If you are concerned about a friend or family member in custody at HMP Manchester, call the Sharing Concerns Helpline on 0161 817 5958.
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Key Contact Details
| Name of Prison | HMP Manchester |
| Address: | 1 Southall Street Manchester M60 9AH |
| Other contact details: | |
| Web Site: | |
| Email: | |
| Main switchboard: | 0161 817 5600 |
| At Risk hotline: | 0161 817 5958 |
| Fax: | 0161 817 5601 |
| Visits booking number: | 0161 817 5655 |
| Visits centre: | 0161 817 5630. |
| Visits booking txt number: | |
| Type of Prison: | Male Cat A and Cat B |
The prison is run by HMPS as part of the North West Region, it is also part of the Directorate of High Security Estate. It has a capacity of 744 and the #1 governor is Rob Knight, appointed November 2019. It serves the courts of Greater Manchester
HMP Manchester, still widely known by its old name, Strangeways, opened in 1868 and is instantly recognisable by its tall ventilation tower and radial layout of wings. Following a major riot in 1990, the prison was extensively rebuilt at a cost of over £80 million and reopened under its current name in 1994. It is a Category A and B training prison serving Greater Manchester’s courts, with a capacity of around 744, and includes a small high-security unit for Category A prisoners.
HM Chief Inspector of Prisons issued an Urgent Notification for Manchester following a 2024 inspection, a formal process reserved for the most serious concerns. A follow-up inspection in January 2026 found the prison remained in a precarious state despite leadership efforts to stabilise it. Inspectors found illicit drugs were easy to obtain, according to half of prisoners surveyed, with well over a third of mandatory drug tests coming back positive, and violence against both prisoners and staff remained very high. Four self-inflicted deaths had been recorded since the previous inspection, and prisoners were spending under three hours a day out of their cells on average, with 44% not engaged in any work or education.
Given how serious these findings are, families with a loved one at Manchester may understandably feel very worried. You can ask the prison directly about someone’s welfare using the details above, and the Samaritans (116 123, free, 24 hours) are available to anyone who needs to talk, whether inside or outside prison.