United Kingdom · Midlands · Staffordshire
Data is aggregated from public sources and may be incomplete or out of date.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
Step-by-step guidance using the United Kingdom system — addresses, money services, visit booking, what to bring on your first visit.
UK YOI prison operated by HM Prison & Probation Service. Listed in the GOV.UK Find a prison directory.
Capacity
—
Current population
—
Occupancy
—
Year opened
—
Operational
Figures from official sources · verified 7 Jul 2026 · methodology
Operator
HM Prison & Probation ServicePopulation held
male
Opened
—
Region
Midlands
Security level
Medium
Death-row facility
No
reasonably respectful, but where outcomes in safety, purposeful activity and similar picture. There had been a measurable deterioration in outcomes in our In safety and the provision of education and activity, outcomes remained not Violence had been reducing and the rate of incidents was typical for a category C prison. Work was being done to understand better the causes of violence but other safety-related outcomes, such as formal disciplinary procedures, use of segregation and the use of force, had all increased. It was concerning that, according to mandatory drug testing arrangements, 45% of prisoners were active drug users, with the prison lacking the resources to tackle this challenge. — UK IMB Annual Report (2024) — Safety: 4.1 Reception and Induction The induction wing provides a thorough program of support to new arrivals. Young adults transitioning from youth custody have become used to using laptops. They arrive at Swinfen Hall to no laptops, with only a paper-based system, where their applications are not recorded accurately. Whilst some departments are efficient in handling applications (Business hub, work [...] Respect: 5.1 Accommodation, clothing, food During the summer of 2024, the Board had reason to write to the Governor regarding the continual failings in ensuring cleanliness around food/kitchens/hygiene. Food trolleys were filthy, waste food was left unbagged all around the prison, faulty kitchen equipment remained out of action for months. See the letter to the Governor (annex A); whilst improvements have [...] Purposeful activity: Board members frequently find classes with only two or three people engaged in learning. Wing closures, which have occurred throughout the reporting period, impact attendance but this is not the sole, or even primary, issue. Sometimes young adults are assigned to courses for which they have no interest (or incentive/motivation). Whilst there are some very good classes, the provider has many times [...] Preparation for release: 25 Whilst there has been greater visibility on wing of offender management unit (OMU) staff this year, the reality is that where offender managers have a case load of up to 80 high risk and very high-risk young adults, they cannot provide a reasonable support service to positively address outcomes for all those they supervise. This is a significant weakness in terms of positive outcomes for young [...]
time of our visit, it held 598 prisoners, of whom almost half were from
direction and developing a culture of optimism around the prison. Leadership improving behaviour and helping leaders and staff to raise standards. It was, helping prisoners to progress through their sentences and restarting these fully
reasonably respectful, but where outcomes in safety, purposeful activity and preparation for release were not good enough. At this inspection we found a healthy prison test of respect, but they had improved in preparation for release. In safety and the provision of education and activity, outcomes remained not C prison. Work was being done to understand better the causes of violence but inconsistent and unreliable.
Violence had been reducing and the rate of incidents was typical for a category C prison. Work was being done to understand better the causes of violence but segregation and the use of force, had all increased. It was concerning that, according to mandatory drug testing arrangements, 45% of prisoners were active drug users, with the prison lacking the resources to tackle this challenge. spent out of their cells, levels of violence, often serious, between prisoners were still too high and staff assaults were on the rise.
Derived signal — not a judgement. How it's calculated
What the score is responding to:
This facility scores 30. The national average across 584 scored United Kingdom facilities is 4 — 26 points above national average.
Same country, matched on type + security level where possible.
Built largely in the early 1960s, Swinfen Hall is a category C training prison near Lichfield in the West Midlands. With a long history of dealing with mainly young adult men, it currently only accepts new arrivals aged 18 to 28, although half of the 611 prisoners held at the time of our inspection were under 21. Most presented a high risk of harm and nearly all were serving long sentences, including 130 who were lifers and about a quarter who had committed serious sexual offences. This was our first inspection since 2021, when we reported on a prison that was reasonably respectful, but where outcomes in safety, purposeful activity and preparation for release were not good enough. At this inspection we found a similar picture. There had been a measurable deterioration in outcomes in our healthy prison test of respect, but they had improved in preparation for release. In safety and the provision of education and activity, outcomes remained not sufficiently good. Violence had been reducing and the rate of incidents was typical for a category C prison. Work was being done to understand better the causes of violence but other safety-related outcomes, such as formal disciplinary procedures, use of segregation and the use of force, had all increased. It was concerning that, according to mandatory drug testing arrangements, 45% of prisoners were active drug users, with the prison lacking the resources to tackle this challenge. Staff-prisoner relationships were problematic, and prisoners viewed staff as inconsistent and unreliable. Key work, for example, was not delivered frequently enough, which was a significant gap for this type of prison. Staff failed to enforce rules and standards, and this was perhaps best reflected in the often- poor standards of cleanliness. Prisoners on the specialist D and E wings were more positive about staff. It was very disappointing that the regime had hardly improved since we last inspected. Time out of cell was poor and we found 30% of prisoners locked in their cells during the working day. The situation was even worse at weekends and the excellent gym facilities were underused. Our colleagues in Ofsted judged the overall effectiveness of education, work and skills as ‘requires improvement,’ their second lowest assessment. More positively, there was good work to support contact with children and families, reduce risk and manage sentences. There were several progression opportunities, including for the 130 men who were able to access therapeutic, psychological and personality disorder services. It was clear to us, however, that the governor was providing a renewed sense of direction and developing a culture of optimism around the prison. Leadership was visible and staff were being trained to work with a young adult cohort. Although it does not have the highest profile in the prison estate, Swinfen Hall manages significant risk and it would benefit from more investment to improve the environment and security, and to provide greater resilience to the regime. We believe that leaders would deploy such resources usefully and effectively. Charlie Taylor HM Chief Inspector of Prisons October 2024
25 Whilst there has been greater visibility on wing of offender management unit (OMU) staff this year, the reality is that where offender managers have a case load of up to 80 high risk and very high-risk young adults, they cannot provide a reasonable support service to positively address outcomes for all those they supervise. This is a significant weakness in terms of positive outcomes for young adults. With an excess workload there is a consequent delay in writing sentence plans which young adults are keen to see and understand to support them in progressing their sentence. There were at least 60 overdue sentence plans in April 2025. The expectations of staff in the OMU are not controlled by the prison and are completely unreasonable and not possible to deliver. The Board notes that the efforts and results achieved by the OMU staff, given these pressures are exceptional and to be applauded. Of the visits monitored, family days ran well with positive staff, young adult and family interactions. The comments in 7.3 address resettlement planning. The SLT and Board both recognise that many of the young adults at Swinfen Hall have experienced the care system and so need additional support in terms of addressing future outcomes. This is an area that will need more focus in the future as the population complexity increases and the Board welcomes the planned support. The OMU include a “care experienced team” managed by the head of the offender manager delivery team and in October [...]
5.1 Accommodation, clothing, food During the summer of 2024, the Board had reason to write to the Governor regarding the continual failings in ensuring cleanliness around food/kitchens/hygiene. Food trolleys were filthy, waste food was left unbagged all around the prison, faulty kitchen equipment remained out of action for months. See the letter to the Governor (annex A); whilst improvements have been made in part, cleanliness and waste disposal remains a failing in some residential areas. A lack of repairs and replacement of failed kitchen equipment are a significant concern and present a risk to health as correct processes are not followed. The Board regularly noted that young adult food preparation areas on wings were unclean, equipment and tables had not been cleaned for some time and fridges had mould inside, with sinks blocked and containing dirty water/food waste. This was a frequent observation, consequently the room would be closed for up to two weeks as a punishment, when the issue was a lack of supervision by staff and a lack of responsibility by a few young adults. In the reporting period wing officers, concerned for the welfare of the young adults, have urged Board members to raise and report the poor quality of the food. The standard has deteriorated even since the last reporting period. The kitchen was said to be clawing back a budget overspend, although it is unclear how it had overspent considering the quality of the final product. In this area, the Board [...]
Board members frequently find classes with only two or three people engaged in learning. Wing closures, which have occurred throughout the reporting period, impact attendance but this is not the sole, or even primary, issue. Sometimes young adults are assigned to courses for which they have no interest (or incentive/motivation). Whilst there are some very good classes, the provider has many times failed to ensure that subject tuition can be properly resourced. The prison would like everyone to achieve level 1 in maths and English but, in reality, this is a challenge for many. 7.1.1 Accessing education There have been numerous occasions in the reporting period where young adults have complained that they have tried to access education courses and have been ignored. This is not necessarily the case as the archaic, paper-based applications systems, which is recognised as being dysfunctional, contributes to poor communication across a range of functions. Nevertheless, young adults have asked to enrol in courses, both classroom-based and distance-learning courses and have failed to get the necessary support to progress. Wing outreach has been weak. Opportunities for those wing-restricted are particularly limited. That said, most young adults have access to ‘Way 2 Learn’ courses via their in-cell TV. 7.1.2 Available curriculum & attainment From April 2024 to April 2025, the following achievement levels have been attained: • Number of young adults achieving English Level 1: actual [...]
4.1 Reception and Induction The induction wing provides a thorough program of support to new arrivals. Young adults transitioning from youth custody have become used to using laptops. They arrive at Swinfen Hall to no laptops, with only a paper-based system, where their applications are not recorded accurately. Whilst some departments are efficient in handling applications (Business hub, work allocations) others (in particular, reception) are not with applications lost, or not answered, or ignored. The prison needs to introduce a means of recording applications and quality assessing responses in the same way as they do for complaints which are mostly handled effectively in a timely manner. The Board is concerned that the prison has been advised (deputy governor at prison council April 2025) that the project to install Kiosks or laptops to improve how basic administration tasks are addressed for all is on hold and it is uncertain when or if it will restart. This is, if correct, a money saving exercise that is counterproductive as it increases costs adversely and reduces staff effectiveness. 4.2 Suicide and self-harm, deaths in custody There were no deaths in custody during the reporting period although two serious incidents could have had a different outcome if staff had not reacted with great haste and professionalism to preserve life. There were 169 self-harm recorded incidents between January and April 2025, of which 17 were so serious as to require a hospital visit. The [...]
1.1 1.2 HMP/YOI Swinfen Hall is a category C prison for young adult and adult men aged 18 to 28, mostly serving sentences of over four years. At the time of our visit, it held 598 prisoners, of whom almost half were from black and minority ethnic backgrounds. The prison contained two specialist wings: one supported prisoners with emerging or diagnosed personality disorders and the other provided a psychologically informed planned environment (PIPE) for 60 prisoners. At our previous inspections of HMP/YOI Swinfen Hall in 2018 and 2021 we made the following judgements about outcomes for prisoners. Figure 1: HMP/YOI Swinfen Hall healthy prison outcomes in 2018 and 2021 Good Reasonably good Not sufficiently good Poor
Swinfen Hall is a category C prison for young adults and adults aged 18 to 28, mostly serving sentences of over four years. At the time of our inspection, it contained 531 prisoners of whom nearly half were from black and minority ethnic backgrounds. Within the prison were two specialist wings for those with emerging or diagnosed personality disorders. This prison continued to wrestle with the challenges that we outlined in our 2016 and 2019 inspections, but had made some noticeable progress despite dealing with the effects of the pandemic. Leaders had set up good systems to analyse data and create plans for the more troubled individuals and significantly more prisoners told us they felt safe than at the previous inspection. However, despite the COVID-19 restrictions on mixing and the limited amount of time prisoners spent out of their cells, levels of violence, often serious, between prisoners were still too high and staff assaults were on the rise. It was very concerning to see increases in the use of PAVA incapacitant spray as the regime began to open up and leaders needed to make certain that this did not become a routine way of managing challenging behaviour. An excellent custody manager on the induction wing had made this a safe and positive place for new arrivals who were helped by more established peers to settle into the prison. On the specialist units, we saw prisoners with complex needs making good progress in a supportive environment. Elsewhere, some less experienced staff did not have high enough expectations of prisoners’ behaviour and lacked the skills and confidence to create a stable and safe environment. Though inspectors saw some positive interactions between officers and prisoners, they also witnessed staff members who were ineffectual, dismissive or rude. In a prison like Swinfen Hall, the incentives scheme should be a key tool in improving behaviour and helping leaders and staff to raise standards. It was, therefore, disappointing to hear how ineffective prisoners felt it was in motivating them, with those on an enhanced level often not getting the rewards that they had earned. Though the prison had worked to increase the amount of time prisoners spent out of their cells, those without jobs were routinely locked up for 22 hours a day, a bleak prospect for the prison’s young and energetic population. There were also long waiting lists for rehabilitation programmes that should have been helping prisoners to progress through their sentences and restarting these fully must be an urgent priority for the prison. A lack of oversight of partner agencies meant there was insufficient coordination of services to support prisoners who were due for release. For the last year, most education had taken the form of in-cell packs and though these had improved they were no substitute for face-to-face education, particularly for those with learning difficulties. Classrooms had begun to open up, but despite desks being set apart to prevent infection, absurdly, only prisoners from the same bubble were allowed to be in education together. This meant very few prisoners were getting regular, face-to-face education. Leaders had worked hard to improve the decency and conditions of Swinfen Hall and inspectors who had been on previous inspections noticed an improvement in the atmosphere of the prison, which felt more positive than it had in the past. The standard of accommodation was much improved since our last inspection: wings had been refurbished, showers had been upgraded, there were new clothes washing facilities and the prison was clean and well- maintained. There remains considerable and fundamental work still to do to create an environment in which this group of young men are really incentivised and motivated to behave in an atmosphere that is safe and supportive, and provides them with meaningful and productive work, education, training and
How many of our profile fields are populated. We surface this so families and researchers know the limits.
Under CC-BY-4.0. Include the URL and access date; the site is a living reference and entries can change.
World Prisons. (2026). HMP Swinfen Hall. Retrieved July 21, 2026, from https://worldprisons.com/prisons/hmp-swinfen-hall
"HMP Swinfen Hall." World Prisons. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://worldprisons.com/prisons/hmp-swinfen-hall.
@misc{worldprisons-hmp-swinfen-hall,
author = {{World Prisons}},
title = {HMP Swinfen Hall},
year = {2026},
url = {https://worldprisons.com/prisons/hmp-swinfen-hall},
urldate = {2026-07-21}
}