HMP & YOI New Hall

Role in the women's estate

In shortNew Hall is a closed, publicly run reception prison for women in Flockton, West Yorkshire, managed jointly with the open Askham Grange.

• Distance to Askham Grange40+ milesMore than 40 miles away, near York
• Governor time away from New Hall2 days a weekOn average, HMIP 2026

HMIP describes New Hall as a closed prison and young offender institution in Flockton, West Yorkshire, for women aged 18 and over, run by the public sector.

The Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) places it between Huddersfield and Wakefield in a rural setting close to the M1 and M62, and says it draws prisoners mainly from the north of England.

It is a reception prison, taking women directly from the courts, which is why remand and recall make up a large part of its work.

Who is held and how the prison is organised

In shortNew Hall held 317 women at inspection, with high churn and a highly specialised set of units.

• Held (2026 inspection)317 / 376Women against operational capacity, figures supplied by the prison
• MoJ bulletin, 24 August 2026327 / 337The capacity figure has changed since inspection
• New admissions1,213In the previous 12 months; an average of 99 releases a month
• On remand27%Almost two-thirds had been at the prison for under six months
• Drug or alcohol problemAround 66%Inspectors reported

HMIP's account of the units shows how specialised the site is. Rivendell has 30 en-suite rooms and an offender personality disorder pathway for women with complex needs, and Maple House is the mother and baby unit.

Oak 2 houses the drug recovery wing, which inspectors described as the only unit of its kind in the women's estate, alongside an incentivised substance free living unit.

What inspectors found in 2026

In shortHMIP rated safety, respect and release preparation good and purposeful activity not sufficiently good, with Ofsted judging education requires improvement.

• SafetyGood
• RespectGood
• Release preparationGood
• Purposeful activityNot sufficiently goodOfsted (inspected 27 to 30 April 2026): overall effectiveness requires improvement

HMIP's report, published on 27 July 2026 with a foreword dated June 2026, found a prison operating effectively. The previous inspection was in November and December 2022, and HMIP found that all but one of the 13 concerns raised then had been addressed or partly addressed.

Inspectors identified nine key concerns, four of them priorities. They also recognised notable positive practice, including no charge for in-cell television for the first 14 days to help new arrivals avoid debt and a safer custody phone line available at any time.

Staff, safety and officers' working life

In shortStaff-prisoner relationships were a strength, but 30% of band 3 officers were unavailable for operational duties.

• Prisoners saying staff respect them78%
• Band 3 officers unavailable30%For operational duties; leaders still delivered the daily regime reliably
• Assault rate737 per 1,000All assaults; six serious assaults on staff in the previous 12 months

HMIP described staff-prisoner relationships as a strength, with caring and supportive interactions, particularly in specialist wings, and key work that was far more structured than inspectors usually see. The use of force rate was the lowest among similar prisons.

• Inspectors also heard that officers did not always challenge poor behaviour such as bullying, and some women said a few staff spoke to them rudely
• Leaders were about to roll out a training package called Behind the Behaviour to all staff
• Leaders delivered the regime using overtime and improving sickness management
• Shortages did limit social and recreational activity, intelligence-led cell searches and the accredited offending behaviour programme Building Choices

The IMB view for 2024 to 2025

In shortThe IMB welcomed the drug recovery wing and rollout plans, but its concerns overlapped with HMIP's.

• Rise in healthcare applications50%Applications to the Board, mainly about prescribing
• Welfare checksTwo-hourlyDuring the first 72 hours in custody

The IMB's annual report for 1 March 2024 to 28 February 2025 was published in February 2026.

The Board noted the introduction of the drug recovery wing, plans for a body scanner that were well advanced, and that the HOPE initiative, piloted at New Hall in 2021/22, had been backed for roll-out across the women's estate.

• Worry about women with severe mental health conditions sent to prison as a place of safety and not assessed and transferred promptly
• It asked when body scanning would start
• Slow repair of equipment such as washing machines and basic furnishings
• Concern about possible cuts to education funding

Working at New Hall

In shortNew Hall is on the national pay zone with no market supplement, and HMPPS rated its 2025/26 performance 3, good performance.

• Band 3 to 5 officers (FTE)169 / 185Band 3 to 5 officers against target, 16 below; 30 June 2026
• HMPPS rating3: good2025/26 performance rating, overall score 61.0%
• Market supplementNoneNot on the HMPPS Band 3 list as at 3 October 2026

Our prison officer pay bands page and pay hub carry the current rates.