What Is HMP Garth Like?
Last reviewed: July 2026
Key facts about HMP Garth
| Detail | HMP Garth |
|---|---|
| Category | Category B training prison (adult men, long sentences) |
| Run by | HM Prison and Probation Service (public sector) |
| Population | Around 800 (roughly 850 capacity) |
| Opened | 1988, purpose-built next to HMP Wymott |
| Address | Ulnes Walton Lane, Leyland, Preston PR26 8NE |
| Switchboard | 01772 443 300 |
| Visit booking | Online via GOV.UK, or 01772 443 503 |
What kind of prison is Garth?
Garth is a Category B trainer — a step below the high-security estate, but well above the average Cat C jail in terms of the men it holds. Purpose-built in 1988 on farmland beside HMP Wymott, it takes men serving long sentences, including life and other indeterminate sentences, many convicted of serious violent or sexual offences. The emphasis is on offending behaviour programmes and long-term sentence progression rather than quick resettlement: for many men, Garth is a middle chapter in a sentence measured in decades, not months.
What have inspectors found?
The full inspection in summer 2024 found poor safety, ready availability of drugs, staffing and retention problems, and uncomfortably hot, poorly ventilated cells. A follow-up Independent Review of Progress published in June 2025 found too little had changed: around a third of random drug tests were positive, and inspectors described a huge increase in drone deliveries, with prisoners burning holes in windows to take in packages — one commentator called the jail an airport for drones. In response, Garth was among the prisons fitted with thousands of heavy-duty window grilles under a £35 million national programme, and police have made arrests for drone smuggling at the site. Reports are on the HMIP website.
Daily life, programmes and education
Education and skills at Garth are delivered by Novus, from functional English and maths through vocational workshops. Because of the population it holds, Garth’s real specialism is accredited offending behaviour programmes — the courses long-sentence men often need to complete before the Parole Board will consider progression to lower security. If your loved one is at Garth, sentence-plan targets and programme waiting lists will likely shape their time there more than anything else, so encourage them to keep chasing their offender manager about places.
Visiting HMP Garth
Book through the GOV.UK prison visits service, by phone on 01772 443 503, or by email via the prison. The visitor centre is run by POPS (Partners of Prisoners), which also offers support to families new to the system, and there is a children’s play area. Leyland and Preston are the nearest stations, but the prison sits in open countryside, so allow time for the last leg. Our guide to contacting someone in prison covers calls, mail and sending money.
Prison Guide’s founder Daniel Hockey served a sentence himself, from HMP Wandsworth through to open conditions at HMP Ford, and wrote The Secret Prisoner (2021). His advice for families supporting someone on a long sentence at a jail like Garth: pace yourselves — regular short letters and consistent visits over years matter far more than grand gestures early on. Read more about Daniel here.
Frequently asked questions
What category is HMP Garth?
Category B. It holds long-sentence men, including lifers, but it is not part of the Category A high-security estate.
Is HMP Garth safe?
Inspectors rated safety poorly in 2024 and remain concerned about drugs arriving by drone, though new window grilles and security measures are being fitted to tackle this.
How do I book a visit?
Online via GOV.UK or on 01772 443 503. The POPS visitor centre can help first-time visitors.
What is the difference between Garth and Wymott?
They share a site at Ulnes Walton but are separate prisons: Garth is Category B for long-sentence men; Wymott is Category C. See our full list of UK prisons and our guide to release dates.
Official sources: GOV.UK – Garth Prison · HM Inspectorate of Prisons · Prison Reform Trust
