Archive Website of the UK government

Closed and open prisons

There are two main types of prison - closed and open prisons.

Closed prisons - how they work

Closed prisons have a secure perimeter (a high fence or wall) to stop prisoners from escaping.

Prisoners’ movement within the prison is controlled by prison staff. Prisoners are locked in their cells at night and sometimes during parts of the day.

• Prison life - an overview

Open prisons - how they work

Open prisons do not have a secure perimeter and give prisoners more freedom to move around.

Prisoners may have their own cell and keys or may live in dormitories.

Some prisoners may be able to leave prison for a certain amount of time during the day - for example, to go to a job.

This could be part of their ‘resettlement plan’ and helps the prisoner get used to being back in the community again, before they are released.

Moving from a closed to an open prison

Prisoners can be moved from a closed to an open prison if prison staff think a prisoner:

• can be trusted not to escape
• is a low risk to the public

Training prisons

Some closed or open prisons are classed as ‘training prisons’. They offer courses and training to help a prisoner stop committing more crime after they’re released. Prisoners can be involved in things like:

• learning new skills
• going on education courses
• going on offending behaviour programmes

It’s possible that a prisoner may have to be transferred to a different prison to get the right training or programme.

• Arriving at prison

High security prisons

High security prisons are for prisoners who have been given a category A or B security classification.

The following are high security prisons:

• Belmarsh
• Frankland
• Full Sutton
• Long Lartin
• Manchester
• Wakefield
• Whitemoor
• Woodhill
  

Security categories for prisoners

Prisoners are given a security category, based on:

• how likely they are to try to escape
• their risk of causing harm to other prisoners and prison staff
• their risk of causing harm to the public if they did escape

The category decides what type of prison they are sent to.

Reviewing a prisoner's security category

Prison staff can change a prisoner's security category if they think the prisoner has become safer or more dangerous. Prisoners can also use a complaints procedure if they think their security category is wrong.

If a prisoner's sentence is between one and four years, prison staff will review the security category every six months.

If a prisoner’s sentence is more than four years, prison staff will review the security category every year.

Prisoners in open prisons won't usually have their security category reviewed unless their behaviour means the prisoner needs to be returned to a closed prison.

• Prisoners' rights and complaining about a prison

Transferring a prisoner to a different prison

If a prisoner's security category changes, they can be transferred to a different prison. For example, if a prisoner tries to escape they may be moved to a more secure prison.

A prisoner must be told why they are being transferred. For security reasons, this may be after they have arrived at the new prison.

Contracted prisons

There are 11 prisons that are run by private-sector companies (called 'contracted' prisons). A prisoner may be sent to a contracted prison depending on where they live and their security category.

They are run and managed in the same way as prisons run by the Prison Service.