HMP Highpoint

A former RAF base split across two sites

In shortA large category C training and resettlement prison in rural Suffolk, on an old RAF station split into a north and a south site.

• Operational capacity1,160HMPPS August 2026 bulletin
• Prisoners held1,109On 24 August 2026
• Held at October 2023 inspection1,284240 foreign nationals; almost half assessed as high or very high risk of harm to others

HM Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) describes it as sitting on two separate, adjacent sites bisected by a main road. Many old RAF buildings remain, with newer accommodation blocks added since opening.

HMPPS lists Highpoint in its 2025/26 performance ratings as a category C trainer and resettlement prison. See our prison categories guide for how those labels work.

• South site: 10 residential units (including the segregation unit).
• North site: five residential units, with the incentivised substance-free living programme on unit 11.

The October 2023 inspection

In shortHMIP found a competent, well-led, orderly and safe prison in October 2023, but one not fulfilling its training and resettlement purpose.

• SafetyReasonably good
• RespectGood
• Purposeful activityPoor
• Preparation for releaseNot sufficiently good

HMIP inspected without notice from 16 to 27 October 2023 and published its report on 30 January 2024. The Chief Inspector described Highpoint as a challenging prison to manage because the large rural campus is difficult to supervise and most prisoners are held a long way from home. Previous inspection: August 2019.

• Five priority concerns and nine key concerns in total.
• One example of notable positive practice: the approach to incentivising good behaviour.

Expansion and recent developments

In shortThe site is being expanded for an additional 741 prisoners, with completion anticipated by mid-2028, while the IMB recorded rising use of force.

• Additional prisoners741Recruitment page
• Completion anticipatedMid-2028IMB 2025 report
• Use of force1,296Incidents in 2025, up from 878 in 2024 and 676 in 2023
• HMPPS rating 2025/263 of 4"Good performance"; score 59.5%

The prison's recruitment page says the expansion includes new accommodation units, prisoner workshops and other amenities, and will create work for both prison officers and operational support grades. The Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) adds detail in its report for 1 January to 31 December 2025.

Planning permission was granted in August 2022 for three four-storey accommodation blocks, a new workshop building, a new healthcare unit, a gate extension and expanded gym facilities. Infrastructure works had to stop when asbestos was found buried on the site.

• Adjudications were up by 20%.
• Drug overdoses resulting in serious medical emergencies were worrying.
• The Board asked for an urgent review of the works maintenance contract.
• Netting damaged in a storm had still not been fully replaced, leaving the prison vulnerable to throwovers.

Staffing and retention

In shortBand 3 officer numbers were above target and resignations were falling, but the IMB said the workforce lacked operational experience.

• Band 3 officers vs target of 240+3End of March 2026 (IMB)
• Band 3 to 5 resignations26Compared with 40 in the previous period
• Officers, 30 June 2026 (HMPPS)280 FTEBand 3 to 5, hours adjusted; target 294, about 14 below

The IMB's 2025 report is unusually specific about staffing. It credits the fall in resignations to a retention committee, with a staff charter launched in December 2025. At band 2, the prison had 100 staff against a target of 92, though nine band 2 officers had lost right-to-work visas after three years.

Working at Highpoint: pay, supplement and local detail

In shortHighpoint carries a £2,000 a year market supplement for Band 3 officers on national pay, with the prison quoting £36,928 to £41,334 including it.

• Market supplement (Band 3)£2,000 a yearHMPPS pay page, checked 3 October 2026; paid pro rata for part-time roles
• Prison officer pay incl. supplement£36,928 to £41,334Depending on 37, 39 or 41 hours (recruitment page)

Highpoint is on national pay but carries a £2,000 a year market supplement for Band 3 officers. Always compare with the current pay page and the pay bands guide as figures are updated each pay year.

• Part-time prison officer posts of 12, 16 or 24 hours a week are advertised.
• A 3-week onsite induction with a buddy and a new colleague mentor; operational support grade roles have a 4-week induction.
• Benefits listed: a free onsite gym and extensive free onsite parking.
• The prison is a 20-minute drive from Newmarket, 30 minutes from Bury St Edmunds and 50 minutes from Cambridge.
• Apply through the officer recruitment route.