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HMP Erlestoke

Erlestoke is a men’s prison in the village of Erlestoke, Wiltshire. HMPPS places it in the "Category C Trainer/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 512 ranks 5th of 11 in South West (1 = largest).

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

HMP Erlestoke at a glance

  • Its operational capacity of 512 ranks 5th of 11 in South West (1 = largest).
  • Among the 26 prisons in the HMPPS "Category C Trainer/Resettlement" functional group with a published capacity, it ranks 23rd by size.
  • Its latest full HMIP inspection (report published 7 December 2021) graded safety "not sufficiently good" and purposeful activity "not sufficiently good"; a later HMIP review report followed on 2 June 2025.
  • GOV.UK gives its nearest station as: Westbury, which is about 7 miles from Erlestoke.
Type
HMP
Holds
Men
Run by
HMPPS (public sector)
Nation
England
Region (geographic)
South West
HMPPS prison region
South WestWorkforce statistics, June 2026
Town / county
Erlestoke, near Devizes, Wiltshire
Postcode
SN10 5TU
HMPPS functional group
Category C Trainer/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
512As at 24 August 2026
Latest HMIP report published
2 June 2025
Nearest railway station (GOV.UK)
Westbury, which is about 7 miles from Erlestoke

Official description (GOV.UK/SPS/NI Justice): “Erlestoke is a men’s prison in the village of Erlestoke, Wiltshire.” Official page.

A rural Wiltshire prison with a national role

In shortErlestoke is the only prison in Wiltshire, a category C training and resettlement prison for adult and young adult men on a rural site near Devizes.

  • CategoryCTraining and resettlement; adult and young adult men (IMB)
  • Operational capacity512Population of 504 in HMPPS monthly figures for 24 August 2026
  • Planned extra places180Three new house blocks, on hold at the end of March 2025

The site is rural, with a long perimeter abutting woodland and fields, and HMIP’s Chief Inspector has described the extensive grounds as beautifully maintained.

How the site developed

  1. OriginsBuilt in the grounds of the former Erlestoke manor house

    Per HMIP.

  2. 1960Taken over by the Prison Commissioners

    As a detention centre.

  3. 1977Young prisoners centre
  4. 1988Converted to a category C adult male training prison
  5. 1990sLife-sentenced prisoners first received
  6. 2018Closed young offenders added

    It has held closed young offenders as well as adult category C men since 2018.

Who is held: long sentences and the progression regime

In shortThis is not a typical training prison: most men serve four years or more, and it is one of four prisons running the ‘progression regime’ for indeterminate-sentenced men.

  • Held, HMIP 2024503
  • Life or IPP38%IPP: imprisonment for public protection
  • Determinate over four years46%
  • Younger and older men13% / 10%Men aged 18 to 24 / the over-55s

This is not a typical training prison. The IMB’s 2024-25 report puts the share on sentences of four years or more at about 75%, with a third of prisoners classed as indeterminate-sentenced.

Part of Erlestoke’s remit is to provide a national resource for offending behaviour programmes. The IMB says it is one of four prisons delivering the ‘progression regime’, which helps indeterminate-sentenced prisoners give evidence to the Parole Board to support release.

Imber and Kennet
Residential units for the progression regime.
Avebury
An incentivised substance-free living unit.
Silbury A
A drug recovery wing.
Silbury B
The first-night and induction unit.
Sarum
An enhanced unit.

The 2024 inspection and the 2025 review visit

In shortHMIP’s 2024 inspection found momentum lost and drugs rife, and the April 2025 review found good progress on one of nine concerns, reasonable on five and insufficient on three.

  • Safety and respectNot sufficiently goodJune 2024 inspection
  • Purposeful activityPoor
  • Preparation for releaseReasonably good

The Chief Inspector wrote in 2024 that momentum had been lost since a 2022 review and that drug-taking was rife, with 60% of surveyed prisoners saying drugs were easy to get and 32% of random drug tests positive.

Twenty-three per cent of prisoners were unemployed and 31% were found locked in cells during the working day.

He nonetheless said the prison had enormous potential and praised the energy of the new governor, in post since January 2024.

Inspection timeline

  1. 10 to 21 June 2024Unannounced inspection

    Published in September 2024.

  2. 22 to 24 April 2025Independent Review of Progress

    Report published on 2 June 2025.

What the 2025 review found

Progress

  • Violence was now lower than in similar prisons.
  • Use of force had fallen and was better scrutinised.
  • The share of key work sessions taking place had risen significantly.
  • Ofsted found reasonable progress in three of four themes.

Still a concern

  • Drugs were still too easily available (the random testing positive rate was unchanged at 32%).
  • There was no proper action plan on self-harm.
  • First-night cells and the induction regime had not improved enough.

Staffing and retention

In shortStaffing is one of the clearest themes: HMIP praised retention work but the prison is 32 officers short of its target.

  • Staff who left in the previous year (2024)17%Many within six months of starting
  • Band 3 to 5 officers (FTE), 30 June 2026136Full-time-equivalent Band 3 to 5 officers against a target of 168, a shortfall of 32
  • HMPPS performance rating3 of 42025/26; overall score 59.6%; published 30 July 2026

In 2024 HMIP said leaders had worked hard to improve retention, noting that 17% of staff had left in the previous year and that many of them left within six months of starting, which it took as a sign that the national recruitment process was failing to filter out unsuitable candidates.

It also said staff were positive about the new governor and that relationships with prisoners were better than in 2021, and that she had worked to increase the competence and resilience of officers.

  • In 2025 HMIP found key workers were now allocated from each unit, producing a substantial increase in sessions, though quality was inconsistent.
  • Officers were given pocket guides to support the work.

What the IMB reported for 2024-25

In shortThe IMB saw better work opportunities and use-of-force scrutiny, but poor first-night cells, readily available drugs and a record year for progression releases.

The IMB’s annual report for 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025, published in August 2025, said work opportunities had improved significantly over the year but attendance in education was still too low, and that recruiting tutors in a rural area was hard.

The Board’s findings

Better

  • Scrutiny of use of force had significantly improved, with weekly senior-management meetings.
  • Its most successful year for releases and moves to the open estate on the progression regime.

Problems

  • Illicit substances remained readily available despite enhanced security.
  • First-night cells were poor, and the health care building was no longer fit for purpose.
  • Hospital escorts were too few so many appointments were lost.
  • Food portions were often small because of a limited budget.
  • The prison council had not run effectively for half the year, and offender manager caseloads were too high.

Working at Erlestoke

In shortErlestoke is a public-sector prison on the Band 3 scale in the national pay zone; we found no dedicated recruitment page.

Erlestoke is a public-sector prison, so officers are employed by HMPPS on the Band 3 scale and apply through the national prison and probation jobs service.

It is in the national pay zone and was not on the HMPPS market supplement list we checked on 3 October 2026, so the standard figures on our pay and prison officer pay bands pages apply.

We found no dedicated HMPPS recruitment page for this prison.

Officer pay at HMP Erlestoke

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 Erlestoke, 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 Erlestoke (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 Erlestoke

Capacity, performance and staffing

At 24 August 2026: operational capacity 512, population 504 (98%), certified normal accommodation in use 480. HMPPS monthly population bulletin.

HMPPS performance rating, 2025/26

RatingGood performance
Overall score59.6%
Functional groupCategory C Trainer/Resettlement

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

Officer staffing against target

At 30 June 2026: 136 FTE Band 3 to 5 officers against a target of 168 (-32, hours-adjusted). A gap against target is not a count of advertised vacancies. HMPPS workforce statistics, June 2026.

Category C Trainer/Resettlement is HMPPS's functional-group label for the prison's role, not any prisoner's security category. Official wording: “C (training and resettlement)”. See prison categories explained or all Category C Trainer/Resettlement prisons.

Latest inspection

HMIP's most recent report on Erlestoke was published 2 June 2025 (independent review of progress / review visit); that is the publication date, not the visit date.

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

Grades from the latest full inspection report, published 7 December 2021; the later report above is a follow-up review that does not re-grade the tests.

Of the 122 prisons with full HMIP grades, 42 share its "not sufficiently good" safety grade and 53 its "not sufficiently good" purposeful-activity grade.

Read the HMIP report

Working at HMP Erlestoke and how to apply

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

Postcode: SN10 5TU. View on a map. Nearest railway station, per GOV.UK: Westbury, which is about 7 miles from Erlestoke.

Other prisons in South West and similar prisons

These establishments are in the same county or region (11 listed in South West). See all of them in one table.

Similar by HMPPS functional group (Category C Trainer/Resettlement)

Compare Erlestoke side by side in the prison finder

Related guides

HMP Erlestoke: frequently asked questions

How much does a prison officer earn at HMP Erlestoke?

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

How many prisoners can HMP Erlestoke hold?

Operational capacity 512, population 504 at 24 August 2026 (HMPPS bulletin).

When was HMP Erlestoke last inspected?

HMIP's latest report, published 2 June 2025, is a progress review. Grades at the latest full inspection (7 December 2021): safety not sufficiently good, respect not sufficiently good, purposeful activity not sufficiently good, preparation for release not sufficiently good.

How do I apply to work at HMP Erlestoke?

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

What is the nearest train station to HMP Erlestoke?

GOV.UK gives: Westbury, which is about 7 miles from Erlestoke.

What type of prison is HMP Erlestoke?

It is a category C training and resettlement prison for adult and young adult men near Devizes, and the only prison in Wiltshire. HMIP says 38% of prisoners were serving life or IPP sentences in 2024. It is one of four prisons running the ‘progression regime’, which helps indeterminate-sentenced prisoners prepare evidence for the Parole Board.

What did HMIP find at Erlestoke in 2025?

HMIP’s review visit on 22 to 24 April 2025, published on 2 June 2025, found good progress on one concern, reasonable on five and insufficient on three. Violence was lower than in similar prisons and key work had increased, but drugs remained far too easy to obtain and self-harm still lacked a proper action plan.

Does Erlestoke pay a market supplement?

No. Erlestoke is in the national pay zone and was not on the HMPPS prison officer pay page’s Band 3 market supplement tables when we checked on 3 October 2026. Supplements at listed prisons are guaranteed to at least March 2027. Check the current advert on the HMPPS jobs portal for exact terms.

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: HMIP has not published a full inspection since June 2024; the April 2025 report is a review of progress, so there are no new healthy prison grades after 2024.; The IMB’s 2025-26 report was not reviewed.; No dedicated HMPPS recruitment page for Erlestoke was found..