HMP Wealstun

A prison formed from two

In shortWealstun was formed in 1995 from two earlier prisons and has served a training and resettlement role for West Yorkshire since May 2015.

The Chief Inspector described an extensive, mixed campus of 10 accommodation units, from 1960s buildings to more modern blocks, set in clean and well-maintained grounds. The IMB's 2025 to 2026 report counts 11 residential units.

GOV.UK describes a semi-rural location, and the official recruitment page says the prison is three miles from the market town of Wetherby. Wealstun is public sector and sits in the HMPPS Yorkshire group.

Who is held and what the units do

In shortWealstun held 810 men at inspection, with an older and newer estate side by side.

• Held (October 2022)810 / 832Men against operational capacity
• MoJ bulletin, 24 August 2026857 / 920Held against operational capacity; the IMB says capacity rose from 908 to 920 by the end of 2025
• Transfers and releases117 a monthAverage transfers; 1,103 releases in the previous 12 months
• Organised crime groups20%Of the population, the prison said; 57% aged 35 or under; 304 men receiving support for substance use

A and B wings

Original 1960 remand centre buildings holding 230 men in single and double cells, with part of A wing set aside as a residential support unit.

C wing

180 men in single cells, including most men on the integrated drug treatment system programme.

D wing

Prefabricated single-cell accommodation for 120.

E to J wings

About 300 between them, with G wing as the incentivised substance-free living unit and I wing for induction and first night.

What inspectors found in 2022

In shortHMIP rated safety, respect and release planning reasonably good and purposeful activity not sufficiently good, with a priority of more time out of cell.

• SafetyReasonably goodPrisoner-on-prisoner assaults down 50% and assaults on staff down 37% since 2019
• RespectReasonably good
• Rehabilitation and release planningReasonably good
• Purposeful activityNot sufficiently goodOfsted: requires improvement

HMIP inspected without notice from 3 to 14 October 2022, and the report was published on 23 January 2023. Inspectors said the prison had also gripped its drug problem, though self-harm was still too high and use of PAVA incapacitant spray and batons was more frequent than expected.

At weekends most men were locked up for almost 23 hours. The Chief Inspector's priority for the prison was more time out of cell and a more consistent, active regime.

Staffing and relationships on the wings

In shortIn 2022 only around 65% of the full officer complement was available for duty and many officers were inexperienced, though staffing may have changed since.

• Officer complement availableAround 65%After high recent attrition; 10 operational support grade vacancies
• Officers on probationAlmost a thirdAround half had less than two years' service
• Men saying staff respect them74%In line with similar prisons

Leaders were running a plan to retain and attract staff, including a local operational support grade recruitment campaign. Inspectors said there were too few middle managers to supervise so many inexperienced officers and that supervisors needed to be more visible on the wings.

• They saw some excellent custodial managers supporting new staff, but their availability at key times was limited
• Some prisoners reported staff who lacked experience and interpersonal skills
• Few men had a named officer or key worker, and recorded key work sessions were low
• This is HMIP's picture from 2022, and staffing may have changed since then

The Independent Monitoring Board's 2025 to 2026 report

In shortThe IMB reported rising violence, widely available illicit substances and a £32 million preferred option for the old wings that had not started.

• Receptions2,125Up from 1,933, with many men arriving with only weeks left to serve
• Preferred option for A and B wings£32 millionIdentified but works had not started

The IMB's annual report for 1 June 2025 to 31 May 2026 was published in September 2026. It said the Governor was moved to support HMP Leeds in September 2025 and a permanent replacement was later appointed.

• Violence had increased, illicit substances were widely available, and many prisoners were recalled, with those on a 56-day fixed-term recall housed on a separate wing
• A longer working week began in October 2025, but officer and instructor shortages, vetting delays and a pause in band 4 recruitment had slowed improvements
• Healthcare provision was described as generally good and the segregation unit as generally well managed, with a low length of stay

Working at Wealstun

In shortWealstun is on the national pay zone with no market supplement as at 3 October 2026, and the recruitment page quotes £34,928 to £39,334.

• Pay range£34,928 to £39,334Depending on whether officers work 37, 39 or 41 hours a week once initial training is complete
• Band 3 to 5 officers (FTE)213 / 245Band 3 to 5 officers against target, which the statistics show as 31 below target; 30 June 2026

The official recruitment page lists free parking and gym, and an onsite staff mess. Compare with our prison officer pay bands page and pay hub, which carry current national rates.