Cookham Wood Prison: From Young Offender Institution to Adult Prison
Last reviewed: July 2026
What changed in 2024?
On 21 March 2024 the Ministry of Justice announced that children would be moved out of Cookham Wood and the site repurposed for adults. The decision followed a bleak period: HM Inspectorate of Prisons had issued an Urgent Notification in 2023 after finding high levels of violence, children locked up for excessive hours, and widespread use of separation. Inspectors later said the closure of the failing YOI created uncertainty for staff and children, but the move went ahead: by the end of May 2024 the last boys had been released or transferred, and in June 2024 the site reopened as HMP Cookham Wood, a category C prison for adult men.
The change was driven as much by population pressure as by the YOI’s failures – the adult estate was critically short of places in 2024, and Cookham Wood provided several hundred extra spaces quickly.
Key facts at a glance
| Detail | Before June 2024 | Now |
|---|---|---|
| Role | Young offender institution (boys 15-18) | Category C adult men’s prison |
| Operator | HMPPS / Youth Custody Service | HM Prison and Probation Service |
| Location | Sir Evelyn Road, Rochester, Kent ME1 3LU – next to HMP Rochester | |
| Opened | 1978 (originally a women’s prison, later a YOI, adult prison since 2024) | |
What is Cookham Wood like now?
As a young adult prison it is still bedding in. The accommodation was built for a youth population, so cells and facilities are relatively modern by prison standards, and the prison shares its rural site at Borstal with HMP Rochester. As a category C establishment the regime revolves around education, workshops and preparation for release, with the usual incentives scheme, prison jobs and gym. Families should treat early reports with patience: repurposed prisons typically take time to establish stable regimes and full activity programmes.
Release and progression
Men at Cookham Wood progress in the normal way for the category C estate: sentence planning, offending-behaviour courses where required, and applications for recategorisation to open conditions as risk reduces. Under the Sentencing Act 2026, many standard determinate sentences now work on an earned-progression basis, with release possible from around the one-third point for prisoners who engage with the regime and stay out of trouble – so constructive activity at Cookham Wood counts directly towards earlier release. Ask the offender management unit about eligibility, and see our sentencing guides for how the new rules work.
Visits and staying in touch
Visits must be booked in advance and all visitors approved. The prison is reachable from Rochester station by taxi or a longer walk. Money can be sent through the standard GOV.UK send money to a prisoner service, and our guide to what you can send to prisoners covers letters, clothes and books.
1) “Cookham Wood still holds children.” No – all boys left by May 2024 and it is now an adult prison.
2) “Cookham Wood and Rochester are one prison.” They are separate establishments on neighbouring sites.
3) “It closed completely.” The site never shut – it changed role from youth to adult custody in mid-2024.
A note from experience
Prison Guide’s founder, Daniel Hockey, served a sentence himself (HMP Wandsworth through to open conditions at HMP Ford) and wrote The Secret Prisoner (2021). For men arriving at a newly repurposed prison his advice is simple: apply for work or education on day one – regimes in new establishments reward the men who engage first.
Frequently asked questions
Why was Cookham Wood YOI closed?
A combination of persistent failings – violence, excessive lock-up and an Urgent Notification from inspectors in 2023 – and acute pressure for adult prison places. Between March and May 2024, 44 boys were released and 21 moved into the over-18 estate.
What category is Cookham Wood now?
Category C – a closed training and resettlement prison for adult men. See our guide to category C prisons.
Where can I find official information?
Official contact details are published on GOV.UK, and inspection material at HM Inspectorate of Prisons. For research on youth custody and the prison estate, see the Prison Reform Trust.
