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General Information
| Name or Prison | HMP Norwich |
| Address: | Knox Road Norwich Norfolk NR1 4LU |
| Other contact details: | |
| Web Site: | |
| Email: | |
| Main switchboard: | 01603 708 600 |
| At Risk hotline: | |
| Fax: | 01603 708 601 |
| Visits booking number: | 01603 708795 |
| Visits booking website: | www.gov.uk/prison-visits. |
| Visits centre number: | 01603 702301 |
| Type of Prison: | Male Cat B, C & D |
The prison is part of the East of England Regions and is run by HMPS. It has a capacity of 733 and the #1 governor is Declan Moore, in charge since September 2018.
HMP&YOI Norwich was built in 1887 on the site of the former Britannia Barracks, replacing the old county gaol at Norwich Castle, and its original Victorian cell block is still in use. It now operates as a reception prison holding a mix of Category B, C, and D men, with a capacity of around 733, including dedicated wings for sex offenders and vulnerable prisoners and a wing set aside for elderly men, many serving life sentences.
HM Inspectorate of Prisons visited in January 2026 and rated safety, respect, and preparation for release “reasonably good”, with purposeful activity judged “not sufficiently good”. Inspectors found real progress since a more critical 2022 inspection, with reductions in violence and self-harm under strong leadership, but drug use remained high, with around a quarter of tests coming back positive, and conditions on some Category C wings were dilapidated with too little to occupy prisoners. Overcrowding was also a concern, with over a third of prisoners held in cells designed for one person, and around a fifth were released without settled accommodation to go to.
For families staying in contact with someone at Norwich, the visits centre and contact details above remain the best way to arrange a visit and check in on their wellbeing.