Prisons in South West
South West has 11 establishments in our dataset: 10 run by HMPPS; 1 privately run (Serco: Ashfield). By designation they are 9 HMP, 2 HMP & YOI, and 1 holds women. The largest is HMP Channings Wood (776 places). None is on the HMPPS market supplement list.
- Prisons
- 11 1 privately run
- Operational capacity
- 5,065 Itemised sites, 24 Aug 2026
- Market supplements
- 0 HMPPS pay page, 3 Oct 2026
- Officer staffing vs target
- -112 FTE Band 3-5, 10 prisons, 30 Jun 2026
South West in numbers
Across the 10 sites with an itemised figure, HMPPS reports an operational capacity of 5,065 and a population of 4,942 (98%) at 24 August 2026. The largest is HMP Channings Wood at 776; the smallest is HMP Exeter at 310; the highest occupancy is HMP Guys Marsh at 100% of its operational capacity.
Of the 10 HMPPS-run prisons, 10 in the National zone. All start Band 3 officers on £37,131 (39 hours, entry pay point). None carries a market supplement.
HMPPS's 2025/26 performance ratings cover 10 of them: 2 outstanding, 5 good, 3 of concern. The highest overall score is 82.2% (Leyhill) and the lowest is 52.2% (Bristol).
11 prisons have an HMIP report on record; 11 have four graded tests from a full inspection. On safety the latest full inspections gave 3 good, 2 reasonably good, 4 not sufficiently good and 2 poor. None had every test at reasonably good or better. 4 were graded poor on at least one test (Bristol, Dartmoor, Guys Marsh, Leyhill). The newest report is Ashfield (July 2026) and the oldest is Channings Wood (October 2022).
Staffing against target (Band 3 to 5, hours-adjusted FTE, 30 June 2026) is published for 10 of them: 112 FTE short in total, with Erlestoke furthest below (-32) and 2 over target. A gap is a staffing measure, not advertised vacancies.
By HMPPS functional group the establishments split as 4 Category C Trainer/Resettlement, 2 Category C Trainer, 2 Reception, 1 Female, 1 no published group, 1 Open.
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Channings Wood | 776 | 98% | 3 of 4, 66.8% | reasonably good | October 2022 | £37,131 |
| The Verne | 645 | 100% | 3 of 4, 74.3% | good | October 2024 | £37,131 |
| Bristol | 580 | 95% | 2 of 4, 52.2% | poor | August 2024 | £37,131 |
| Portland | 537 | 99% | 2 of 4, 57.3% | not sufficiently good | April 2026 | £37,131 |
| Erlestoke | 512 | 98% | 3 of 4, 59.6% | not sufficiently good | June 2025 | £37,131 |
| Leyhill | 474 | 99% | 4 of 4, 82.2% | good | September 2023 | £37,131 |
| Guys Marsh | 445 | 100% | 2 of 4, 53.2% | poor | December 2025 | £37,131 |
| Ashfield | 415 | 99% | 4 of 4, 81.5% | good | July 2026 | Not HMPPS pay |
| Eastwood Park | 371 | 89% | 3 of 4, 60.7% | not sufficiently good | September 2025 | £37,131 |
| Exeter | 310 | 97% | 3 of 4, 59.9% | not sufficiently good | March 2026 | £37,131 |
| Dartmoor | n/a | n/a | n/a | reasonably good | October 2023 | £37,131 |
Working in South West
Apply via HMPPS Prison and Probation Jobs for public-sector prisons in England and Wales; each operator's own site for private prisons (Serco). Compare commute and pay in the prison finder; guides: jobs by region, pay by region, market supplements.
All prisons in South West
| Prison | Town | Type | HMPPS group | Run by | Capacity | Band 3 entry, 39h | Supplement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HMP & YOI Eastwood Park | Wotton-under-Edge | HMP & YOI | Female | Public (HMPPS) | 371 | £37,131 | None |
| HMP & YOI Portland | Isle of Portland | HMP & YOI | Category C Trainer/Resettlement | Public (HMPPS) | 537 | £37,131 | None |
| HMP Ashfield | Pucklechurch, Bristol | HMP | Category C Trainer | Private | 415 | n/a | n/a |
| HMP Bristol | Bristol (Horfield) | HMP | Reception | Public (HMPPS) | 580 | £37,131 | None |
| HMP Channings Wood | Newton Abbot | HMP | Category C Trainer/Resettlement | Public (HMPPS) | 776 | £37,131 | None |
| HMP Dartmoor | Princetown | HMP | Not published | Public (HMPPS) | n/a | £37,131 | None |
| HMP Erlestoke | Erlestoke, near Devizes | HMP | Category C Trainer/Resettlement | Public (HMPPS) | 512 | £37,131 | None |
| HMP Exeter | Exeter | HMP | Reception | Public (HMPPS) | 310 | £37,131 | None |
| HMP Guys Marsh | near Shaftesbury | HMP | Category C Trainer/Resettlement | Public (HMPPS) | 445 | £37,131 | None |
| HMP Leyhill | near Wotton-under-Edge | HMP | Open | Public (HMPPS) | 474 | £37,131 | None |
| HMP The Verne | Isle of Portland | HMP | Category C Trainer | Public (HMPPS) | 645 | £37,131 | None |
Other regions
- East Midlands
- East of England
- London
- North East
- North West
- Northern Ireland
- Scotland
- South East
- Wales
- West Midlands
- Yorkshire and the Humber
Functional groups here
Prisons in South West: FAQs
How many prisons are in South West?
11: Eastwood Park, Portland, Ashfield, Bristol, Channings Wood, Dartmoor, Erlestoke, Exeter, Guys Marsh, Leyhill and The Verne. 1 is privately run.
What do prison officers earn in South West?
10 in the National zone. All start Band 3 officers on £37,131 (39 hours, entry pay point). None carries a market supplement.
Which prisons in South West pay a market supplement?
None, per the HMPPS pay page checked 3 October 2026.
What is the biggest prison in South West?
HMP Channings Wood, with an operational capacity of 776 at 24 August 2026.