HMP Five Wells

A new-build resettlement prison in Wellingborough

In shortA G4S-run category C resettlement prison for adult men, opened in February 2022, where men convicted of a sexual offence live integrated with other prisoners.

• OpenedFebruary 2022Originally contracted for 1,680 prisoners (IMB)
• Population, March 20261,757Operational capacity raised to 1,769 during 2025/26 (IMB)
• Sexual offence convictions56%IMB, end of March 2026; HMIP put it at 57% of 1,742 men in May 2026

Five Wells is a category C resettlement prison for adult men in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire. According to the Independent Monitoring Board (IMB), it opened in February 2022 and was originally contracted to hold 1,680 prisoners, providing rehabilitation and resettlement for men with up to two years left of their sentence.

It is managed by G4S, as stated on the GOV.UK establishment page (last updated 24 June 2022), the prison's own website and the IMB's 2025/26 annual report. It is one of the two privately run prisons in this part of the East Midlands region, alongside Fosse Way in Leicester.

The IMB describes a modern campus:

• Seven houseblocks of four floors each, plus a care and separation unit
• 24 workshops (one converted into a gym)
• Separate buildings for education, visits, resettlement and healthcare, with no in-patient healthcare unit
• Most prisoners have a single cell with an in-cell shower and telephone
• A self-service kiosk on each wing, and prisoners are issued with electronic tablets
• Capacity has grown since opening: 1,735 places by March 2025, a population of 1,757 by March 2026, and operational capacity raised to 1,769 during 2025/26

What inspectors found in 2026

In shortSafety and respect were reasonably good and both improved; purposeful activity (improved from poor) and preparation for release (a decline) were not sufficiently good.

• SafetyReasonably goodImproved on the previous full inspection
• RespectReasonably goodImproved on the previous full inspection
• Purposeful activityNot sufficiently goodImproved (from poor)
• Preparation for releaseNot sufficiently goodA decline from reasonably good

HMIP's latest full inspection of Five Wells took place on 11 to 21 May 2026 and the report was published on 17 August 2026.

HMIP's easy-read summary says staff had done good work with young prisoners to reduce fighting, but also that too many prisoners were harming themselves and many men said they were bullied by other prisoners.

The inspection summary credits stable leadership under the Director, forums such as "Bridges" that bring staff and prisoners together, and active peer workers who support other prisoners during induction and in daily life. HMIP also records that staff took part in sports and events alongside prisoners.

What the IMB reported for 2025/26

In shortA stable "green" regime and falling violence, use of force and self-harm, set against population pressure, doubled-up cells and building design issues.

• Violence297 incidentsFell by nearly half
• Use of forceDown around 30%
• Self-harm, March 202675 incidentsInvolving 39 prisoners
• Men on an ACCT19At year end, from a typical figure in the 40s the year before

The IMB's annual report for 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026 (published September 2026) is the most recent independent monitoring view. It describes stable leadership under a Director appointed in June 2024 and a stable "green" regime, meaning the full programme of activities and services ran with minimum disruption throughout the year.

An ACCT is the support plan for those at risk of self-harm.

Staffing, vetting and working here

In shortStaffing is stretched at times and vetting delays bite, and because G4S employs the officers, HMPPS pay zones and market supplements do not apply.

Staffing is covered in both reports. The IMB says recruitment and retention improved during 2025/26, producing a more experienced officer group, but that staffing still looks stretched at times, with gaps appearing in movement control and in social and legal visits.

Vetting timelines are a national issue; see our guide on how long prison officer vetting takes.

Who employs officers

Because Five Wells is privately run, officers are employed by G4S rather than by HMPPS, so the HMPPS pay zone and market supplement systems described on the pay page and in prison officer pay bands do not apply here; pay and terms are set by the operator and shown in its job adverts.

Recruitment

The prison's website says it recruits for operational roles and for managerial and support roles, and describes itself as an employer for all.

Getting there

The GOV.UK page gives no public transport details and points visitors to the prison website; the site's address is given there as Doddington Road, Wellingborough NN8 2NG.

• IMB: recruiting tutors for education and workshops continues to be challenging
• IMB: vetting delays limit the prison's ability to provide externally accredited training
• HMIP's published summary: a significant share of officers could not be deployed on operational duties because of vetting delays, and many operational staff were inexperienced