| General Details | Inspections |
| Regimes | Visits and getting there |
| Local News | |
General Information
| Name of Prison | HMP Belmarsh |
| Address: | Western Way Thamesmead London SE28 0EB |
| Other contact details: | |
| Web Site: | |
| Email: | |
| Main switchboard: | 020 8331 4400 |
| At Risk hotline: | |
| Fax: | 020 8331 4401 |
| Visits booking number: | 0208-331-4768 |
| Visits booking email: | BelmarshV@hmps.gsi.gov.uk. |
| Visits booking txt number: | |
| Type of Prison: | Local male prison with high secure unit. |
HMP Belmarsh holds 773 men sentenced by primarily the Central Criminal Court and magistrates Courts in SE London, as well as Crown and Magistrates Courts in SW Essex, the majority of which are Cat B. The prison also holds a small number of Cat A and High Risk Prisoners. It is one of 12 long term and high security prisons, but the only core local prison in the high security estate. It also operates a high secure unit (HSU) for prisoners presenting the very highest risk of escape. It is run by HMPS as part of the London Region, and the #1 governor is Jenny Louis , who has been in charge since February 2021.
Belmarsh opened in 1991 in Thamesmead, south-east London, and has become the best-known Category A prison in England and Wales. As the principal reception prison for the high-security estate, it holds men facing the most serious charges — including terrorism, murder and other high-profile cases — many of whom are held on remand awaiting trial at the Old Bailey or other Crown Courts. A separate High Security Unit within the prison holds a small number of prisoners assessed as presenting the very highest risk of escape. Its reputation for tough conditions has earned it the nickname “Hellmarsh” in the press over the years, though standards have varied considerably between inspections.
A full inspection in June 2024 identified seven priority and key concerns, including poor reception and induction conditions, unsanitary segregation unit facilities, gaps in suicide and self-harm prevention, and insufficient family contact. A follow-up independent review in April 2025 found “good progress” on several of the most serious issues — including induction, self-harm prevention and outdoor maintenance — and “reasonable progress” on segregation conditions, living conditions and family contact. Inspectors singled out crisis care work as particularly impressive, though education and skills advice were found to still need improvement.
For families and friends, this suggests conditions at Belmarsh have been improving from a difficult baseline, though it remains a high-security establishment with correspondingly strict visiting and security procedures — see the practical details above.