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HMP Spring Hill

Spring Hill is a men’s open prison in the village of Grendon Underwood, Buckinghamshire. It is jointly managed with Grendon Prison, which is on the same site. HMPPS places it in the "Open" functional group. Band 3 prison officer pay here starts at £38,631 on a 39-hour contract including the £1,500 market supplement (2026/27 rates).

Jobs at Spring Hill (HMPPS)Work out my take-home hereCompare with other prisons

HMP Spring Hill at a glance

  • It is one of the prisons listed for a Band 3 market supplement: £1,500 a year on top of base pay, non-pensionable, guaranteed to at least March 2027 and, on HMPPS's own wording, able to be withdrawn.
  • Its operational capacity of 546 ranks 10th of 19 in South East (1 = largest).
  • Among the 12 prisons in the HMPPS "Open" functional group with a published capacity, it ranks 4th by size.
  • Its latest full HMIP inspection (report published 19 August 2022) graded safety "good" and purposeful activity "not sufficiently good".
  • GOV.UK gives its nearest station as: Bicester Village and Bicester North which are about 8 miles from Spring Hill.
Type
HMP
Holds
Men
Run by
HMPPS (public sector)
Nation
England
Region (geographic)
South East
HMPPS prison region
South CentralWorkforce statistics, June 2026
Town / county
Grendon Underwood, Buckinghamshire
Postcode
HP18 0TL
HMPPS functional group
OpenA role label, not each prisoner's security category
Officer pay zone
National (all other locations)
Band 3 market supplement
£1,500 a yearHMPPS pay page, 3 October 2026
Operational capacity
546As at 24 August 2026, reported jointly with a neighbouring site
Latest HMIP report published
19 August 2022
Nearest railway station (GOV.UK)
Bicester Village and Bicester North which are about 8 miles from Spring Hill

Official description (GOV.UK/SPS/NI Justice): “Spring Hill is a men’s open prison in the village of Grendon Underwood, Buckinghamshire. It is jointly managed with Grendon Prison, which is on the same site.” Official page.

Grendon and Spring Hill are on the same site and jointly managed; HMPPS publishes one combined capacity figure.

The oldest open prison

In shortSpring Hill opened in 1953, is the oldest open prison, and shares a site and management with HMP Grendon.

  • Operational places (combined)546One figure for the pair; 489 held on 24 August 2026
  • Baseline certified capacity (2022)335In-use capacity was 241 because three larger blocks had been condemned on fire safety grounds

HMIP records that Spring Hill opened in 1953 and is the oldest of the open prisons. GOV.UK describes it as a men's open prison in the village of Grendon Underwood, Buckinghamshire, jointly managed with HMP Grendon, which is on the same site.

The monitoring board explains that although the two prisons share services and staff, they exist for quite different purposes and operate as separate units, and that one board monitors both.

The IMB describes Spring Hill as a category D open establishment focused on rehabilitation and resettlement, receiving men near the end of long sentences and those serving shorter terms who are trusted in open conditions, with no segregation unit.

  • Accommodation is freestanding prefabricated huts built in the 1960s, plus newer modular buildings.
  • 41 new single-cell 'X-huts' were delivered in 2024.
  • HMIP's 2022 report noted 40 temporary sleeping pods.

The 2022 inspection (older evidence)

In shortHMIP's last full report is from 2022 and should be read as history: good on safety, reasonably good elsewhere.

  • SafetyGood
  • RespectReasonably good
  • Purposeful activityReasonably good
  • Rehabilitation and release planningReasonably good

HMIP's last full inspection of Spring Hill ran from 18 April to 6 May 2022, with the report published on 19 August 2022. This is now four years old and should be read as historical.

Across the four tests, three were unchanged and one had declined since 2017. The Chief Inspector wrote that the prison was making a good recovery from pandemic restrictions and that the governor's team had restored a sense of purpose at a well-run prison.

11 key concerns, three of them priorities

Concerns

  • The accommodation was described as poor after years of insufficient investment in the huts
  • Many men waited too long for release on temporary licence because of slow information from community agencies
  • Many working on site were underemployed
  • A team of five resettlement workers had fallen to one
  • Safety strategy not sufficiently focused on mobile phones, drugs and absconding

Positives

  • Violence was rare, only 7% of surveyed prisoners felt unsafe
  • An average of 64 prisoners were working or studying outside the prison during the inspection week, about 20,000 temporary release events a year
  • Main incentive for men: staying in open conditions and progressing to release on temporary licence

More recent evidence: monitoring board and Ministers

In shortThe IMB's 2024 report found low violence but failing infrastructure, and a June 2026 ministerial reply records some repair work.

The IMB's annual report for 2024 (published May 2025) found self-harm and violence low, drugs a constant problem within a manageable risk rating, and failing infrastructure, including power cuts, an unreliable fire alarm, leaking buildings, failing sanitation and rats.

After the October 2024 early release scheme, about 80 men were released smoothly, but the rapid intake of replacements meant only 13% of men, against the usual third, could access outside work in mid-November 2024.

  • About a third of the population were estimated to be neurodivergent.
  • Attracting and keeping teachers of core subjects remained a problem.
  • The offender management unit was under constant workload pressure.

Ministerial reply to the IMB's 2025 report (26 June 2026)

  • Refurbished shower and toilet areas in two huts, a new sanitation block for T hut, work starting on N hut
  • Fire system and external lighting upgrades
  • Capital bids for site-wide shower refurbishments remained under consideration
  • Some vocational courses were scaled back because of changes in the population and shorter stays, with more short courses delivered instead
  • We did not open the IMB's 2025 report itself

Working at an open prison

In shortNo Spring Hill recruitment page exists; a £1,500 a year market supplement is listed as at 3 October 2026, not guaranteed beyond March 2027.

  • Supplement£1,500A year, at 3 October 2026
  • HMPPS rating73.6%2025/26 performance rating: 'good performance'

We found no recruitment page specific to Spring Hill. The official jobs page for HMP Grendon says the open Springhill is on the same site and that Grendon is a therapeutic community prison, so a role on the Grendon page is not the same as an open-prison role.

Spring Hill appears on the HMPPS market supplement tables with a £1,500 a year supplement as at 3 October 2026, non-pensionable and not guaranteed beyond March 2027. See our open prisons guide and market supplements guide.

Travel (HMPPS Grendon jobs page and GOV.UK)

  • The prison is rural, around 20 minutes by car from Bicester and 30 from Aylesbury, with plenty of free on-site staff parking
  • Nearest stations are Bicester Village (about eight miles) and Aylesbury (13 miles), and neither is served by a regular bus route to the prison
  • GOV.UK's visitor guidance adds that there are no buses from Bicester so a taxi is needed, and notes that Aylesbury has a local bus only on Wednesdays and Saturdays

Officer pay at HMP Spring Hill

National (all other locations) zone; Band 3 rates from 1 April 2026, including the 20% unsocial hours allowance.

Band 3, 39 hours, entry£38,631£37,131 + £1,500 market supplement
Band 3, 37 hours, entry£36,428Trainee contract
Band 3, 41 hours, top pay point£42,917Highest Band 3 option here
Band 3 prison officer pay at HMP Spring Hill, 2026/27 (£ a year, base rates before supplement)
Contract hoursEntry (pay point 1)Maximum (pay point 3)Entry with supplementMax with supplement
37 hours (trainee contract) incl. 20% unsocial hours£34,928£36,778£36,428£38,278
39 hours (2 additional committed hours)£37,131£39,097£38,631£40,597
41 hours (4 additional committed hours)£39,334£41,417£40,834£42,917

PSPRB 25th Report, Appendix E. Supplement per the HMPPS jobs site, 3 October 2026; non-pensionable, may be withdrawn.

Other grades at HMP Spring Hill (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.

Other South East prisons on the supplement list: Aylesbury (£3,000), Bullingdon (£3,500), Coldingley (£2,000), Elmley (£3,500), Grendon (£1,500), Huntercombe (£1,500).

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 Spring Hill

Capacity, performance and staffing

At 24 August 2026: operational capacity 546, population 489 (90%), certified normal accommodation in use 568. HMPPS publishes one combined figure for this site and its neighbour, so these numbers cover both. HMPPS monthly population bulletin.

HMPPS performance rating, 2025/26

RatingGood performance
Overall score73.6%
Functional groupOpen

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

Open is HMPPS's functional-group label for the prison's role, not any prisoner's security category. Official wording: “Open”. See prison categories explained or all Open prisons.

Latest inspection

HMIP's most recent report on Spring Hill was published 19 August 2022 (full inspection report); that is the publication date, not the visit date.

safetygood
respectreasonably good
purposeful activitynot sufficiently good
preparation for releasereasonably good

Grades from the latest full inspection report, published 19 August 2022.

Of the 122 prisons with full HMIP grades, 36 share its "good" safety grade and 53 its "not sufficiently good" purposeful-activity grade.

Read the HMIP report

Working at HMP Spring Hill and how to apply

HMP Spring Hill has its own HMPPS recruitment page. Read the live advert for closing dates and assessment-centre details.

Postcode: HP18 0TL. View on a map. Nearest railway station, per GOV.UK: Bicester Village and Bicester North which are about 8 miles from Spring Hill.

Other prisons in South East and similar prisons

These establishments are in the same county or region (20 listed in South East). See all of them in one table.

Similar by HMPPS functional group (Open)

Compare Spring Hill side by side in the prison finder

Related guides

HMP Spring Hill: frequently asked questions

How much does a prison officer earn at HMP Spring Hill?

From £38,631 a year on 39 hours at the entry pay point (including the £1,500 supplement), rising to £40,597 (National zone, 2026/27).

What category is HMP Spring Hill?

HMPPS lists it in the "Open" functional group, a label for the prison's role rather than the category of each prisoner. GOV.UK/HMIP wording: "Open".

How many prisoners can HMP Spring Hill hold?

Operational capacity 546, population 489 at 24 August 2026 (HMPPS bulletin); reported jointly with HMP Grendon.

How do I apply to work at HMP Spring Hill?

Through the HMPPS recruitment page for HMP Spring Hill on the Prison and Probation Jobs site (linked above).

What is the nearest train station to HMP Spring Hill?

GOV.UK gives: Bicester Village and Bicester North which are about 8 miles from Spring Hill.

Is HMP Spring Hill the same as HMP Grendon?

No. They share a site in Grendon Underwood and are jointly managed, and the IMB says they share services and staff, but they operate as separate units with different purposes. Spring Hill is an open prison for men trusted in open conditions. Grendon is a category B therapeutic community prison. HMPPS publishes one combined capacity figure for both.

How recent is the inspection evidence for Spring Hill?

HMIP's last full inspection report on Spring Hill was published on 19 August 2022, so it is more than four years old. We therefore also use the IMB's 2024 annual report (published May 2025) and a ministerial response dated 26 June 2026 to give a more current picture, and flag that the older findings may have changed.

Does HMP Spring Hill pay a market supplement?

Yes. As at 3 October 2026 Spring Hill is listed on the HMPPS prison officer pay page with a £1,500 a year market supplement on top of national Band 3 pay. It is non-pensionable, guaranteed only to at least March 2027, and HMPPS says it can be withdrawn. Check the official page before relying on the figure.

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: A full HMIP inspection more recent than 2022 (none found), so current healthy prison grades are unknown; The IMB's own 2025 annual report (only the ministerial response was opened); Spring Hill officer staffing against target: HMPPS does not publish a separate figure for it in the dataset we use; A recruitment page specific to Spring Hill, and detached-duty practice between Spring Hill and Grendon.