| General Details | Inspections |
| IRP Reports | Regimes |
| Visits and getting there | Local News |
Key Contact Details
| Name of Prison | HMP Guys Marsh |
| Address: | ShaftesburyDorset SP7 0AH |
| Other contact details: | |
| Web Site: | |
| Email: | |
| Main switchboard: | 01747 856400 |
| At Risk hotline: | |
| Fax: | 01747 856401 |
| Visits booking number: | 01747 856586 |
| Visits booking email: | SocialVisitsGuysMarsh@hmps.gsi.gov.uk |
| Visits booking web site: | www.gov.uk/prison-visits |
| Visits centre web site: | Click here |
| Visits centre number: | n/a |
| Type of Prison: | Male Cat C |
Guys Marsh, near Shaftesbury in Dorset, is a Category C training and resettlement prison for adult men, with most of its accommodation built in the 1970s and 80s.
A full inspection in January 2025 found rates of violence high and rising, widespread drug availability, poor living conditions with mould and water damage, weak leadership, and insufficient healthcare resources. A follow-up review later in 2025 found the prison in a stronger position overall: use of force had fallen by 30%, and there was reasonable progress on violence, self-harm management, living conditions and getting more prisoners into education and work. Inspectors still found insufficient progress on leadership development, staffing levels, drug availability and healthcare access.
Given the mixed picture, families may want to ask specifically about current safety and healthcare access, alongside using the practical visiting and contact details above.