| General Details, | Mission Statement |
| Inspections | Regimes |
| Visits and getting there | Work and Education |
| Employment on Release | Local News |
| Name or Prison | HMP Leeds |
| Address: | 2 Gloucester Terrace Stanningley Road, Leeds West Yorkshire LS12 2TJ |
| Other contact details: | |
| Web Site: | |
| Email: | |
| Main switchboard: | 0113 203 2600 |
| At Risk hotline: | |
| Fax: | 0113 203 2601 |
| Visits booking number: | 0113 2032995. |
| Visits booking email: | socialvisits.leeds@hmps.gsi.gov.uk. |
| Visits booking web site: | http//www.gov.uk/prison-visits |
| Type of Prison: | Cat B Male |
The #1 governor is Diane Lewis who has been in charge since March 2022, and the prison has a capacity of with a capacity of 1110. It is part of the Yorkshire & Humberside Region and is run by HMPS
HMP Leeds, also known locally as Armley, is a large Category B local prison that dates back to 1847, when it opened as Armley Gaol, and its landmark Victorian buildings still dominate the local skyline today. It holds adult men on remand and those newly sentenced from the courts, taking in around 600 new arrivals a month, and has an operational capacity of just over 1,100 against a certified normal accommodation nearer 640 — meaning the prison has been running well above the population it was originally designed for.
HM Inspectorate of Prisons carried out a full inspection in July 2025 and rated Leeds “poor” — the lowest available rating — for both safety and purposeful activity, with respect and preparation for release both judged “not sufficiently good”. The report identified Leeds as having the highest number of self-inflicted deaths of any adult male prison in England and Wales. A follow-up independent review in March 2026 found the prison had made good progress on early days support and staff-prisoner relationships, but no meaningful progress on overcrowding and insufficient progress on suicide and self-harm prevention, drug availability, and time out of cell, with three further deaths and three serious self-harm incidents recorded since the July inspection.
Given these findings, families and friends with a loved one at Leeds may understandably feel especially anxious about their wellbeing. If you are worried about someone in custody, you can ask the prison directly about their welfare using the contact details above, and the Samaritans (116 123, free, 24 hours) are also available for anyone — inside or outside prison — who needs to talk. The practical visiting information above remains the best starting point for arranging contact.