Ashfield Prison

Overview

A privately operated Category C training prison for adult men convicted of sexual offences. It is a specialist national establishment rather than a local remand prison.

Capacity and population

Monthly snapshot: 24 August 2026

Operational capacity is the capacity reported for this prison in the same monthly bulletin.

Official monthly spreadsheet · Ministry of Justice publication

Prisoner profile

HMP Ashfield holds adult men convicted of sexual offences. It has an older population: the 2024-25 IMB report recorded that more than 42% of prisoners were aged 50 or over. At the April 2026 HMIP inspection, 84% of prisoners were White British and 21 prisoners, or 5%, were foreign nationals.

Accommodation

The prison has two main residential blocks, Avon and Severn, each with four wings, plus a separate 16 bed therapeutic community. Accommodation is a mix of single and double cells. At the April 2026 inspection, about two thirds of prisoners occupied single cells; double cells were designed for two prisoners and were not overcrowded.

Residential units and wings

Providers and services

Healthcare

Physical and mental healthcare is provided by Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust. Dental care is provided by Time for Teeth.

Healthcare operates on site and provides primary care, GP and nurse access, emergency response, pharmacy, mental health and psychology services, dental care, optometry, physiotherapy, sexual health support and release planning.

The April 2026 inspection found generally prompt access to GPs and nurses and no Care Quality Commission regulatory breaches. However, HMIP identified continuing risks in some healthcare staffing, skills and clinical pathways.

Education and skills

Education and skills provision is delivered through Serco. The current published curriculum includes English, maths, IT, digital arts, design and print, bakery, business and life skills.

Vocational opportunities include electrics, carpentry, plumbing, plastering and tiling, painting and decorating, horticulture and industrial cleaning. Distance learning, including Open University courses, is also available.

Substance misuse support

Psychosocial substance misuse support is provided by Change Grow Live. The service offers timely assessments, care plans and individual and group interventions.

Severn D is the incentivised substance free living wing. HMIP found the psychosocial service high quality, but identified serious shortcomings in clinical substance misuse treatment, including limited prescribing capacity.

Social care

The prison provides social care support for prisoners with assessed needs. At the April 2026 inspection, four prisoners had assessed social care needs and reported that they were met.

Recoop provides support for older prisoners and trains peer mentors. HMIP found that governance needed improvement because there was no formal memorandum of understanding between the prison, local authority and service providers.

Chaplaincy and faith services

A multifaith chaplaincy team, supported by volunteers, provides religious, spiritual and pastoral support. HMIP found that the service met prisoners’ religious and spiritual needs, with 91% of surveyed prisoners saying they could attend services if they wished.

Library

The prison library has at least 4,000 fiction and non fiction books, reference and statutory materials, and computers for study. The library is operated by Shannon Trust and provides peer mentoring, book access on wings and reading support.

HMIP described the library as a well used rehabilitative hub with a strong reading culture.

Gym and physical activity

Physical education facilities include an Astroturf pitch, climbing wall, fitness suite and sports hall. Activities include yoga, tai chi and bowls. Physical education works with healthcare on health, diet and fitness.

HMIP found that gym provision was broad, but access was limited because the gym was not open in the evenings or at weekends.

Employment and workshops

Work opportunities include waste management, laundry, light industries, kitchens, wing work, gardens and servery work. The prison has a working bistro and vocational training opportunities.

At the April 2026 inspection, most prisoners were in full time work or education, with 76% in full time employment. HMIP found work quality generally matched commercial standards, but identified weaknesses in recording skills development and careers guidance.

Resettlement and release support

Although HMP Ashfield is not a designated resettlement prison, it provides support for people preparing for release. This includes Nacro outreach, the Skills for Independent Living course, help with bank accounts, identification and debt, employment preparation, CV and interview support, DWP work coach access, volunteering opportunities, and an eight week self employment and business planning course.

The prison reported about five releases into the community each month at the April 2026 inspection. Most prisoners were released to approved premises, although HMIP recorded four releases into homelessness in the preceding 12 months.

Programmes and activities

Visiting this prison

Visiting times

Friday:
9am to 12pm
2pm to 5pm

Saturday:
2pm to 5pm

Sunday:
9am to 12pm
2pm to 5pm

Arrive at least 30 minutes before the visit. Visiting arrangements can change, so confirm the booked session before travelling.

Official and legal visits

Video - Appointment times: Monday to Thursday, 8:30am to 11:45am and 1:30pm to 3:45pm.
Face to face - Published appointment times: Friday, 9am to 12pm.

How to book

Social visits must be booked in advance. The prisoner asks for a family member or friend to be registered through the prison’s in cell system. Once registration is approved, the prisoner arranges the visit and tells the visitor the date and time.

The number of visits available depends on the prisoner’s incentive level and behaviour.

Official video visits:
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 0117 303 8375
Booking line: Monday to Thursday, 8:30am to 3pm

Official Face to face official visits:
Telephone: 0117 303 8006
Booking line: Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 4pm

Arrange any IT equipment requirements in advance.

Identification and visit rules

For a first social visit, adults need two forms of identification: one photographic document and one document showing their address. Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult with the required identification.

All visitors, including children, are searched. Searches can include a drug dog, rub down search, Xray portal and hand held metal detector. The prison records visitor fingerprints and photographs, and uses CCTV and body worn video in visit areas.

Personal belongings must be placed in a Visitors’ Centre locker or locked vehicle. Visitors may take up to £20 per adult in coins into the visits hall for the café. Medicines must be declared and handed to staff until needed. Former prisoners need the Director’s written permission before visiting.

Visitors centre

The Visitors’ Centre provides lockers and support for visitors. A refundable £1 coin is needed for a locker. The visits hall has refreshments and an accessible seating area, including raised seating for people with mobility difficulties. A dedicated child friendly family room is available for child visits.

The prison’s visitor support arrangements include POPS, which helps families with visits, runs family forums and provides communication and family court workshops.

Directions and public transport

HMP Ashfield is on Shortwood Road, Pucklechurch, near Bristol.

By train: Bristol Parkway and Bristol Temple Meads are the nearest railway stations.

By bus: an hourly bus runs from Bristol Bus Station towards Pucklechurch. Check current local transport information before travelling.

Accessible visitor transport: Serco works with Big Lemon Bus to provide free accessible transport for social visitors between Bristol Parkway, the prison and Pucklechurch residents. Services are scheduled around visiting times.

Parking

There is a visitors’ car park. No reliable current information was found about the number of spaces, parking charges or a parking booking system.

Accessibility

The prison has an adapted and accessible residential wing, Avon C, for older prisoners and people with mobility needs. HMIP found the visits hall accessible, including raised seating for people with mobility difficulties. Free accessible social visitor transport is available through the Big Lemon Bus service.

Visitors who need specific access arrangements should contact the prison before travelling, as the public information does not specify all accessible facilities or disabled parking arrangements.

Family support

POPS supports families through visits, family forums, communication workshops and family court workshops. The Families and Friends at the Centre of Throughcare programme, known as FACT, supports families of newly transferred prisoners by providing information and regular progress updates where families opt in.

Monthly family days are offered. The prison also uses secure video calls, in cell telephones, digital messaging and Email a Prisoner to support family contact.

Video and telephone contact

Secure social video calls are available through Purple Visits. Visitors must register and book through the Purple Visits app.

Prisoners have in cell telephones and can use approved telephone numbers. The prison also offers PICS digital messaging and Email a Prisoner, subject to prison rules.

History and leadership

HMP Ashfield was built on the site of Pucklechurch Remand Centre and opened in 1999. It was the first privately operated prison in the United Kingdom to hold young offenders.

The prison was re roled in 2013 as a Category C prison for adult men convicted of sexual offences. Serco has operated the prison since 2005. A new 10 year Serco contract began on 1 November 2024.

HMP Ashfield is now a specialist adult male training prison with two principal residential blocks, Avon and Severn, and a separate therapeutic community.

Independent reports

HM Inspectorate of Prisons reports