK describes it as a prison and young offender institution (YOI) in Featherstone, near Wolverhampton, for men aged 18 to 21; the inspection report shows the population is wider than that, with prisoners over 25 also held.

The Chief Inspector's summary says Brinsford has to manage longer-sentenced category C prisoners at the same time as a transient remand population. He called for greater clarity from the prison service about what the prison is for.

Role over time (HMIP's 2026 report)

  1. November 1991Opened

    As a young adult offender institution and remand centre, on the same site as HMP Featherstone and HMP Oakwood.

  2. 2016Role changed

    To hold a mixed population of young adults and sentenced category C adults.

  3. In future56-day recalls

    The Chief Inspector's summary says the prison will also hold men on 56-day recalls.

Who is held and what is on site

In shortBrinsford held 505 men at inspection, mostly under 25, with a high-risk population and some distinctive on-site provision.

  • Held (2026 inspection)505 menJust over 500 remanded and sentenced, most under 25, some in prison for the first time
  • New arrivalsAbout 540 a yearPlus an average of 65 releases a month
  • Black and minority ethnic48%Of prisoners
  • High or very high risk of serious harm45%

Ofsted noted eight learning pathways in education, skills and work, and that the prison delivers the 'Building Choices' intervention programme even though it is not a designated training prison.

  • Units 1 to 4 (residential)
  • Unit 5, an incentivised substance-free living unit
  • Unit 6, early days in custody
  • A care and separation unit and an inpatient health care facility
  • A neurodiversity hub, which also trains staff
  • A 'care leavers flat' for independent living skills

What inspectors found in 2026

In shortHMIP rated safety poor and respect, purposeful activity and release preparation not sufficiently good, with the highest violence of any adult male prison in England and Wales.

  • SafetyPoor
  • Respect, activity, releaseNot sufficiently goodRespect, purposeful activity and preparation for release
  • Random drug tests positive26%Up from 4% at the previous inspection
  • Self-harmUp 70%Downward trend over the last year; no self-inflicted deaths

HMIP's unannounced inspection (report published 27 July 2026) found violence was the highest of any adult male prison in England and Wales, driven largely by the 18 to 20-year-old group. Use of force was very high, with PAVA incapacitant spray at the highest rate in the adult male estate.

Strengths and weaknesses

Positives

  • Early days arrangements had improved
  • Visits provision remained a strength, with a multi-faith area in the visitors' centre
  • The gym offered a good range of activities
  • Ofsted rated education, skills and work as requires improvement overall but found ambitious improvement actions beginning to take effect

Main weakness: time out of cell

  • Unemployed prisoners spent little more than an hour a day unlocked
  • At weekends most men had about two hours

Staffing, retention and officer experience

In shortStaffing was stretched, but inspectors described officer retention as much better than the national average and staff welfare as a leadership priority.

  • Officer quota available70%For operational duties, linked by inspectors to a limited regime
  • Band 3 to 5 officers (FTE)196 / 212Against target, HMPPS workforce statistics at 30 June 2026

Staffing difficulties and high caseloads in the offender management unit had led to a deterioration in standards there, and the pre-release team was described as small and short of staff.

How staff were supported

Positives

  • The governor had prioritised staff well-being through a variety of initiatives and engagement was strong
  • Retention of officers was described as much better than the national average, having been a real challenge before

Still needed

  • Staff training specific to working with young adults

Working at Brinsford

In shortBrinsford is on the national pay zone with no market supplement as at 3 October 2026, and you apply through the national jobs search.

  • Market supplementNoneNot on the HMPPS tables as at 3 October 2026
  • Starting range£34,928 to £39,334Quoted on HMPPS jobs pages, depending on hours (37, with 39 or 41 optional)

Full tables, including the later pay points and the hours-based options, are in our pay guide and pay bands page, and the HMPPS pay page remains the authority for current figures.

Applying and getting there

  • HMPPS does not publish a dedicated Brinsford officer page that we could find, so apply through the national prisonandprobationjobs.gov.uk search, using our step-by-step guide
  • Three prisons share the Featherstone site, which the regional jobs guide covers
  • GOV.UK's visitor guidance says the closest station is Wolverhampton, about 6 miles away, with local buses to Featherstone and a final walk of about a mile

Officer pay at HMP & YOI Brinsford

National (all other locations) zone; Band 3 rates from 1 April 2026, including the 20% unsocial hours allowance.

Band 3, 39 hours, entry£37,131No market supplement listed
Band 3, 37 hours, entry£34,928Trainee contract
Band 3, 41 hours, top pay point£41,417Highest Band 3 option here
Band 3 prison officer pay at HMP & YOI Brinsford, 2026/27 (£ a year, base rates before supplement)
Contract hoursEntry (pay point 1)Maximum (pay point 3)
37 hours (trainee contract) incl. 20% unsocial hours£34,928£36,778
39 hours (2 additional committed hours)£37,131£39,097
41 hours (4 additional committed hours)£39,334£41,417

PSPRB 25th Report, Appendix E. No supplement listed on the HMPPS jobs site, 3 October 2026.

Other grades at HMP & YOI Brinsford (2026/27, £ a year)
GradeContractFromUp to
Band 2 Operational Support Grade37 hours incl. 25% unsocial hours£31,761£31,761
Band 4 Supervising / Specialist Officer37 hours incl. 20% unsocial hours£41,328£41,328
Band 5 Custodial Manager39 hours incl. 2 pensionable committed hours£47,327£49,600

Supplements apply to Band 3 only. PSPRB 25th Report, Appendix E.

Turn these into take-home with the pay calculator, or see what the journey costs with the commute cost calculator. Band 3 pay explained.

Open the calculator pre-filled for Brinsford

Capacity, performance and staffing

At 24 August 2026: operational capacity 577, population 514 (89%), certified normal accommodation in use 532. HMPPS monthly population bulletin.

HMPPS performance rating, 2025/26

RatingPerformance of concern
Overall score57.5%
Functional groupCategory C Resettlement

Scale 4 (outstanding) to 1 (serious concern). HMPPS prison performance ratings 2025/26.

Officer staffing against target

At 30 June 2026: 196 FTE Band 3 to 5 officers against a target of 212 (-16, hours-adjusted). A gap against target is not a count of advertised vacancies. HMPPS workforce statistics, June 2026.

Category C Resettlement is HMPPS's functional-group label for the prison's role, not any prisoner's security category. See prison categories explained or all Category C Resettlement prisons.

Latest inspection

HMIP's most recent report on Brinsford was published 27 July 2026 (full inspection report); that is the publication date, not the visit date.

safetypoor
respectnot sufficiently good
purposeful activitynot sufficiently good
preparation for releasenot sufficiently good

Grades from the latest full inspection report, published 27 July 2026.

Of the 122 prisons with full HMIP grades, 13 share its "poor" safety grade and 53 its "not sufficiently good" purposeful-activity grade. Only 41 of those 122 prisons were graded "poor" on at least one test, and this is one of them.

Read the HMIP report

Working at HMP & YOI Brinsford and how to apply

There is no Brinsford-specific page on the HMPPS jobs site; adverts are listed by location. Read the live advert for closing dates and assessment-centre details.

Postcode: WV10 7PY. View on a map. GOV.UK gives no railway station for this prison.

Other prisons in West Midlands and similar prisons

These establishments are in the same county or region (14 listed in West Midlands). See all of them in one table.

Similar by HMPPS functional group (Category C Resettlement)

Compare Brinsford side by side in the prison finder

Related guides

HMP & YOI Brinsford: frequently asked questions

How much does a prison officer earn at HMP & YOI Brinsford?

From £37,131 a year on 39 hours at the entry pay point, rising to £39,097 (National zone, 2026/27).

What category is HMP & YOI Brinsford?

HMPPS lists it in the "Category C Resettlement" functional group, a label for the prison's role rather than the category of each prisoner.

How many prisoners can HMP & YOI Brinsford hold?

Operational capacity 577, population 514 at 24 August 2026 (HMPPS bulletin).

When was HMP & YOI Brinsford last inspected?

HMIP's latest report, published 27 July 2026, is a full inspection. Grades at the latest full inspection (27 July 2026): safety poor, respect not sufficiently good, purposeful activity not sufficiently good, preparation for release not sufficiently good.

How do I apply to work at HMP & YOI Brinsford?

There is no Brinsford page on the HMPPS jobs site, so use the general HMPPS prison officer page, where adverts are listed by location.

What did HMIP find at Brinsford in 2026?

The July 2026 inspection rated safety poor and respect, purposeful activity and release preparation not sufficiently good. Violence was the highest in the adult male estate and drug testing positives had risen to 26%. Inspectors also credited an improved education offer, strong visits provision and better-than-average officer retention.

Is Brinsford only for under-21s?

GOV.UK describes it as a prison and YOI for men aged 18 to 21, but HMIP's 2026 report says its role changed in 2016 to hold young adults together with sentenced category C adult men. Most prisoners were under 25 at the inspection, and the age profile can change.

Do officers at Brinsford get a market supplement?

No. Brinsford is not on the HMPPS market supplement tables as at 3 October 2026 and sits in the national pay zone. Officers receive standard Band 3 pay for their contracted hours (37, 39 or 41), plus any allowances that apply nationally under the HMPPS pay structure.

Sources and method

Data as at 3 October 2026; see our methodology. Independent of HMPPS, the Ministry of Justice and the POA; not legal or financial advice. Out of date? Tell us.

Not verified for this prison: IMB annual report was not reviewed.; Staffing FTE figures come from the site's prisons dataset (HMPPS June 2026 workforce statistics) and were not re-extracted from the source tables.; No Brinsford-specific officer recruitment page was found on prisonandprobationjobs.gov.uk.; The 2023 outcome scores were shown only in a chart in the report and were not verified in text..