HMP & YOI Swinfen Hall

History and role

In shortSwinfen Hall is a publicly run category C training prison and young offender institution, opened as a borstal in 1963, for men aged 18 to 28.

• MoJ bulletin, 24 August 2026611 / 624Prisoners against operational capacity

The HMPPS careers page describes it as housing male prisoners between 18 and 28, many with complex rehabilitation needs serving long sentences, set in woodland just outside the historic village of Swinfen. HMIP described Swinfen Hall as not having the highest profile in the prison estate but managing significant risk.

The prison is publicly run in the HMPPS West Midlands group, with health services from Practice Plus Group and Inclusion in partnership with the Midlands Partnership Foundation NHS Trust, and education from Novus.

Who is held

In shortSwinfen Hall held 611 young men, nearly all on long sentences and most presenting a high risk of harm.

• Held (2024)611 men93% under 25 and half under 21
• Life sentences130 lifersOne in five; about a quarter convicted of a sexual offence
• Neurodiversity needAbout halfHad or were suspected of having one
• Care experienceAround 30%In the care of a local authority as children; about 48% from ethnic minority backgrounds
• New arrivals45 a monthIncluding a small number from the children's estate; 64 released in the previous 12 months

The mental health and substance misuse caseload was high: 546 men had been referred to the mental health team in the 12 months to June 2024 and almost 400 to the substance misuse team.

The Chief Inspector wrote that most prisoners presented a high risk of harm and nearly all were serving long sentences, so Swinfen Hall operates as a long-sentence young adult prison rather than a short-stay one.

Units and specialist services

In shortTwo units stand out: D wing, a personality disorder treatment service, and E wing, an NHS-funded progression unit.

HMIP noted that 130 men could access therapeutic, psychological and personality disorder services, and that leaders had developed an excellent range of personality disorder treatment and secured funding for outreach services.

A, B, G and J wings

General population.

C wing

First night centre and induction.

D wing

The developing and emerging personality disorder treatment service and an enabling environment.

E wing

An NHS-funded psychologically informed planned environment (PIPE) progression unit.

F wing

Incentivised substance-free living unit.

I wing

Long-term and lifer wing. There is also a segregation unit.

• All prisoners receive a personal sentence plan, with education, purposeful activities and specialist offending behaviour or psychological programmes (HMPPS careers page)
• Maths, English, food safety and horticultural qualifications
• A local charity workshop repairing bicycles, fencing panel production, and workshops in upholstery, tailoring, grounds maintenance and waste management
• The specialist therapeutic wing for prisoners with personality disorders

What inspectors found (report published 25 November 2024)

In shortHMIP judged safety, respect and purposeful activity not sufficiently good and release preparation reasonably good, in the first inspection since 2021.

• SafetyNot sufficiently good
• RespectNot sufficiently goodHad deteriorated
• Purposeful activityNot sufficiently goodOfsted: requires improvement
• Release preparationReasonably goodHad improved
• Prisoners locked up in the working day30%Mandatory drug testing data suggested 45% were active drug users

Violence was reducing and the rate was typical for a category C prison, but use of force, disciplinary procedures and segregation had increased. The Chief Inspector concluded that the prison would benefit from more investment in the environment, security and regime resilience.

Staffing, capability and culture

In shortMany officers were inexperienced and lacked confidence, but leadership was seen as a strength.

• Band 3 to 5 officers (FTE)162 / 193Band 3 to 5 officers (FTE) against target, HMPPS workforce statistics at 30 June 2026; a gap of 30
• Staff agreeing with leaders' priorities64%HMIP's staff survey

Staff-prisoner relationships were described as problematic, with prisoners viewing staff as inconsistent and unreliable, though prisoners on the specialist D and E wings were more positive.

Working at Swinfen Hall

In shortSwinfen Hall has an official HMPPS careers page, no stated pay, and is on the national pay zone with no market supplement as at 3 October 2026.

• Perks (careers page)Free parking and gymOn-site, plus a subsidised staff canteen
• Market supplementNoneNot on the tables as at 3 October 2026; the page does not state pay

See pay and pay bands. If you are interested in working with young adults specifically, this is one of the few prisons in the region where that is the core task, and HMIP said leaders were developing staff training for it.