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HMP & YOI Foston Hall

Foston Hall is a prison and young offender institution (YOI) in Derbyshire for women aged 18 and over. HMPPS places it in the "Female" functional group. Band 3 prison officer pay here starts at £37,131 on a 39-hour contract (2026/27 rates). Its operational capacity of 314 ranks 12th of 14 in East Midlands (1 = largest).

Jobs at Foston Hall (HMPPS)Work out my take-home hereCompare with other prisons

HMP & YOI Foston Hall at a glance

  • Its operational capacity of 314 ranks 12th of 14 in East Midlands (1 = largest).
  • Among the 12 prisons in the HMPPS "Female" functional group with a published capacity, it ranks 8th by size.
  • Its latest full HMIP inspection (report published 29 April 2025) graded safety "not sufficiently good" and purposeful activity "poor"; a later HMIP review report followed on 26 January 2026.
  • GOV.UK gives its nearest station as: Tutbury and Hatton, which is a short taxi ride from Foston Hall.
Type
HMP & YOI
Holds
Women
Run by
HMPPS (public sector)
Nation
England
Region (geographic)
East Midlands
HMPPS prison region
Women's EstateWorkforce statistics, June 2026
Town / county
Foston, Derbyshire
Postcode
DE65 5DN
HMPPS functional group
FemaleA 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
314As at 24 August 2026
Latest HMIP report published
26 January 2026
Nearest railway station (GOV.UK)
Tutbury and Hatton, which is a short taxi ride from Foston Hall

Official description (GOV.UK/SPS/NI Justice): “Foston Hall is a prison and young offender institution (YOI) in Derbyshire for women aged 18 and over.” Official page.

A women's local and resettlement prison since 1997

In shortA women's resettlement and local prison for women aged 18 and over, open since 1997, with a fast-churning remand and recall population.

  • Opened as a women's prison1997
  • CapacityJust over 300Sources differ: HMIP 290 certified normal capacity and 314 operational (January 2025), IMB 324, HMPPS recruitment page 284
  • Short sentences65%Of prisoners serving six months or less (IMB)
  • 14-day recalls, 2024260 womenNearly a quarter of all receptions (HMIP)

HMP & YOI Foston Hall is a prison and young offender institution for women aged 18 and over, set in the grounds of an old country house in Foston, south Derbyshire. HMIP records that it opened as a women's prison in 1997.

It is described in HMIP's 2025 inspection as a women's resettlement and local prison, with a mix of accommodation types and a capacity of just over 300.

Official sources give slightly different figures depending on definition: HMIP gave an in-use certified normal capacity of 290 and an operational capacity of 314 in January 2025, the IMB quotes 324, and the HMPPS recruitment page says it holds up to 284.

Who is held

In shortA varied, high-churn population: sentenced, remanded, recalled and awaiting sentence, mostly on short sentences.

The IMB's 2024/25 report says that at the end of November 2025 about 36% of women had been sentenced, 18% were convicted but awaiting sentence, 21% were recalled and 4% were on indeterminate sentences; 21% were on remand, down from 33% a year earlier, and 65% of prisoners were serving a sentence of six months or less.

HMIP noted a surge in women recalled on short fixed terms: 260 women arrived on a 14-day recall in 2024, nearly a quarter of all receptions, and there were 1,172 new arrivals in 12 months with around 55 women released from the gate each month.

This churn shapes the work: reception, first-night care and resettlement make up a large share of officers' day.

The site

In shortSeven wings plus a first night centre and a care and separation unit, with two newer wings replacing older accommodation.

The site has seven wings plus a first night centre and a care and separation unit.

  • HMIP: two new wings had replaced older accommodation by the 2025 inspection
  • A wing: 40 single cells, the incentivised substance-free living unit
  • B wing: 24 single cells
  • IMB: D wing hosts enrichment for the Cameo programme for high-risk women with complex needs
  • IMB: well-kept gardens, an animal sanctuary, a textile workshop, a hairdressing salon and a gym

The January 2025 inspection

In shortRespect and preparation for release were reasonably good, safety not sufficiently good and purposeful activity poor, with Ofsted rating education inadequate.

  • SafetyNot sufficiently goodImproved since 2021, when it was rated poor
  • RespectReasonably good
  • Purposeful activityPoor
  • Preparation for releaseReasonably good
  • Ofsted education, skills and workInadequateIts lowest grade

HMIP's full inspection (fieldwork 13 to 30 January 2025) was reported on 29 April 2025. Safety had improved since 2021, with reasonable reception and induction arrangements despite rising arrivals.

Inspectors credited a new governor and deputy with bringing stability to daily routines and the prison being "much more accountable and capable" than at the previous inspection, while describing it as a mixed report about a prison that had a way to go.

  • Staff-prisoner relationships were inconsistent: some staff were uncaring and dismissive, which HMIP linked to considerable inexperience across the staff group
  • Violence between prisoners was the highest in the women's estate, although little of it was serious
  • Drugs were too easily available because the prison lacked a body scanner and enhanced gate security
  • Ofsted said the curriculum did not meet the population's needs
  • Only about a third of women were doing anything purposeful off the wings during the working day
  • The paper-based applications system did not work, and many women remanded or recalled had little to do

Review of progress, December 2025

In shortHMIP found good or reasonable progress on nearly all of 11 concerns, with improving officer confidence, though violence and some systems still lagged.

  • Concerns followed up11Good or reasonable progress on nearly all
  • Visit8 to 10 December 2025Report published 26 January 2026

HMIP returned for an independent review of progress on 8 to 10 December 2025 and published its report on 26 January 2026.

The Chief Inspector wrote that officers' competence and confidence had developed, that leaders had worked hard to meet the needs of the large remand and recall population, and that the education, skills and work offer had improved.

Many women were now complimentary about the decency and respect shown by staff, and officers were better at helping with day-to-day requests, which HMIP read as a sign of an improving culture.

Progress and gaps

Progress

  • Violence between prisoners remained high but was almost all not serious
  • Peer workers had been introduced to resolve conflict and rewards for good behaviour had become more meaningful
  • The incentivised substance-free living unit could now hold almost twice as many women
  • A body scanner was due within months
  • A new officer role to support recalled women had been introduced

Gaps and cautions

  • No in-cell technology or wing kiosks
  • The revised paper application system was not yet fully effective
  • Two self-inflicted deaths occurred a month after the visit, which the report records as a caution

Working at Foston Hall

In shortHMPPS has a specific recruitment page for Foston Hall; pay is the national scale with no market supplement listed, and staffing was 137 against a target of 149.

  • Band 3 to 5 officers137 FTEBand 3 to 5 staffing against a target of 149 at 30 June 2026 (HMPPS workforce statistics)
  • Market supplementNone listedHMPPS pay page, checked 3 October 2026

HMPPS has an establishment-specific recruitment page for prison officers at Foston Hall. It describes a small local women's resettlement prison in a rural setting about three miles from Foston, says candidates should enjoy working in a team and be resilient, and notes that many women have led challenging or traumatic lives.

Foston Hall is on the national pay scale with no market supplement listed on the HMPPS pay page (checked 3 October 2026); see prison officer pay bands for the figures.

  • On-site benefits listed: a free gym and free parking, plus training and career progression
  • Location: within 30 minutes of Derby, Stoke-on-Trent and Uttoxeter and under an hour from Leicester and Nottingham
  • GOV.UK: the nearest station is Tutbury and Hatton, a short taxi ride away, with buses from Burton-on-Trent and Uttoxeter

Routes in

Officer pay at HMP & YOI Foston Hall

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 Foston Hall, 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 Foston Hall (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.

Supplements are paid at other East Midlands prisons: Stocken (£2,000).

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 Foston Hall

Capacity, performance and staffing

At 24 August 2026: operational capacity 314, population 285 (91%), certified normal accommodation in use 290. HMPPS monthly population bulletin.

HMPPS performance rating, 2025/26

RatingPerformance of concern
Overall score55.4%
Functional groupFemale

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

Officer staffing against target

At 30 June 2026: 137 FTE Band 3 to 5 officers against a target of 149 (-12, hours-adjusted). A gap against target is not a count of advertised vacancies. HMPPS workforce statistics, June 2026.

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

Latest inspection

HMIP's most recent report on Foston Hall was published 26 January 2026 (independent review of progress / review visit); that is the publication date, not the visit date.

safetynot sufficiently good
respectreasonably good
purposeful activitypoor
preparation for releasereasonably good

Grades from the latest full inspection report, published 29 April 2025; 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 38 its "poor" 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 Foston Hall and how to apply

HMP & YOI Foston Hall has its own HMPPS recruitment page. Read the live advert for closing dates and assessment-centre details.

Postcode: DE65 5DN. View on a map. Nearest railway station, per GOV.UK: Tutbury and Hatton, which is a short taxi ride from Foston Hall.

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 (Female)

Compare Foston Hall side by side in the prison finder

Related guides

HMP & YOI Foston Hall: frequently asked questions

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

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

Does HMP & YOI Foston Hall pay a market supplement?

No: it is not on the HMPPS list (checked 3 October 2026). In East Midlands the listed prisons are Stocken (£2,000).

What category is HMP & YOI Foston Hall?

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

How many prisoners can HMP & YOI Foston Hall hold?

Operational capacity 314, population 285 at 24 August 2026 (HMPPS bulletin).

How do I apply to work at HMP & YOI Foston Hall?

Through the HMPPS recruitment page for HMP & YOI Foston Hall on the Prison and Probation Jobs site (linked above).

What is the nearest train station to HMP & YOI Foston Hall?

GOV.UK gives: Tutbury and Hatton, which is a short taxi ride from Foston Hall.

What kind of prison is Foston Hall?

Foston Hall is a women's prison and young offender institution in south Derbyshire for women aged 18 and over. HMIP describes it as a women's resettlement and local prison holding women on remand, those recalled, and women serving sentences up to life, with capacity of just over 300.

How did Foston Hall do at its most recent inspection?

HMIP's review of progress (visit 8 to 10 December 2025, published 26 January 2026) found good or reasonable progress on nearly all concerns from the January 2025 full inspection, including officer confidence and competence and education. Violence and drug availability remained concerns. The full 2025 inspection had rated safety not sufficiently good and purposeful activity poor.

Is there an official recruitment page for Foston Hall?

Yes. HMPPS publishes a page called Work as a Prison Officer at HMP Foston Hall on prisonandprobationjobs.gov.uk. It describes the prison, lists free parking and an on-site gym as staff benefits, and links to the Justice Jobs application portal. It does not state pay, which follows the national HMPPS scale for this prison.

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: Capacity figures differ between HMIP (290 CNA, 314 operational), the IMB (324) and the recruitment page (284); no single authoritative current figure confirmed; Whether the body scanner mentioned in the December 2025 review has since been installed was not verified; The recruitment page does not state pay, shift patterns or vacancy numbers.