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HMP & YOI Lincoln

Lincoln is a prison and young offender institution (YOI) in the East Midlands, for men aged 18 and over. HMPPS places it in the "Reception" functional group. Band 3 prison officer pay here starts at £37,131 on a 39-hour contract (2026/27 rates). Its operational capacity of 576 ranks 10th of 14 in East Midlands (1 = largest).

HMPPS prison officer jobsWork out my take-home hereCompare with other prisons

HMP & YOI Lincoln at a glance

  • Its operational capacity of 576 ranks 10th of 14 in East Midlands (1 = largest).
  • Among the 30 prisons in the HMPPS "Reception" functional group with a published capacity, it ranks 26th by size.
  • Its latest full HMIP inspection (report published 4 August 2025) graded safety "reasonably good" and purposeful activity "reasonably good".
  • GOV.UK gives its nearest station as: Lincoln Central.
Type
HMP & YOI
Holds
Men
Run by
HMPPS (public sector)
Nation
England
Region (geographic)
East Midlands
HMPPS prison region
East MidlandsWorkforce statistics, June 2026
Town / county
Lincoln, Lincolnshire
Postcode
LN2 4BD
HMPPS functional group
ReceptionA 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
576As at 24 August 2026
Latest HMIP report published
4 August 2025
Nearest railway station (GOV.UK)
Lincoln Central

Official description (GOV.UK/SPS/NI Justice): “Lincoln is a prison and young offender institution (YOI) in the East Midlands, for men aged 18 and over.” Official page.

A Victorian local prison with three original wings

In shortA category B reception and resettlement prison for men in a city-centre Victorian setting, holding well above its normal capacity.

  • Opened1872Three of four main wings are original Victorian; E wing opened in 1992
  • Held at 2025 inspection567Against an in-use certified normal capacity of about 403 and operational capacity of 614
  • UnsentencedAbout a thirdTwo-thirds sentenced; 12% foreign national prisoners
  • Released from the gate116 a month

HMP/YOI Lincoln is a category B reception and resettlement prison for men aged 18 and over, serving the courts of Lincolnshire. HMIP's 2025 report gives its history: it opened in 1872, three of its four main residential wings are the original Victorian design, and E wing opened in 1992.

The prison also has a segregation unit. The IMB adds that the four wings are each four storeys high.

  • A wing includes the first night centre
  • B and C wings hold remanded and sentenced prisoners
  • E wing holds vulnerable prisoners and those convicted of sexual offences
  • Site facilities (IMB): a reception, offender management unit, resettlement area, gym, workshop block, education academy, healthcare unit and a departure lounge

Population and getting there

In shortA mixed population above normal capacity, in a city-centre site with limited parking.

The IMB's report (1 February 2024 to 31 January 2025, published November 2025) gives an operational capacity of 664 falling to 654, describes the population as including remand and convicted adults and young adults, foreign nationals, life-sentenced prisoners and prisoners serving imprisonment for public protection (IPP), and notes a body scanner is now in use, which has intercepted unauthorised items.

GOV.UK gives the address as Greetwell Road, Lincoln LN2 4BD, opposite Lincoln County Hospital. The nearest railway station is Lincoln Central, about a 20-minute walk, and local buses serve the site. Parking nearby is limited and pay-and-display, with a few Blue Badge spaces at the gate.

For officers that is a city-centre commute rather than a rural one, which is a different proposition from the open prisons elsewhere in Lincolnshire such as North Sea Camp or the former RAF site at Morton Hall.

Inspection, July 2025: reasonably good across the board

In shortAll four tests were rated reasonably good, and the Chief Inspector called Lincoln the best performing reception prison in the country.

  • SafetyReasonably good
  • RespectReasonably good
  • Purposeful activityReasonably goodImproved from not sufficiently good in 2020
  • Preparation for releaseReasonably good

HMIP inspected Lincoln from 28 April to 15 May 2025 and published its report on 4 August 2025. The Chief Inspector opened the report by stating that, with that rating across all four tests, Lincoln was the best performing reception prison in the country.

Violence, drug ingress and self-harm were lower than at comparable prisons, and a well-motivated staff team maintained good standards of behaviour and cleanliness on the wings. Visitors can eat with prisoners at Bertie's restaurant in the visits hall.

Two points that speak to officers, and the 13 key concerns

What speaks to officers

  • Staff turnover was much lower than inspectors see elsewhere, and at the time of the inspection there were no officers in training
  • An experienced and competent team who knew their prisoners well and dealt quickly with low-level rule breaking
  • Key work, almost non-existent in many prisons, was described as impressive, with regular sessions from a named officer
  • Ofsted graded education as good, one of only two reception prisons in the country with that grade, with a well-integrated reading strategy

Key concerns

  • Phoning family on arrival was too hard because approving numbers took about two weeks
  • Self-harm was rising and care planning for prisoners in crisis was not good enough
  • A temporary water-heating system was not fit for purpose after long delays in getting a new boiler, and there was a serious cockroach problem
  • Nearly 90% of prisoners were sharing cells designed for one
  • Prisoners without work or education were locked up for around 22 hours a day on weekdays, the weekend regime was very limited, and about 20% of people were released homeless
  • Medicines handling needed improving and prisoner consultation was weak

The IMB view and staffing

In shortThe IMB agrees staff-prisoner relationships are positive, but notes rising self-harm care plans, dropped key work sessions, and officer staffing of 208 against a target of 201.

  • ACCTs opened446Compared with 351 the year before; 455 self-harm incidents
  • Staff numbers376At the end of the period, compared with 373 at the start (IMB)
  • Band 3 to 5 officers208 FTEBand 3 to 5 staffing against a target of 201 at 30 June 2026: eight above target

The IMB's most recent annual report agrees with the humane and respectful picture.

It says staff-prisoner relationships have continued to be generally positive and supportive, and that the Board believes prisoners are treated fairly and with respect, citing the regime on the wings in difficult circumstances, proportionate use of force, attention to equality and the management of prisoners in the segregation unit.

HMPPS workforce statistics show officer staffing above target, a rarity compared with most of the East Midlands. That fits HMIP's observation about low turnover. You can read about the structure of a typical shift in prison officer shift patterns.

  • 446 self-harm care plans (ACCTs) were opened during the year compared with 351 the year before, with 455 incidents of self-harm
  • Healthcare waiting times were unsatisfactory
  • Repair and maintenance work took too long and was of poor quality
  • Key work sessions were regularly dropped because staff were needed to cover sickness and constant watch or bed watch duties, even though a key worker coordinator post had been created in May 2024

Applying to work at Lincoln

In shortApply via the national route; Lincoln is in the national pay zone with no market supplement and was rated in the "good performance" band for 2025/26.

Lincoln is in the national pay zone with no HMPPS market supplement (checked 3 October 2026); see prison officer pay bands. HMPPS's 2025/26 performance ratings put it in the "good performance" band.

How to apply

  • There is no establishment-specific recruitment page for Lincoln on prisonandprobationjobs.gov.uk, so follow the national route in how to become a prison officer
  • Watch the Justice Jobs portal: adverts for Lincoln appear there when vacancies are live

Officer pay at HMP & YOI Lincoln

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 Lincoln, 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 Lincoln (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 Lincoln

Capacity, performance and staffing

At 24 August 2026: operational capacity 576, population 514 (89%), certified normal accommodation in use 391. HMPPS monthly population bulletin.

HMPPS performance rating, 2025/26

RatingGood performance
Overall score60.8%
Functional groupReception

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

Officer staffing against target

At 30 June 2026: 208 FTE Band 3 to 5 officers against a target of 201 (+8, hours-adjusted). A gap against target is not a count of advertised vacancies. HMPPS workforce statistics, June 2026.

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

Latest inspection

HMIP's most recent report on Lincoln was published 4 August 2025 (full inspection report); that is the publication date, not the visit date.

safetyreasonably good
respectreasonably good
purposeful activityreasonably good
preparation for releasereasonably good

Grades from the latest full inspection report, published 4 August 2025.

Of the 122 prisons with full HMIP grades, 31 share its "reasonably good" safety grade and 22 its "reasonably good" purposeful-activity grade. 27 of the 122 had no test below "reasonably good".

Read the HMIP report

Working at HMP & YOI Lincoln and how to apply

There is no Lincoln-specific page on the HMPPS jobs site; adverts are listed by location. Read the live advert for closing dates and assessment-centre details.

Postcode: LN2 4BD. View on a map. Nearest railway station, per GOV.UK: Lincoln Central.

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 (Reception)

Compare Lincoln side by side in the prison finder

Related guides

HMP & YOI Lincoln: frequently asked questions

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

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

Does HMP & YOI Lincoln 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 Lincoln?

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

How many prisoners can HMP & YOI Lincoln hold?

Operational capacity 576, population 514 at 24 August 2026 (HMPPS bulletin).

How do I apply to work at HMP & YOI Lincoln?

There is no Lincoln page on the HMPPS jobs site, so use the general HMPPS prison officer page, where adverts are listed by location.

What is the nearest train station to HMP & YOI Lincoln?

GOV.UK gives: Lincoln Central.

How did HMP Lincoln do at its latest inspection?

HMIP's report, published on 4 August 2025 after fieldwork from 28 April to 15 May 2025, rated safety, respect, purposeful activity and preparation for release all reasonably good, and called Lincoln the best performing reception prison in the country. Concerns included heating, medicines handling, self-harm care planning and time locked in cells.

Is staff turnover low at Lincoln?

HMIP said staff turnover was much lower than in other prisons it inspects and that no officers were in training at the time of the 2025 inspection, describing an experienced and competent team. HMPPS data show officer staffing at 208 full-time equivalents against a target of 201 at 30 June 2026.

How do I get to HMP Lincoln?

GOV.UK gives the address as HMP/YOI Lincoln, Greetwell Road, Lincoln LN2 4BD, opposite Lincoln County Hospital. The nearest railway station is Lincoln Central, about a 20-minute walk, and local buses serve the site. Parking nearby is limited and pay-and-display, with a few spaces reserved for Blue Badge holders at the prison gate.

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 establishment-specific recruitment page for Lincoln on prisonandprobationjobs.gov.uk; The IMB reports on a year ending 31 January 2025; a 2025/26 IMB report was not found; The temporary boiler and water heating problem noted in July 2025 has no follow-up in a source we could open, so current status is unverified.