United Kingdom · East Midlands · Derby
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Closed female prison in Derby, East Midlands.
Capacity
290
Current population
—
Occupancy
—
Year opened
1997
Operational
Figures from official sources · verified 6 Jul 2026 · methodology
Operator
HM Prison & Probation ServicePopulation held
female
Opened
1997
Region
East Midlands
Security level
Medium
Death-row facility
No
This review visit followed up on 11 of the concerns we raised at our judgements about outcomes for prisoners. Figure 1: HMP & YOI Foston Hall healthy prison outcomes in 2021 and 2025 Over the two inspections, outcomes remained reasonably good in When we last inspected in 2021, outcomes in safety were poor, which was unusual for a women’s prison. At this inspection, while safety outcomes were new arrivals. Relationships between staff and prisoners remained inconsistent and women could not yet fully rely on staff, some of whom were uncaring and dismissive. — UK IMB Annual Report (2024) — Safety: 4.1 Reception and induction • The volume of new receptions has grown significantly compared with the last reporting year. In 2023-2024, the figure was approximately 100 per month, and this year the figure has increased to around 146 per month. The IMB has observed that the reception department has, from time to time, appeared short staffed, resulting in a backlog of prisoner applications to [...] Respect: 5.1 Accommodation, clothing, food From the Board’s observations, there are increasing problems with the quality and decency of accommodation, in particular: • D wing has many inadequacies, including its dormitory-style accommodation, poor toilet facilities for some cells and issues with temperature control. • The D wing downstairs showers have been out of action for over a year due to • The D [...] Purposeful activity: • Education at Foston Hall is provided by People Plus, which also took over the library contract during the reporting year. The education department is a welcoming area, with attractive up-to-date displays. Regular staff surveys with prisoners indicate that prisoners feel comfortable in the education department. They appreciate the knowledge and support of their tutors and feel that the courses [...] Preparation for release: • Accredited offending behaviour programmes are no longer available at HMP Foston Hall. The IMB understands that the low number of eligible prisoners made it unsustainable to deliver programmes in the establishment, and prisoners who meet the criteria are instead transferred to other establishments offering these. • Prisoners released on temporary licence (ROTL) have continued at the same rate • [...]
This review visit followed up on 11 of the concerns we raised at our our progress review visit, was holding about 250 prisoners. In common
Format: Prisoner Name & Number, HMP Foston Hall, Uttoxeter Road, DE65 5DN. Cash not accepted — use Send Money to a Prisoner (GOV.UK).
Note: rehabilitation and release planning became ‘preparation for release’ in October 2023. Foston Hall continued to be a reasonably respectful prison. Work to support the Partnership working between the prison and the health care provider was procedure, were particularly concerning. Neither was working well, which, The prison’s overall effectiveness was undermined further by the poor regime.
risks of self-harm and there had been an encouraging fall in incidents, although incidents. Incidents of violence among prisoners were the highest in the women’s estate, but little was serious and violence against staff was falling. Use of force and segregation were also on an encouraging downward trajectory, although the segregation unit needed refurbishment or, better still, replacement. Drugs were
Derived signal — not a judgement. How it's calculated
What the score is responding to:
This facility scores 25. The national average across 584 scored United Kingdom facilities is 4 — 21 points above national average.
Same country, matched on type + security level where possible.
Higher risk than 0% of peer facilities in United Kingdom.
1.1 Foston Hall opened as a women’s prison in 1997. It is set in the grounds of an old country house and contains a mix of accommodation types, with a capacity for just over 300 prisoners. It has many functions, from the management of those remanded into custody to some serving very long sentences, including life. 1.2 This review visit followed up on 11 of the concerns we raised at our inspection in January 2025. What we found at our last inspection 1.3 At our previous inspections in 2021 and 2025, we made the following judgements about outcomes for prisoners. Figure 1: HMP & YOI Foston Hall healthy prison outcomes in 2021 and 2025 Note: rehabilitation and release planning became ‘preparation for release’ in October 2023. 1.4 Over the two inspections, outcomes remained reasonably good in
Foston Hall opened as a women’s prison in 1997. It is set in the grounds of an old country house but contains a mix of accommodation types with a capacity of just over 300 prisoners. At this inspection 295 women were resident, and the prison was fulfilling many functions, from the management of unconvicted and unsentenced individuals, to holding a significant minority serving very long sentences, including life. The nature and profile of those being held was changing, with a recent surge in the number of women subject to very short- term licence recall. This was impacting the number arriving and leaving, with consequences for the stability of the prison and prioritisation of resources. When we last inspected in 2021, outcomes in safety were poor, which was unusual for a women’s prison. At this inspection, while safety outcomes were still not good enough, there had been some improvement with, for example, reasonable reception and induction arrangements, despite the rising number of new arrivals. Relationships between staff and prisoners remained inconsistent and women could not yet fully rely on staff, some of whom were uncaring and dismissive. We were, however, confident that leaders were attuned to this problem and were seeking to address it. Leaders also had a better focus on the risks of self-harm and there had been an encouraging fall in incidents, although the rate remained the third highest in the women’s estate. Staff were less likely to use restrictive measures against women in crisis, and there had been a welcome fall in the use of force and anti-rip clothing when responding to incidents. Incidents of violence among prisoners were the highest in the women’s estate, but little was serious and violence against staff was falling. Use of force and segregation were also on an encouraging downward trajectory, although the segregation unit needed refurbishment or, better still, replacement. Drugs were too readily available, and the prison lacked vital tools to tackle their ingress. Foston Hall continued to be a reasonably respectful prison. Work to support the maintenance of family ties was adequate, though lacking creativity or impetus. Partnership working between the prison and the health care provider was supporting reasonable health outcomes, while leaders had a better focus on promoting fair treatment, although this needed further development. The quality of accommodation varied greatly, and prisoner access to some basic amenities and services which supported daily living needed to be better. Weaknesses in systems to support redress, such as the applications process or the complaints procedure, were particularly concerning. Neither was working well, which, combined with the sometimes-indifferent staff-prisoner relationships, meant that women were too often frustrated at their inability to get basic things done. The prison’s overall effectiveness was undermined further by the poor regime. Not enough purposeful activity was available, and the curriculum lacked ambition and was failing to meet need. Our colleagues in Ofsted judged overall provision to be ‘inadequate’, their lowest assessment. There had been some increase in the amount of time women spent unlocked and we saw some good outcomes in the gym and the library, but during the working day only about a third of women were doing anything purposeful off the wings. In contrast, work to support the reduction of reoffending, public protection and preparation for release was more effective, although the prison was having to pivot its priorities towards supporting the needs of remanded and recalled women. Overall, this is a mixed report about a prison that has a way to go before it can realise its full potential, but we did see some evidence of improvement. A new governor and deputy understood the challenges faced by the prison and had brought stability, notably to daily routines, while focusing on improving
• Accredited offending behaviour programmes are no longer available at HMP Foston Hall. The IMB understands that the low number of eligible prisoners made it unsustainable to deliver programmes in the establishment, and prisoners who meet the criteria are instead transferred to other establishments offering these. • Prisoners released on temporary licence (ROTL) have continued at the same rate • Prisoners released on temporary licence (ROTL) have continued at the same rate throughout the year, numbering 15 to 30 per month. Given the current pressures to transfer prisoners to non-reception prisons, it is unlikely that numbers on ROTL will increase. • Prisoners released on home detention curfew (HDC) continue at between zero and • Prisoners released on home detention curfew (HDC) continue at between zero and four per month, within the usual parameters, given the nature of the population. The IMB has observed that HDC releases have sometimes been delayed when there is no named community offender manager (COM) available to undertake the necessary checks on proposed release addresses. • Support for isolated prisoners (those who do not receive social visits) is provided by PACT staff, a charity that organises regular afternoon teas with games. These sessions are well attended and seem to be appreciated by prisoners. • PACT workers also organise 12 family days (which bring together prisoners and their • The pre-release team assesses immediate resettlement needs across eight key [...]
4.1 Reception and induction • The volume of new receptions has grown significantly compared with the last reporting year. In 2023-2024, the figure was approximately 100 per month, and this year the figure has increased to around 146 per month. The IMB has observed that the reception department has, from time to time, appeared short staffed, resulting in a backlog of prisoner applications to access stored property. • The Board has seen a renewed focus on improving the experience and safety of • The Board has seen a renewed focus on improving the experience and safety of newly arrived prisoners. The reception area has been redesigned to make it more welcoming and to afford privacy for one-to-one screening on arrival. Additional staffing in the first night centre by early days in custody (EDiC) managers appears to have led to improved information sharing about the profile and history of new prisoners. • The IMB carried out a survey of short-sentenced and remand prisoners. It showed • The IMB carried out a survey of short-sentenced and remand prisoners. It showed that all prisoners had been offered a phone call, PIN credit (the phone credit placed on a prisoner’s PIN-linked phone account so they can make outgoing calls) and an emergency vape. Most had been helped by an orderly supporting prisoners in their early days at Foston and found this helpful. All said they felt safe, and none reported being bullied during their time on the first night centre. All prisoners were seen by [...]
5.1 Accommodation, clothing, food From the Board’s observations, there are increasing problems with the quality and decency of accommodation, in particular: • D wing has many inadequacies, including its dormitory-style accommodation, poor toilet facilities for some cells and issues with temperature control. • The D wing downstairs showers have been out of action for over a year due to • The D wing downstairs showers have been out of action for over a year due to Legionella, despite ongoing efforts to resolve the problem. • The cell and corridor flooring of F wing has been damaged by ongoing water leaks • The cell and corridor flooring of F wing has been damaged by ongoing water leaks from underfloor pipes and the showers. The results are uneven floors, presenting health and safety risks and falling far short of decent accommodation, compounded by the unpleasant smell from the dampness. • The care and separation unit (CSU) has many inadequacies (see 5.2). • The care and separation unit (CSU) has many inadequacies (see 5.2). • In the IMB’s general prisoner survey, in November (Annex B, Table 4), the number of • In the IMB’s general prisoner survey, in November (Annex B, Table 4), the number of prisoners saying they had problems washing and drying their clothes was 20%, a significant improvement on 49% last year. Issues mentioned in the comments referred generally to arrangements for laundry, e.g. delays and clothes coming back damp or going missing, rather than machines not [...]
• Education at Foston Hall is provided by People Plus, which also took over the library contract during the reporting year. The education department is a welcoming area, with attractive up-to-date displays. Regular staff surveys with prisoners indicate that prisoners feel comfortable in the education department. They appreciate the knowledge and support of their tutors and feel that the courses studied are of real benefit to them. IMB conversations with prisoners support these findings. Some prisoners speak of initially feeling hostile towards, or nervous about, education, but then find that they enjoy it, with many keen to continue. During the past year, provision in English and maths has been extended and both Level 1 and Level 2 courses are now offered, giving opportunities for progression. • Peer mentors are used to support learners. They have told IMB members that they • Peer mentors are used to support learners. They have told IMB members that they enjoy their role and feel valued. • The Ofsted inspection earlier in the year found that the curriculum ‘did not meet the • The Ofsted inspection earlier in the year found that the curriculum ‘did not meet the needs of the population’ with regard to local and national employment opportunities, and this has been raised by prisoners, who complain of the limited range of courses available. Considerable efforts have been made to address this, but a significant real-terms budget cut in the autumn had an impact. • There has been a [...]
1.1 Foston Hall, in Derbyshire, is a women’s prison which, at the time of our progress review visit, was holding about 250 prisoners. In common with other women’s prisons, the establishment accommodates several categories of prisoner ranging from those recently remanded or at the beginning of their sentences to women serving indeterminate sentences, including life, for very serious crimes. The site comprises an old stately home surrounded by a mix of residential units that have been added over the years. 1.2 At our previous inspections of HMP & YOI Foston Hall in 2019 and 2021 we made the following judgements about outcomes for prisoners. Figure 1: HMP & YOI Foston Hall healthy prison outcomes in 2019 and 2021 Good Reasonably good Not sufficiently good Poor
Foston Hall, in Derbyshire, is a women’s prison which, at the time of our inspection, was holding 272 residents, just short of its capacity of 296. In common with other women’s prisons, the establishment accommodates several categories of prisoner ranging from those recently remanded or at the beginning of their sentences, to women serving indeterminate sentences, including life, for very serious crimes. The prison itself comprises an old stately home surrounded by a mix of accommodation types that have been added over the years. Its rural setting and well-kept grounds provide an excellent external environment which supports individual well-being. Foston Hall was last inspected in 2019 when we found outcomes to be reasonably good against all our tests of a healthy prison. This inspection, however, proved less positive and in common with many establishments emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic, we found a deterioration in the regime and the provision of purposeful activity. Of greater concern, however, were the
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World Prisons. (2026). HMP Foston Hall. Retrieved July 21, 2026, from https://worldprisons.com/prisons/hmp-foston-hall
"HMP Foston Hall." World Prisons. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://worldprisons.com/prisons/hmp-foston-hall.
@misc{worldprisons-hmp-foston-hall,
author = {{World Prisons}},
title = {HMP Foston Hall},
year = {2026},
url = {https://worldprisons.com/prisons/hmp-foston-hall},
urldate = {2026-07-21}
}