Prisons in South East
South East has 20 establishments in our dataset: 19 run by HMPPS; 1 privately run (Sodexo: Bronzefield). By designation they are 17 HMP, 3 HMP & YOI, and 3 hold women. The largest is HMP Bullingdon (1,112 places). 12 carry a Band 3 market supplement.
- Prisons
- 20 1 privately run
- Operational capacity
- 10,266 Itemised sites, 24 Aug 2026
- Market supplements
- 12 HMPPS pay page, 3 Oct 2026
- Officer staffing vs target
- -432 FTE Band 3-5, 18 prisons, 30 Jun 2026
South East in numbers
Across the 18 sites with an itemised figure, HMPPS reports an operational capacity of 10,266 and a population of 9,787 (95%) at 24 August 2026. The largest is HMP Bullingdon at 1,112; the smallest is HMP & YOI East Sutton Park at 100; the highest occupancy is HMP Coldingley at 99% of its operational capacity. 2 sites here share a combined HMPPS figure with a neighbour and are left out of these totals.
Of the 19 HMPPS-run prisons, 19 in the National zone. Band 3 entry pay on 39 hours runs from £37,131 (Maidstone) to £44,131 (Bullingdon) once any supplement is counted. On the HMPPS market supplement list: Bullingdon (£3,500), Elmley (£3,500), Swaleside (£3,500), Woodhill (£3,500), Aylesbury (£3,000), Coldingley (£2,000), Send (£2,000), Winchester (£2,000), Grendon (£1,500), Huntercombe (£1,500), Spring Hill (£1,500), Standford Hill (£1,500).
HMPPS's 2025/26 performance ratings cover 20 of them: 4 outstanding, 9 good, 3 of concern, 4 serious concern. The highest overall score is 91.7% (Grendon) and the lowest is 47.2% (Isle of Wight).
20 prisons have an HMIP report on record; 20 have four graded tests from a full inspection. On safety the latest full inspections gave 7 good, 3 reasonably good, 7 not sufficiently good and 3 poor. 4 had every test at reasonably good or better (East Sutton Park, Ford, Send, Standford Hill). 6 were graded poor on at least one test. The newest report is Isle of Wight (June 2026) and the oldest is Spring Hill (August 2022).
Staffing against target (Band 3 to 5, hours-adjusted FTE, 30 June 2026) is published for 18 of them: 432 FTE short in total, with Cookham Wood furthest below (-96) and 1 over target. A gap is a staffing measure, not advertised vacancies.
By HMPPS functional group the establishments split as 4 Reception, 4 Category B, 3 Female, 3 Category C Trainer/Resettlement, 3 Open, 2 Category C Foreign National, 1 Category C Trainer.
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bullingdon | 1,112 | 98% | 2 of 4, 56.7% | not sufficiently good | May 2026 | £44,131 * |
| Isle of Wight | 968 | 97% | 1 of 4, 47.2% | not sufficiently good | June 2026 | £37,131 |
| Elmley | 923 | 99% | 3 of 4, 64.9% | not sufficiently good | March 2026 | £44,131 * |
| Swaleside | 787 | 87% | 1 of 4, 48.2% | poor | March 2026 | £44,131 * |
| Rochester | 766 | 96% | 2 of 4, 53.7% | not sufficiently good | July 2025 | £37,131 |
| Winchester | 637 | 96% | 1 of 4, 48.3% | not sufficiently good | May 2026 | £41,131 * |
| Lewes | 627 | 98% | 3 of 4, 60.8% | not sufficiently good | September 2025 | £37,131 |
| Woodhill | 586 | 97% | 1 of 4, 50.2% | poor | June 2026 | £44,131 * |
| Maidstone | 553 | 97% | 3 of 4, 71.6% | reasonably good | March 2026 | £37,131 |
| Grendon | 546 | n/a | 4 of 4, 91.7% | good | August 2023 | £40,131 * |
| Spring Hill | 546 | n/a | 3 of 4, 73.6% | good | August 2022 | £40,131 * |
| Bronzefield | 527 | 94% | 3 of 4, 62.9% | reasonably good | November 2025 | Not HMPPS pay |
| Huntercombe | 520 | 95% | 3 of 4, 65.1% | good | November 2023 | £40,131 * |
| Coldingley | 513 | 99% | 2 of 4, 55.7% | not sufficiently good | February 2026 | £41,131 * |
| Standford Hill | 464 | 87% | 4 of 4, 82.8% | good | February 2025 | £40,131 * |
| Aylesbury | 402 | 94% | 3 of 4, 62.8% | reasonably good | May 2026 | £43,131 * |
| Ford | 389 | 97% | 4 of 4, 87.0% | good | July 2023 | £37,131 |
| Send | 255 | 87% | 3 of 4, 67.9% | good | July 2025 | £41,131 * |
| Cookham Wood | 137 | 96% | 3 of 4, 62.6% | poor | May 2024 | £37,131 |
| East Sutton Park | 100 | 76% | 4 of 4, 89.4% | good | January 2024 | £37,131 |
Working in South East
Apply via HMPPS Prison and Probation Jobs for public-sector prisons in England and Wales; each operator's own site for private prisons (Sodexo). Compare commute and pay in the prison finder; guides: jobs by region, pay by region, market supplements.
All prisons in South East
| Prison | Town | Type | HMPPS group | Run by | Capacity | Band 3 entry, 39h | Supplement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HMP & YOI Bronzefield | Ashford | HMP & YOI | Female | Private | 527 | n/a | n/a |
| HMP & YOI East Sutton Park | Maidstone | HMP & YOI | Female | Public (HMPPS) | 100 | £37,131 | None |
| HMP & YOI Rochester | Rochester | HMP & YOI | Category C Trainer/Resettlement | Public (HMPPS) | 766 | £37,131 | None |
| HMP Aylesbury | Aylesbury | HMP | Category C Trainer | Public (HMPPS) | 402 | £43,131 | £3,000 |
| HMP Bullingdon | Bicester | HMP | Reception | Public (HMPPS) | 1,112 | £44,131 | £3,500 |
| HMP Coldingley | Woking | HMP | Category C Trainer/Resettlement | Public (HMPPS) | 513 | £41,131 | £2,000 |
| HMP Cookham Wood | Rochester | HMP | Category C Trainer/Resettlement | Public (HMPPS) | 137 | £37,131 | None |
| HMP Elmley | Isle of Sheppey | HMP | Reception | Public (HMPPS) | 923 | £44,131 | £3,500 |
| HMP Ford | Arundel | HMP | Open | Public (HMPPS) | 389 | £37,131 | None |
| HMP Grendon | Grendon Underwood | HMP | Category B | Public (HMPPS) | 546 | £40,131 | £1,500 |
| HMP Huntercombe | near Henley-on-Thames | HMP | Category C Foreign National | Public (HMPPS) | 520 | £40,131 | £1,500 |
| HMP Isle of Wight | Newport (Albany and Parkhurst sites) | HMP | Category B | Public (HMPPS) | 968 | £37,131 | None |
| HMP Lewes | Lewes | HMP | Reception | Public (HMPPS) | 627 | £37,131 | None |
| HMP Maidstone | Maidstone | HMP | Category C Foreign National | Public (HMPPS) | 553 | £37,131 | None |
| HMP Send | Woking | HMP | Female | Public (HMPPS) | 255 | £41,131 | £2,000 |
| HMP Spring Hill | Grendon Underwood | HMP | Open | Public (HMPPS) | 546 | £40,131 | £1,500 |
| HMP Standford Hill | Isle of Sheppey | HMP | Open | Public (HMPPS) | 464 | £40,131 | £1,500 |
| HMP Swaleside | Isle of Sheppey | HMP | Category B | Public (HMPPS) | 787 | £44,131 | £3,500 |
| HMP Winchester | Winchester | HMP | Reception | Public (HMPPS) | 637 | £41,131 | £2,000 |
| HMP Woodhill | Milton Keynes | HMP | Category B | Public (HMPPS) | 586 | £44,131 | £3,500 |
Other regions
- East Midlands
- East of England
- London
- North East
- North West
- Northern Ireland
- Scotland
- South West
- Wales
- West Midlands
- Yorkshire and the Humber
Functional groups here
Prisons in South East: FAQs
How many prisons are in South East?
20: Bronzefield, East Sutton Park, Rochester, Aylesbury, Bullingdon, Coldingley, Cookham Wood, Elmley, Ford, Grendon, Huntercombe, Isle of Wight, Lewes, Maidstone, Send, Spring Hill, Standford Hill, Swaleside, Winchester and Woodhill. 1 is privately run.
What do prison officers earn in South East?
19 in the National zone. Band 3 entry pay on 39 hours runs from £37,131 (Maidstone) to £44,131 (Bullingdon) once any supplement is counted. On the HMPPS market supplement list: Bullingdon (£3,500), Elmley (£3,500), Swaleside (£3,500), Woodhill (£3,500), Aylesbury (£3,000), Coldingley (£2,000), Send (£2,000), Winchester (£2,000), Grendon (£1,500), Huntercombe (£1,500), Spring Hill (£1,500), Standford Hill (£1,500).
Which prisons in South East pay a market supplement?
HMP Aylesbury (£3,000), HMP Bullingdon (£3,500), HMP Coldingley (£2,000), HMP Elmley (£3,500), HMP Grendon (£1,500), HMP Huntercombe (£1,500), HMP Send (£2,000), HMP Spring Hill (£1,500), HMP Standford Hill (£1,500), HMP Swaleside (£3,500), HMP Winchester (£2,000) and HMP Woodhill (£3,500), per the HMPPS pay page checked 3 October 2026. Supplements are non-pensionable and can be withdrawn.
What is the biggest prison in South East?
HMP Bullingdon, with an operational capacity of 1,112 at 24 August 2026.
Which prisons in South East have the best HMIP grades?
East Sutton Park, Ford, Send and Standford Hill had no test below reasonably good at their latest full inspection; some of those inspections are several years old.