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HMP Fosse Way

Fosse Way is a privately run prison in Leicester. HMPPS places it in the "Category C Resettlement" functional group. As a privately run prison its staff are employed by Serco, not on HMPPS pay bands. With an operational capacity of 1,960 it is the largest of the 14 establishments we list in East Midlands.

Official establishment pageCompare with other prisons

HMP Fosse Way at a glance

  • With an operational capacity of 1,960 it is the largest of the 14 establishments we list in East Midlands.
  • Among the 6 prisons in the HMPPS "Category C Resettlement" functional group with a published capacity, it ranks 1st by size.
  • Its latest full HMIP inspection (report published 9 June 2025) graded safety "not sufficiently good" and purposeful activity "reasonably good".
Type
HMP
Holds
Men
Run by
SercoConfirmed from a source dated 9 June 2025
Nation
England
Region (geographic)
East Midlands
Town / county
Leicester, Leicestershire
HMPPS functional group
Category C ResettlementA role label, not each prisoner's security category
Operational capacity
1,960As at 24 August 2026
Latest HMIP report published
9 June 2025

Official description (GOV.UK/SPS/NI Justice): “Fosse Way is a privately run prison in Leicester.” Official page.

Built on the site of Glen Parva

In shortA category C resettlement prison for adult men on the former Glen Parva site in south Leicester, run by Serco, which has been growing in capacity since 2023.

  • First prisoners29 May 2023Full capacity reached in February 2024 (HMIP)
  • Designed for1,715In seven houseblocks supported by six ancillary buildings
  • Operational capacity1,769From 7 April 2025; an eighth houseblock was due in December 2025 to take it to 1,960 (IMB)

HMP Fosse Way is a category C resettlement prison for adult men, built on the site of the former HMP/YOI Glen Parva in south Leicester, which closed in 2017 and held around 600 people. The first prisoners arrived on 29 May 2023 and the prison reached full capacity in February 2024, according to HMIP.

The Ministry of Justice's press release of 30 June 2023 said it was run by Serco under a ten-year contract, with 24 workshops, around 600 operational jobs and airport-style body scanners among its design features.

Capacity rise
The IMB reports that on 7 April 2025 operational capacity increased from 1,715 to 1,769, which turned 54 cells from singles into doubles, and that an eighth houseblock was due to open in December 2025 and take operational capacity to 1,960.
"Offence neutral"
The IMB's description: men convicted of sexual offences are integrated with other prisoners rather than held separately, the catchment is predominantly the East Midlands, and the resettlement window runs from 24 months to 14 days before release.

First inspection: June 2025

In shortRespect, purposeful activity and preparation for release were reasonably good, but safety was not sufficiently good; living conditions and education were strengths.

  • SafetyNot sufficiently good
  • RespectReasonably good
  • Purposeful activityReasonably good
  • Preparation for releaseReasonably good

HMIP's first inspection of Fosse Way took place from 10 to 20 March 2025 and the report was published on 9 June 2025. The Chief Inspector called it a reasonably positive inspection of a newly opened prison and said the process of opening and commissioning had seemed to go very well.

At the time of the inspection 1,705 men were held, about 2,211 new prisoners arrived each year and roughly 130 left each month.

Concerns and strengths as stated by inspectors

Main concerns

  • Violence was too high and rising, and a significant number of prisoners said they felt unsafe
  • Illicit drugs were widely available; the mandatory drug-testing positive rate was among the highest for category C prisons
  • Staff too readily resorted to batons and PAVA spray, linked partly to inexperience
  • Prison offender managers had too little contact with prisoners
  • The prison had suffered deaths since opening, two of them self-inflicted; HMIP said leaders were responding but initiatives needed time

Strengths

  • Living conditions among the best of any prison in England and Wales, with good amenities
  • Almost 1,000 men employed full time and about nine hours a day unlocked, though about 28% were still locked in cells during the working day on inspectors' checks
  • Ofsted rated education, skills and work as good, better than is typical in comparable prisons
  • Good public protection work, and men encouraged to keep in touch with families
  • Peer support, a wide range of enrichment activities and a "departure lounge" for people leaving

A young workforce: what inspectors and the IMB say

In shortThe workforce is the most distinctive feature: both HMIP and the IMB describe it as young and inexperienced, with relaxed but at best benign relationships.

For anyone considering a job here, the workforce picture is the most distinctive feature. HMIP described the staff group as unavoidably inexperienced and said staff-prisoner relationships were respectful but at best benign, with some poor supervision linked to collective inexperience.

  • One of HMIP's 13 key concerns: the relatively new workforce left gaps in competence across several areas
  • Middle and functional leaders were not visible enough on residential units to support them
  • At the same time the report credited meaningful work to support and improve the staff cohort and called the Director experienced and visible

The IMB's 2024/25 report

In shortOnce seconded officers went home, the workforce was young and inexperienced, much more so than established prisons.

The IMB's 2024/25 annual report (1 June 2024 to 31 May 2025, published November 2025) says much the same.

Once almost all the experienced officers seconded to open the prison had returned to their home prisons, the current workforce was "young and inexperienced, much more so than established prisons", and relationships with prisoners are more relaxed than in longer-established regimes.

  • Continuous pressure on young staff because of high prisoner churn and fluctuating staffing
  • Unusually high volumes of early releases: 92 prisoners were released on 10 September 2024, which the Board said was the most ever in one day by a prison nationally
  • Workshops not yet working to capacity, with only around 63% of places allocated

Working at Fosse Way

In shortSerco employs the officers, so national HMPPS pay zone and market supplement rules do not govern pay; check Serco's listings and the prison website for details.

Fosse Way is privately operated, so officers are employed by Serco rather than HMPPS and the national pay zone and market supplement rules do not govern their pay; the pay page explains the HMPPS scales this does not cover.

A significant staffing group is also employed by partners: the IMB lists Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust as the health provider and Milton Keynes College as the education provider.

  • The GOV.UK establishment page (updated 25 July 2023) names Serco as the operator and refers visitors to the Serco-managed prison website
  • It gives no public transport information
  • Check Serco's recruitment listings and the prison website for hours, pay and location details

If you are weighing public and private employers in the region

Officer pay at HMP Fosse Way

HMP Fosse Way is run by Serco, which employs the staff, so HMPPS Band 3 pay, zones and supplements do not apply and we publish no salary for it. For context only, the public-sector national Band 3 entry rate is £37,131 on 39 hours (2026/27); that is not what Serco pays. See custody officer versus prison officer pay and private prisons.

Capacity, performance and staffing

At 24 August 2026: operational capacity 1,960, population 1,899 (97%), certified normal accommodation in use 1,968. HMPPS monthly population bulletin.

HMPPS performance rating, 2025/26

RatingPerformance of concern
Overall score56.6%
Functional groupCategory C Resettlement

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

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 Fosse Way was published 9 June 2025 (full inspection report); that is the publication date, not the visit date.

safetynot sufficiently good
respectreasonably good
purposeful activityreasonably good
preparation for releasereasonably good

Grades from the latest full inspection report, published 9 June 2025.

Of the 122 prisons with full HMIP grades, 42 share its "not sufficiently good" safety grade and 22 its "reasonably good" purposeful-activity grade.

Read the HMIP report

Working at HMP Fosse Way and how to apply

Jobs are advertised by Serco, not HMPPS. Read the live advert for closing dates and assessment-centre details.

Other prisons in East Midlands and similar prisons

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

Similar by HMPPS functional group (Category C Resettlement)

Compare Fosse Way side by side in the prison finder

Related guides

HMP Fosse Way: frequently asked questions

Are staff at HMP Fosse Way on HMPPS pay bands?

No. Serco runs HMP Fosse Way (operator confirmed from a source dated 9 June 2025) and employs its staff, so HMPPS bands, London zones and supplements do not apply. Ask the operator for pay and terms for the specific role.

What category is HMP Fosse Way?

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 Fosse Way hold?

Operational capacity 1,960, population 1,899 at 24 August 2026 (HMPPS bulletin).

How do I apply to work at HMP Fosse Way?

Through Serco's own recruitment channels; the HMPPS portal lists public-sector roles only.

When did HMP Fosse Way open and who runs it?

Fosse Way received its first prisoners on 29 May 2023 and was officially opened on 30 June 2023. It was built on the site of the former Glen Parva prison, which closed in 2017, and is operated by Serco under a ten-year contract, according to the Ministry of Justice press release and GOV.UK establishment page.

What were the main findings of the 2025 inspection?

HMIP's first inspection (March 2025, published 9 June 2025) found respect, purposeful activity and preparation for release reasonably good and safety not sufficiently good. Concerns were violence, easy availability of drugs, high use of PAVA and batons, and limited offender manager contact; strengths included living conditions, time out of cell and good education.

Is the Fosse Way workforce experienced?

Not yet, according to the independent reports. HMIP described an unavoidably inexperienced staff cohort and said leaders were working to support it, and the IMB's 2024/25 report said the workforce was young and inexperienced, much more so than at established prisons, once experienced seconded officers returned to their home prisons.

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: No HMIP inspection newer than March 2025 and no follow-up review found; The IMB 2025/26 report (covering the period after the eighth houseblock opened) was not located, so the actual opening date and effect of the eighth houseblock are unverified; No official jobs page for Fosse Way on prisonandprobationjobs.gov.uk (Serco recruits directly); pay and terms not verified; No official nearest-station or travel information on GOV.UK.