Prison facilities in the United Kingdom are managed by three distinct administrations: England and Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. The British Parliament delegates some legislative powers to Scotland and Northern Ireland. As a result, the systems can vary significantly between territories.

This document focuses solely on the prison administration shared by England and Wales.

Prison Insider’s 2025 country profile presents the legislative framework, the latest available data and the events that took place during the year. Prison Insider relies on its network of contributors and on information derived from observations, scientific reports or identified events. The method and process used to produce the country profiles are described here. We hope that this country profile will continue to evolve, reflecting the distinction between the rule and its application, and call on everyone to take part. You can share any information you have with our editorial committee.