HMP Bure

At its last full inspection (June 2026; report published September 2026), inspectors found outcomes for prisoners were not sufficiently good for purposeful activity; reasonably good for preparation for release; good for safety and respect. It held 637 people at the time, against an operational capacity of 643.

Read our story Read the inspection report

Healthy prison tests: inspectors grade four areas from 1 (poor) to 4 (good).

1. September 2026 · Full inspectionSafety: good · Respect: good · Purposeful activity: not sufficiently good · Preparation for release: reasonably good Read our story
2. January 2024 · Full inspectionSafety: good · Respect: good · Purposeful activity: poor · Preparation for release: reasonably good Read our story
3. April 2021 · Scrutiny visitShort scrutiny visit during the Covid-19 pandemic; not graded. Read the report (HM Inspectorate of Prisons, opens external site) ↗

News

HMP Bure stays safe and decent, but inspectors find too little work and education

Inspectors rated the Norfolk prison good for safety and respect, with very low violence and drug use, but said it still lacked enough activity places to work as a training prison.

Prison News staff14 Sep 2026

News

HMP Bure rated good for safety and respect but poor for purposeful activity

The inspectorate's report on the Norfolk prison, published in January 2024, found a clean, safe jail where too few men could get to education or training.

Prison News staff15 Jan 2024