United Kingdom · Reading
HM Prison Reading
Data is aggregated from public sources and may be incomplete or out of date. Always verify with primary sources before acting on any figure. See data sources.
For families
How to send mail, money, and visit HM Prison Reading
Step-by-step guidance using the United Kingdom system — addresses, money services, visit booking, what to bring on your first visit.
Gallery
From Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-SA where not otherwise stated).
Photo by Loz Pycock on Flickr via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
Photo by Wojciech Zabolotny via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Photo by Bill Nicholls via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Photo by Bill Nicholls via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Photo by Bill Nicholls via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Photo by Bill Nicholls via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Photo by Bill Nicholls via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Photo by Bill Nicholls via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Background
HM Prison Reading, popularly known as Reading Gaol, is a former prison located in Reading, Berkshire, England. The prison was operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service (now His Majesty's Prison Service) until its closure at the start of 2014. It is a Grade II listed building and sits on the site of Reading Abbey.
Source: Wikipedia article lead, CC-BY-SA.
Capacity
—
Current population
—
Occupancy
—
Year opened
1844
Closed 2014
Figures from official sources · verified 29 May 2026 · methodology
Facility profile
Operator
His Majesty's Prison ServicePopulation held
Mixed/unknown
Opened
1844
Region
Reading
Security level
—
Death-row facility
No
Conditions
No conditions summary available yet.
Visiting
No visiting information available.
Mailing
No mailing information available.
Practical info
Contact the operator's website for inmate-specific procedures.
Known issues
No major issues documented in our database.
Notable inmates
Charles Thomas Wooldridge1864–1896Charles Thomas Wooldridge (1864 â 7 July 1896) was a Trooper in the Royal Horse Guards who was executed in Reading Gaol for uxoricide and who, as 'C.T.W', was the dedicatee of Oscar Wilde's poem The Ballad of Reading Gaol.
Oscar Wilde1854–1900 · poetOscar Fingal O'Fflahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 1854 â 30 November 1900) was an Irish author, poet and playwright.
Source: Wikidata + Wikipedia.
Contact & address
No public contact details available.
Conditions Risk Score
Derived signal — not a judgement. How it's calculated
Related facilities
Same country, matched on type + security level where possible.
- HMP WandsworthLondonHighLocal159% occupancy
- HMP FranklandDurhamMaximumLocal100% occupancy
- HMP BarlinnieGlasgowHighLocal147% occupancy
- HMP Cookham WoodKentHighLocal
- HMP PentonvilleLondonHighYOI137% occupancy
- HMP StyalWilmslowHighClosed female
Data completeness
20%How many of our profile fields are populated. We surface this so families and researchers know the limits.
Sources
- Wikipedia — Wikimedia Foundation
- Wikidata — Wikimedia Foundation
- Wikidata (Q3930959)
- Wikipedia
- Wikimedia Commons
- See /data-sources for our overall methodology.
Cite this page
Under CC-BY-4.0. Include the URL and access date; the site is a living reference and entries can change.
World Prisons. (2026). HM Prison Reading. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://worldprisons.com/prisons/hm-prison-reading
"HM Prison Reading." World Prisons. Accessed October 20, 2026. https://worldprisons.com/prisons/hm-prison-reading.
@misc{worldprisons-hm-prison-reading,
author = {{World Prisons}},
title = {HM Prison Reading},
year = {2026},
url = {https://worldprisons.com/prisons/hm-prison-reading},
urldate = {2026-10-20}
}