Prisons in East Midlands
East Midlands has 14 establishments in our dataset: 12 run by HMPPS; 2 privately run (G4S: Five Wells and Serco: Fosse Way). By designation they are 12 HMP, 2 HMP & YOI, and 1 holds women. The largest is HMP Fosse Way (1,960 places). 1 carries a Band 3 market supplement.
- Prisons
- 14 2 privately run
- Operational capacity
- 11,792 Itemised sites, 24 Aug 2026
- Market supplements
- 1 HMPPS pay page, 3 Oct 2026
- Officer staffing vs target
- -127 FTE Band 3-5, 12 prisons, 30 Jun 2026
East Midlands in numbers
Across the 14 sites with an itemised figure, HMPPS reports an operational capacity of 11,792 and a population of 11,240 (95%) at 24 August 2026. The largest is HMP Fosse Way at 1,960; the smallest is HMP North Sea Camp at 300; the highest occupancy is HMP Five Wells at 100% of its operational capacity.
Of the 12 HMPPS-run prisons, 12 in the National zone. Band 3 entry pay on 39 hours runs from £37,131 (Whatton) to £41,131 (Stocken) once any supplement is counted. On the HMPPS market supplement list: Stocken (£2,000).
HMPPS's 2025/26 performance ratings cover 14 of them: 1 outstanding, 7 good, 4 of concern, 2 serious concern. The highest overall score is 85.6% (North Sea Camp) and the lowest is 47.5% (Nottingham).
14 prisons have an HMIP report on record; 14 have four graded tests from a full inspection. On safety the latest full inspections gave 4 good, 4 reasonably good, 5 not sufficiently good and 1 poor. 3 had every test at reasonably good or better (Lincoln, North Sea Camp, Sudbury). 4 were graded poor on at least one test (Foston Hall, Leicester, Lowdham Grange, Nottingham). The newest report is Leicester (September 2026) and the oldest is Gartree (May 2023).
Staffing against target (Band 3 to 5, hours-adjusted FTE, 30 June 2026) is published for 12 of them: 127 FTE short in total, with Stocken furthest below (-40) and 2 over target. A gap is a staffing measure, not advertised vacancies.
By HMPPS functional group the establishments split as 3 Reception, 2 Category C Resettlement, 2 Category B, 2 Open, 2 Category C Trainer, 1 Female, 1 Category C Foreign National, 1 Category C Trainer/Resettlement.
Counted from our dataset, 3 October 2026.
Prison by prison: key numbers
| Prison | Capacity | Full | HMPPS rating | HMIP safety | Latest HMIP report | 39h entry pay (* with supplement) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fosse Way | 1,960 | 97% | 2 of 4, 56.6% | not sufficiently good | June 2025 | Not HMPPS pay |
| Five Wells | 1,733 | 100% | 3 of 4, 60.9% | reasonably good | August 2026 | Not HMPPS pay |
| Stocken | 1,285 | 98% | 3 of 4, 63.7% | good | May 2023 | £41,131 * |
| Ranby | 1,003 | 95% | 2 of 4, 50.5% | not sufficiently good | November 2025 | £37,131 |
| Nottingham | 960 | 99% | 1 of 4, 47.5% | not sufficiently good | April 2025 | £37,131 |
| Lowdham Grange | 842 | 85% | 1 of 4, 48.3% | poor | June 2026 | £37,131 |
| Whatton | 805 | 96% | 3 of 4, 66.8% | good | April 2024 | £37,131 |
| Gartree | 697 | 95% | 3 of 4, 62.4% | reasonably good | May 2023 | £37,131 |
| Sudbury | 661 | 88% | 3 of 4, 76.2% | reasonably good | October 2023 | £37,131 |
| Lincoln | 576 | 89% | 3 of 4, 60.8% | reasonably good | August 2025 | £37,131 |
| Morton Hall | 353 | 95% | 3 of 4, 73.8% | good | February 2024 | £37,131 |
| Foston Hall | 314 | 91% | 2 of 4, 55.4% | not sufficiently good | January 2026 | £37,131 |
| Leicester | 303 | 93% | 2 of 4, 56.3% | not sufficiently good | September 2026 | £37,131 |
| North Sea Camp | 300 | 98% | 4 of 4, 85.6% | good | August 2023 | £37,131 |
Working in East Midlands
Apply via HMPPS Prison and Probation Jobs for public-sector prisons in England and Wales; each operator's own site for private prisons (G4S and Serco). Compare commute and pay in the prison finder; guides: jobs by region, pay by region, market supplements.
All prisons in East Midlands
| Prison | Town | Type | HMPPS group | Run by | Capacity | Band 3 entry, 39h | Supplement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HMP & YOI Foston Hall | Foston | HMP & YOI | Female | Public (HMPPS) | 314 | £37,131 | None |
| HMP & YOI Lincoln | Lincoln | HMP & YOI | Reception | Public (HMPPS) | 576 | £37,131 | None |
| HMP Five Wells | Wellingborough | HMP | Category C Resettlement | Private | 1,733 | n/a | n/a |
| HMP Fosse Way | Leicester | HMP | Category C Resettlement | Private | 1,960 | n/a | n/a |
| HMP Gartree | Market Harborough | HMP | Category B | Public (HMPPS) | 697 | £37,131 | None |
| HMP Leicester | Leicester | HMP | Reception | Public (HMPPS) | 303 | £37,131 | None |
| HMP Lowdham Grange | Lowdham, near Nottingham | HMP | Category B | Public (HMPPS) | 842 | £37,131 | None |
| HMP Morton Hall | Swinderby, near Lincoln | HMP | Category C Foreign National | Public (HMPPS) | 353 | £37,131 | None |
| HMP North Sea Camp | Boston | HMP | Open | Public (HMPPS) | 300 | £37,131 | None |
| HMP Nottingham | Nottingham (Sherwood) | HMP | Reception | Public (HMPPS) | 960 | £37,131 | None |
| HMP Ranby | Retford | HMP | Category C Trainer/Resettlement | Public (HMPPS) | 1,003 | £37,131 | None |
| HMP Stocken | near Oakham | HMP | Category C Trainer | Public (HMPPS) | 1,285 | £41,131 | £2,000 |
| HMP Sudbury | near Ashbourne | HMP | Open | Public (HMPPS) | 661 | £37,131 | None |
| HMP Whatton | Whatton, Nottinghamshire | HMP | Category C Trainer | Public (HMPPS) | 805 | £37,131 | None |
Other regions
- East of England
- London
- North East
- North West
- Northern Ireland
- Scotland
- South East
- South West
- Wales
- West Midlands
- Yorkshire and the Humber
Functional groups here
Prisons in East Midlands: FAQs
How many prisons are in East Midlands?
14: Foston Hall, Lincoln, Five Wells, Fosse Way, Gartree, Leicester, Lowdham Grange, Morton Hall, North Sea Camp, Nottingham, Ranby, Stocken, Sudbury and Whatton. 2 are privately run.
What do prison officers earn in East Midlands?
12 in the National zone. Band 3 entry pay on 39 hours runs from £37,131 (Whatton) to £41,131 (Stocken) once any supplement is counted. On the HMPPS market supplement list: Stocken (£2,000).
Which prisons in East Midlands pay a market supplement?
HMP Stocken (£2,000), per the HMPPS pay page checked 3 October 2026. Supplements are non-pensionable and can be withdrawn.
What is the biggest prison in East Midlands?
HMP Fosse Way, with an operational capacity of 1,960 at 24 August 2026.
Which prisons in East Midlands have the best HMIP grades?
Lincoln, North Sea Camp and Sudbury had no test below reasonably good at their latest full inspection; some of those inspections are several years old.