HMP & YOI Hatfield

An open prison on two sites

In shortHatfield is a category D open prison for adult men near Doncaster, split between a main site and a smaller Lakes site, with resettlement as its purpose.

The two sites are a few miles apart: HMIP says three miles, while GOV.UK gives about four miles in one place and three in another. GOV.UK lists the main site at Thorne Road, with the Lakes site at Lindholme.

Open conditions mean minimal physical security and, for suitable men, release on temporary licence (ROTL) to work in the community. Our prison categories explained guide and open prisons explained guide cover how this differs from closed prisons.

• Category D open prison for adult men; HMIP says its purpose is resettlement
• The closest stations GOV.UK names are Thorne North and Thorne South, with a limited service and no taxi rank

Who is held and what the prison does

In shortHatfield held 353 men at the July 2024 inspection, with 74% accessing ROTL and a third working in the community.

• Held (July 2024)353 / 358Men against operational capacity; the August 2026 bulletin shows 348
• Accessing ROTL74%A third were in employment in the community
• ReleasesAbout 29 a month
• Reported outcomes70% / 92%Released with sustainable accommodation in 2023 to 2024 / in employment six months after release (the prison's own figures)

GOV.UK describes education suites for industry, retail, charity-run work and physical education, and a large portfolio of employers offering paid work through ROTL.

Lakes site

Holds up to 112 men in large double rooms and takes all new arrivals for around three months until they are risk assessed to progress to the main site.

Main site

Holds 246. A, B and C units have 20 rooms a landing across three floors, D unit holds 60 and F unit provides independent living for six.

What inspectors found in 2024

In shortHMIP rated all four healthy prison tests good, for the second inspection running, and called Hatfield a very safe place.

• SafetyGood
• RespectGood
• Purposeful activityGoodOfsted: education, skills and work good, with behaviour and attitudes outstanding
• Release preparationGood
• Staff treated them with respect92%Of surveyed prisoners, against 82% at similar prisons

HMIP inspected without notice from 15 to 25 July 2024 and published its report on 28 October 2024. Outcomes were the same as in 2019. The Chief Inspector called Hatfield a very safe place with hardly any violence or self-harm, and described good relationships, a meaningful regime and a genuine team ethos.

No priority concerns were raised and there were two key concerns.

• Stained and grubby communal toilets and showers, with refurbishment started on the main site but funding not secured for A and C wings or the Lakes
• Prisoners in education and workshops not being helped to understand British values and the risks of radicalisation

What the Independent Monitoring Board reported for 2024 to 2025

In shortThe IMB found both sites generally safe, with no self-inflicted deaths, violence or recorded use of force, but a rise in drug and phone finds.

• Releases413Against 257 the year before; 99.75% of released men with accommodation
• In employment six weeks after release62.85%

The IMB's annual report for 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025 was published in March 2026. It noted an increase in illicit drug and mobile phone finds, possibly linked to an influx of 60 new prisoners in one week who may not have been suitable for a category D prison.

• No self-inflicted deaths, no reported self-harm incidents, no violence and no recorded use of force in the period
• New shower blocks and recess upgrades, a refurbished wing for men serving life sentences, and healthcare it found well managed after a 2024 inspection with no breaches
• It asked ministers about a change in open prison eligibility from two years to five years left to serve, which it said may reduce incentives

Working at Hatfield

In shortHatfield is on standard national Band 3 pay with no market supplement as at 3 October 2026, and HMPPS rated its 2025/26 performance 4, outstanding.

• Band 3 to 5 officers (FTE)67 / 69Band 3 to 5 officers against target; HMPPS workforce statistics for 30 June 2026
• HMPPS rating4: outstanding2025/26 annual performance ratings: 95.5%

See our prison officer pay bands page and the pay hub. HMIP's 2024 report said staff surveys showed high morale and excellent engagement, with residential staff acting as named officers for caseloads of about 20 prisoners each. The IMB says new staff are mentored by more experienced colleagues.