HMP Oakwood

History and role

In shortOakwood is a very large, privately run category C training and resettlement prison, so national HMPPS officer pay does not apply.

• Operational capacity (2024 inspection)2,134
• MoJ bulletin, 24 August 20261,981 / 2,034Population against operational capacity

HMIP's report records that HMP Oakwood has been operational since March 2012 and is designated a training and resettlement prison. It has been operated by the private contractor G4S since it opened (the report names the provider as G4S Care and Rehabilitation Services).

The Chief Inspector called it a very large category C training prison, 'atypical' in bucking trends in challenging times for the prison system. GOV.UK describes it as a privately run male prison in Featherstone, West Midlands, on the same site as HMP Featherstone and HMP & YOI Brinsford.

Who is held and how the site is laid out

In shortOakwood held 2,094 men with a broad population and significant throughput, about 80% assessed as high risk of harm to others.

• Held at inspection2,094 men
• New prisoners2,567Received April 2023 to March 2024; about 127 released each month
• High risk of harm to othersAbout 80%
• Black and minority ethnic24.5%151 foreign nationals; 236 receiving substance misuse support

HMIP described a broad population, from relatively short sentences to lifers and vulnerable prisoners, with significant throughput from an extended catchment area. HMIP noted that the grounds were very well maintained, that the prison was very clean, and that nearly half the population could cook their own meals in well-equipped kitchens.

Ash

Vulnerable prisoners.

Beech and Cedar

The main populations; the three large units hold 690 each.

Douglas

Platinum enhanced.

Elm

Drug recovery unit.

Hazel

Family unit. There is also a care and separation unit of 24 places.

What inspectors found (report published 12 August 2024)

In shortHMIP rated safety, respect and purposeful activity good, its highest grade, and release preparation reasonably good.

• SafetyGood
• RespectGood
• Purposeful activityGoodCalled quite exceptional compared with other closed adult male training prisons
• Release preparationReasonably good

HMIP's unannounced inspection, with the Chief Inspector's summary dated May 2024, was a further improvement on 2021. The prison felt ordered, with a safe and supportive culture and an extensive peer support network.

Nearly all prisoners could engage in work, learning or other activity, and time out of cell was significantly better than in almost all comparable prisons. The Chief Inspector described Oakwood as a benchmark for what a category C training prison can be.

Staff culture and leadership

In shortStaff were committed and content with a genuine community ethos, though resourcing of specialist services had not kept up with a higher-risk population.

The report describes relationships and culture in terms that matter to anyone considering a career there. Staff-prisoner relationships supported a genuine community ethos, key work was reasonable and consultation was good.

Performance rating and working at Oakwood

In shortHMPPS data is less positive than the 2024 inspection, and jobs at Oakwood are with the operator, with no verified pay quoted here.

• HMPPS annual ratingPerformance of concernHMPPS Annual Prison Performance Ratings for 2025/26: overall score 66.5%, Category C Trainer/Resettlement group; published 30 July 2026; amended at moderation

Performance ratings use different measures from HMIP's healthy prison tests, so the two are not directly comparable, and no later HMIP inspection of Oakwood has been published that we could find.