United Kingdom · South-West & South Central · Dorset
HMP The Verne
Data is aggregated from public sources and may be incomplete or out of date.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 HMP The Verne
Step-by-step guidance using the United Kingdom system — addresses, money services, visit booking, what to bring on your first visit.
UK Local prison operated by HM Prison & Probation Service. Listed in the GOV.UK Find a prison directory.
Capacity
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Current population
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Occupancy
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Year opened
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Operational
Figures from official sources · verified 2 Jun 2026 · methodology
Facility profile
Operator
HM Prison & Probation ServicePopulation held
male
Opened
—
Region
South-West & South Central
Security level
Medium
Death-row facility
No
Conditions
seriously understaffed and stretched offender management unit, it was possible It was concerning that despite having a relatively settled staff team, only 2% last inspection, was now poor, particularly given the nature of offences
Visiting
Visits booked online via the GOV.UK Prison Visits Booking service. Photo ID required. Visit frequency varies by the inmate's IEP level.
Mailing
Format: Prisoner Name & Number, HMP The Verne, HMP The Verne Verne Common Road Portland Dorset DT5 1EQ See map Help us to improve this page. Give us your feedback in this 2-minute survey .. Use Send Money to a Prisoner (GOV.UK) for funds — cash not accepted.
Practical info
had completed the HM Prison and Probation Service online training for working We were also disappointed to find that key work, which had been good at our on release. Prisoners were unlocked for eight hours a day and they were locked
Known issues
HM Inspectorate of Prisons completed a full inspection of HMP The Verne in July 2024 and a full inspection in February 2020; reports are available on the HMIP website.
Contact & address
Conditions Risk Score
Derived signal — not a judgement. How it's calculated
- Overcrowding
- 0/30
- Oversight reports
- 6/30
- Structural flags
- 5/15
- Death signals
- 0/15
- Conditions text
- 0/10
What the score is responding to:
- · 1 oversight report in the last 5 years
- · Substantial documented known-issues record
This facility scores 11. The national average across 584 scored United Kingdom facilities is 4 — 7 points above national average.
Related facilities
Same country, matched on type + security level where possible.
- HMP DartmoorPrincetownMediumLocal
- HMP Five WellsWellingboroughMediumLocal
- HMP StockenRutlandMediumLocal
- HMP BrixtonLondonMediumLocal
- HMP ColdingleySurreyMediumLocal
- HMP FeatherstoneWolverhamptonMediumLocal
Reports
- HMIP8 Jul 2024
Although HMP The Verne was a generally safe and respectful jail holding 604 prisoners convicted of sexual offences (PCoSOs) at the time of our inspection, this report also reveals some worrying weaknesses in addressing the offending behaviour of many prisoners. With no offending behaviour programmes on offer (although we have been subsequently told these will now be funded) and a seriously understaffed and stretched offender management unit, it was possible for high-risk prisoners to spend years at the jail without any challenge or support towards changing their thinking or dangerous behaviour. It was concerning that despite having a relatively settled staff team, only 2% had completed the HM Prison and Probation Service online training for working with PCoSOs in the past year. Officers also told inspectors that they did not want to know what offences individuals had committed because they felt it might prejudice their response. As a result, they were not aware what offence- mirroring behaviour might have been manifested by prisoners and they were unable to contribute more sophisticated analysis to prisoner offender managers before parole hearings. We were also disappointed to find that key work, which had been good at our last inspection, was now poor, particularly given the nature of offences committed by men in the jail. As a category C training prison, the focus of The Verne should be providing prisoners with the skills and insight to avoid reoffending and settle successfully on release. Prisoners were unlocked for eight hours a day and they were locked on their spurs rather than in their cells at night. The level of access to some
- HMIP10 Feb 2020
Full inspection of HMP The Verne (2020-02-10)
Data completeness
82%How many of our profile fields are populated. We surface this so families and researchers know the limits.
Sources
- GOV.UK â HMP The Verne
- GOV.UK Find a prison index
- MoJ Prison Estate Register — Ministry of Justice / HMPPS
- GOV.UK Find a prison â collection — UK Ministry of Justice / HMPPS
- 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). HMP The Verne. Retrieved October 25, 2026, from https://worldprisons.com/prisons/hmp-the-verne
"HMP The Verne." World Prisons. Accessed October 25, 2026. https://worldprisons.com/prisons/hmp-the-verne.
@misc{worldprisons-hmp-the-verne,
author = {{World Prisons}},
title = {HMP The Verne},
year = {2026},
url = {https://worldprisons.com/prisons/hmp-the-verne},
urldate = {2026-10-25}
}