HMP The Verne

A fortress on the Isle of Portland

In shortThe Verne is a historic citadel that reopened on 28 July 2018 as an HMPPS-run category C training prison for men convicted of sexual offences.

HM Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) says The Verne sits on a citadel on the Isle of Portland. The estate includes older ‘casemates’ rooms in the wall of the original fortress, which house workshops, the library, art room and multi-faith centre, as well as a large playing field and gym.

Who is held: an older population

In shortMore than half of the population is over 50, and a new Fleet wing lifted capacity to 648 late in the IMB’s reporting year.

• Held, HMIP 2024604Operational capacity of 608
• Older prisoners201 / 88Over 60 / over 70; more than half of the population was over 50
• Long sentences18%Serving sentences of 20 years or more
• Receiving 24-hour social care16Prisoners

HMIP’s 2024 report records eight residential units: Abbotsbury, Arne, Bincombe, Blandford, Chesil (induction and general population), Corfe, Dorset and Evershot. Dorset unit, with 80 places for men with mobility issues or social care needs, was described as impressive.

• In the last month of the IMB’s reporting year (August 2024 to September 2025, published March 2026), Fleet wing began to be occupied.
• Certified normal accommodation rose from 596 to 636, and operational capacity from 608 to 648.
• HMPPS’s monthly figures for 24 August 2026 show 644 prisoners against an operational capacity of 645.
• Our page on HMP & YOI Portland covers the neighbouring prison, which takes younger men.

What inspectors found in July 2024

In shortHMIP called The Verne ‘a generally safe and respectful jail’ but said it was not fulfilling its purpose as a training prison.

• SafetyGood
• RespectReasonably good
• Purposeful activityNot sufficiently good
• Preparation for releaseNot sufficiently good

HMIP inspected on 8 to 18 July 2024 and published its report on 14 October 2024. The previous full inspection was in February 2020.

The Chief Inspector said the prison was not fulfilling its key purpose as a training prison, because no offending behaviour programmes were being delivered and the offender management unit was seriously understaffed.

Thirteen concerns were raised, six of them priorities, covering offending behaviour work, contact with prison offender managers, oversight of use of force and segregation, too little key work, health care governance and a curriculum that did not meet needs.

• Prisoners were unlocked for eight hours a day and locked on their spurs rather than in cells at night; the regime was often cut back because of bed watches and community medical visits for an elderly, unwell population.
• Violence remained low but had risen in recent months, as had self-harm, and the prison had not analysed why.
• The Dorset unit gave good-quality social and medical care, and there were plans for a palliative care suite where families can be with dying prisoners.
• Only 2% of staff had completed the national online training for working with men convicted of sexual offences in the past year.
• An announcement during the inspection that funding had been found for offending behaviour programmes should spur leaders to reinvigorate the prison.
• A new regime negotiated with staff associations over 18 months should mean fewer disruptions caused by escorting medical appointments.

What the IMB reported for 2024-25

In shortThe IMB found most residents feel safe and welcomed improvements in offender management staffing, but raised clinical cover and a workforce visa issue.

The IMB’s report says The Verne remains a prison where the great majority of residents feel safe, and that some disorder may reflect an increased intake of recently sentenced and younger men with little experience of prison. It said prisoners were treated fairly and humanely.

Working at The Verne

In shortHMPPS runs one recruitment page covering The Verne and Portland; The Verne is in the national pay zone with no market supplement.

• Band 3 to 5 officers (FTE), 30 June 2026170Full-time-equivalent Band 3 to 5 officers against a target of 191
• HMPPS performance rating3 of 42025/26; overall score 74.3%

The Verne is in the national pay zone with no market supplement on the HMPPS list we checked on 3 October 2026, so the standard Band 3 figures on our pay and prison officer pay bands pages apply.

Working with this population is distinctive; our guide to prison categories and how to become a prison officer explain the wider context.

• The HMPPS page describes The Verne as housed within the historic Verne Citadel, holding men convicted of sexual offences.
• It offers accredited courses in bricklaying, construction, industrial cleaning, painting and barbering, with prisoners making items such as breakfast packs, leather goods and furniture for other prisons.
• Applicants choose a preferred prison but placement depends on operational needs; it lists a mentor and buddy system, an on-site gym and staff networks.
• GOV.UK gives the nearest railway station as Weymouth, with a bus onward to the Isle of Portland.