Category B 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.
Our category hub for this band lists 35 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 B 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 35 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 Bedford, HMP Birmingham, HMP Bristol, HMP Cardiff, HMP Dovegate. 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.
Related listings
Related Guides
Related directory articles
More articles
Related prisons
Showing 24 of 35 establishments. Open the full listing for the complete grid.
HMP Bedford
Reception
Bedford Prison is a prison in the centre of Bedford for men aged 18 and over.
HMP Birmingham
Reception
Birmingham Prison is a men’s prison in the Winson Green area of Birmingham.
HMP Bristol
Reception
Bristol Prison is a men’s prison in the Horfield area of Bristol.
HMP Cardiff
Reception
Cardiff Prison is a men’s prison in the centre of Cardiff, Wales.
HMP Dovegate
Cat B Trainer
Dovegate is a privately run male prison in Uttoxeter, Staffordshire.
HMP Durham
Reception
Durham Prison is a men’s prison in the city of Durham.
HMP Exeter
Reception
Exeter is a men’s prison in Exeter city centre in Devon.
HMP Forest Bank
Reception
Forest Bank is a privately run male prison in Pendlebury, Salford.
HMP Garth
Cat B Trainer
Garth is a men’s high security prison near Leyland, Lancashire.
HMP Gartree
Cat B Trainer
Gartree is a high security men’s prison in Market Harborough, Leicestershire.
HMP Grendon
Cat B Trainer
Grendon is a men’s prison in the village of Grendon Underwood, Buckinghamshire. It is jointly managed with Spring Hill Prison, which is on the same site.
HMP Hewell
Reception
Hewell is a men’s prison in the village of Tardebigge, near Redditch in Worcestershire.
HMP Isle of Wight
Cat B Trainer
Isle of Wight is a high security men’s prison, set across 2 sites (Albany and Parkhurst), just outside Newport, Isle of Wight.
HMP Leeds
Reception
Leeds is an adult male prison in the Armley area of Leeds, West Yorkshire.
HMP Leicester
Reception
Leicester prison is a men’s prison in the centre of Leicester.
HMP Lewes
Reception
Lewes is a men’s prison in Lewes, East Sussex.
HMP Liverpool
Reception
Liverpool Prison is a men’s prison in the Walton area of Liverpool.
HMP Lowdham Grange
Cat B Trainer
Lowdham Grange is a privately run male prison in Lowdham, Nottingham.
HMP Manchester
Cat B Trainer
Manchester Prison is a men’s high security prison in Manchester city centre. It was known as Strangeways until 1994.
HMP Nottingham
Reception
Nottingham Prison is a men’s prison in the Sherwood area of Nottingham and serves courts in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.
HMP Peterborough
Reception
Peterborough is a privately run prison for both male and female residents in Westwood, Peterborough.
HMP Preston
Reception
Preston Prison is a men’s prison in Preston, Lancashire.
HMP Rye Hill
Cat B Trainer
Rye Hill is a privately run male prison near Rugby, Warwickshire.
HMP Swaleside
Cat B Trainer
Swaleside is a men’s high security prison on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent. It is part of the Sheppey Cluster, along with Elmley and Standford Hill.