Category A prisons: what our directory pages show

20 March 2026Counts and labels reflect the prison import in this site build. They are not live government data.

Thematic graphic — not a photograph of a named facility.

Dataset-backed directory note (Ew Directory Category Category A). Thematic graphic only — not a photograph of a named facility.

Our category hub for this band lists 6 establishments after import mapping. This article explains how to read those pages and when to verify details with HMPPS.

What this page is for

This article describes how “Category A prisons” appears in our England and Wales directory and how many establishments currently map to it.

It is intended to help readers interpret our listings alongside the separate category hub and our general guide on prison categories.

How category is represented here

We currently associate 6 establishments with this category band in the import-derived model. Mapping uses administrative fields and, where needed, inference rules documented in our data pipeline notes.

Figures and labels on Prisons Online come from the HMPPS prison export used in this build. Security category and function wording are administrative fields in that source (and category may be inferred where the export does not map cleanly). Always confirm visiting rules, contact details, and regime information with official HMPPS or GOV.UK sources.

Examples from the dataset

Illustrative entries: HMP Belmarsh, HMP Frankland, HMP Full Sutton, HMP Long Lartin, HMP Wakfield. Use the hub page for the complete filtered grid.

Frequently asked questions

Is this the same as a legal security classification?: Our site reflects labels derived from published administrative data. Official security category decisions are made by HMPPS; confirm category with the establishment or official channels.