HMP Wormwood Scrubs

From Millbank Gaol to a London reception prison

In shortWormwood Scrubs is a publicly run category B local and reception prison for adult men, built by prisoners from Millbank Gaol.

• Held, June 20251,144 men419 foreign national prisoners; 56% from black and minority ethnic backgrounds
• New arrivalsAbout 5,880 a yearAround 490 a month
• ReleasedAbout 294 a month
• Operational capacity1,274 to 1,212September 2024 to end of May 2025 (from 1,280)

Today HMIP describes it as a reception and resettlement prison, category B local, holding adult men from the age of 18. The report says about 5,880 new prisoners arrive each year, around 490 a month, and about 294 are released each month.

The estate has five main wings (A to E), a first night centre, a detoxification unit, a health care unit with inpatient beds and a segregation unit.

Operator and providers

The prison is publicly run, with Practice Plus Group providing physical health care, Forward Trust providing substance misuse treatment and Novus the education provider.

Capacity

The prison reduced its operational capacity from 1,280 to 1,274 in September 2024 and then to 1,212 by the end of May 2025 to allow refurbishment, according to the Independent Monitoring Board (IMB). Current capacity and population figures are in the at-a-glance section above.

• Built by prisoners from Millbank Gaol, 1875 to 1891 (HMIP 2025).
• Category B local and reception prison for adult men aged 18 and over.
• Prison group: London (HMPPS workforce statistics, 2026).

Full inspection, June 2025

In shortThe June 2025 inspection found a capable staff team but a high-profile, overcrowded jail with poor purposeful activity and a major drugs problem.

• SafetyNot sufficiently goodDown from reasonably good in 2021
• RespectReasonably good
• Purposeful activityPoorDropped to poor
• Preparation for releaseNot sufficiently good

HMIP's unannounced inspection took place on 9 to 19 June 2025 and the report was published on 8 September 2025. Inspectors visited during a heatwave and described a high-profile, overcrowded jail. The report raised 15 key concerns.

The Chief Inspector's summary said the strict separation of prisoners by wing probably helped keep violence lower than at comparable prisons but had wide costs.

Review visit, March 2026

In shortThe March 2026 review found a strong fall in drug use but little progress on regime and time out of cell.

• Concerns followed up9Two good, two reasonable, two insufficient, three no meaningful progress
• Drug test positive rate35% to 20%Inspection to the six months to end of January 2026
• Body-worn camera capture46%Of incidents (32% at inspection)
• Homelessness on release32%Of those with a recorded outcome, six months to January 2026

HMIP returned for an independent review of progress on 16 to 18 March 2026 and published the report on 27 April 2026. It followed up nine concerns from the 2025 inspection and found good progress on two, reasonable progress on two, insufficient progress on two and no meaningful progress on three.

Ofsted found reasonable progress on one theme and insufficient on another. The Chief Inspector said leaders had made impressive progress in reducing drug use and there was a positive trajectory in many areas.

What this means for staff

In shortKey work had almost stopped and staff were frequently redeployed in 2025, though the IMB called recruitment and retention generally good compared with other London prisons.

• Prisoners saying staff respectful64%2025 inspection
• Key work delivered1%Of projected sessions, previous six months
• Officers, 30 June 2026294 FTEBand 3 to 5, against a target of 320 (26 below)

Several findings bear directly on the officer role. In the 2025 inspection, 64% of prisoners said most staff treated them with respect and inspectors saw many good interactions, but key work had almost stopped: only 1% of projected sessions had been delivered in the previous six months.

The report said staff in the security and safety teams were frequently redeployed to other duties, which stopped suspicion drug testing from happening. It also raised a concern about staff corruption.

IMB 2024-25

Reporting year 1 June 2024 to 31 May 2025, published December 2025. Recruitment and retention of staff were generally good compared with other London prisons, but there had been a loss of longer-serving staff and turnover at lower grades. Staff sickness remained a recognised problem affecting day-to-day staffing and the regime, and the gap between Wormwood Scrubs and comparator prisons on assaults on staff had narrowed. It also recorded observations of compassion, patience and professionalism by staff in the segregation unit.

Staffing figure

HMPPS workforce statistics at 30 June 2026 showed 294 full-time-equivalent Band 3 to 5 officers against a target of 320, which is 26 below.

Working at Wormwood Scrubs and getting there

In shortWormwood Scrubs is in the inner London pay zone with no Band 3 market supplement listed on 3 October 2026; applications use the national route.

• Trainee contract£40,87637-hour, a year, 2026/27 tables
• Middle contract£43,45339-hour
• Longer contract£46,03141-hour

Wormwood Scrubs is in the inner London pay zone and is not on the HMPPS Band 3 market supplement list as checked on 3 October 2026. See London pay and prison officer pay bands for how zones, hours and increments fit together.

We found no dedicated HMPPS recruitment page for Wormwood Scrubs, so applications go through the national route in how to become a prison officer.

• GOV.UK's visitor page says the prison is a 10-minute walk from East Acton underground station, names London Paddington as the closest mainline station and says several local bus routes pass it.
• There is no visitor parking inside the prison, but cars can park outside on streets where pay and display applies at certain times.
• That is visitor guidance, not staff guidance, so we cannot confirm staff parking or shift-time travel; check the Transport for London planner.