HMP & YOI Moorland

From remand centre to training and resettlement prison

In shortMoorland is a public sector category C training prison for men convicted of sexual offences and a resettlement prison for others, built in the early 1990s near Doncaster.

HMIP says it now provides 588 places for men convicted of sexual offences. The IMB's 2025 to 2026 report adds that it is, as far as the Board understands, the only category C prison in the region also holding young offenders aged 18 to 21, and that it is a hub for foreign national prisoners.

The prison is public sector and sits in the HMPPS Yorkshire group.

Who is held and how the houseblocks are used

In shortMoorland held 1,044 men at the March 2023 inspection, over half in custody for a sexual offence, across eight houseblocks.

• Held (March 2023)1,044 / 1,058Men against operational capacity
• MoJ bulletin, 24 August 20261,006 / 1,037Held against operational capacity
• New prisoners1,341 a yearAbout 80 releases a month
• In custody for a sexual offence588 men152 foreign national prisoners; 183 receiving substance misuse support

Moorland has eight houseblocks, some for men convicted of sexual offences and some for other prisoners.

Houseblock 1

Includes substance misuse treatment.

Block 2

The first night centre and induction.

Block 5

Includes the incentivised substance-free living unit.

Block 7

A unit for older prisoners and those with poor mobility, including a nine-bed intermediate care service that opened in April 2022 to provide rehabilitation of up to six weeks for hospital discharges. The IMB's 2025 to 2026 report says that unit is becoming a primary care unit with two beds for palliative or end-of-life care.

What inspectors found in 2023

In shortHMIP rated all four healthy prison tests reasonably good, as in 2019, and Ofsted rated education, skills and work good.

• All four testsReasonably goodAs at the 2019 inspection
• Violent incidents114In the year: 86 against prisoners and 28 against staff
• Felt unsafe37%Down from 54% in 2019
• Self-harm61% lowerThan at the last inspection, though rising recently

HMIP inspected without notice from 13 to 24 March 2023, and the report was published on 10 July 2023. Ofsted judged education, skills and work as good overall, better than inspectors normally see at similar prisons. The Chief Inspector described a capable, well-led establishment with visible leadership and excellent collaborative working.

Time out of cell had improved from a low base, though only part-time employees received around four to five hours on weekdays, while unemployed and basic-level prisoners had two hours. About a quarter of men were locked in their cells at any point in the working day, and experience at weekends was much worse.

Staff relationships and leadership

In shortStaff-prisoner relationships were mostly open and positive, with a small group of staff whose poor attitudes leaders' messages were not reaching.

HMIP noted evidence from prisoners of a few staff with poor attitudes towards some groups, including unacceptable language and disrespectful treatment. Inspectors said the positive messages from leaders were not reaching this small group.

Key working was effective for the limited number of prisoners the prison had focused on. Leaders had put work into developing staff, including training first-line managers in case management for men at risk of self-harm and suicide.

The Independent Monitoring Board's 2025 to 2026 report

In shortThe IMB called violence and use of force low to moderate but rising, and said staff availability was the biggest factor affecting the regime.

• Population range982 to 1,023Lower than the previous year because some accommodation was closed for a major fire safety upgrade
• Year-end population605 sexual offences99 foreign nationals and 138 aged 18 to 25
• Violence and use of force216 / 392Incidents of prisoner violence and use of force, with an upward trend
• Former prisoners in work23% / 47.8%After six weeks (just short of target) and six months (above target)

The IMB's annual report for 1 March 2025 to 28 February 2026 was published in August 2026. Every man had at least two hours out of cell a day, which could mean 22 hours locked in for those without education or work.

• Persistent bed bugs on some units
• Previously single cells still used as doubles
• Reduced face-to-face teaching hours and a shortage of training that leads to recognised qualifications

Working at Moorland

In shortMoorland is on standard national Band 3 pay with no market supplement as at 3 October 2026, and working here differs from most category C prisons.

• Band 3 to 5 officers (FTE)227 / 243Band 3 to 5 officers against target, 16 below; 30 June 2026
• HMPPS rating3: good2025/26 performance rating, overall score 63.6%

See our prison officer pay bands page and the pay hub for current figures. Because most of the population is held for sexual offences, working here is different from most category C prisons, and our prison categories explained guide covers how the estate is organised.