HMP Onley

Key data and contact details

HMP Onley, near Rugby in Warwickshire, began life as a borstal in 1968, became a young offenders’ institution in 1976, and has held only adult men since 2004. It now operates as a Category C training and resettlement prison across eleven wings, with a capacity of around 742.

HM Inspectorate of Prisons visited in May 2025 and found conditions had declined since a 2022 inspection, rating purposeful activity “poor” and safety, respect, and preparation for release all “not sufficiently good”. Inspectors identified persistent drug smuggling, including by drone, with well over half of prisoners surveyed saying drugs were easy to get hold of, alongside a rise in use of force incidents and weak oversight of them. Around a quarter of prisoners had no work or education placement, and inspectors found mental health support lacked adequate psychology input, while delays in the offender management unit were slowing down sentence planning. On a more positive note, staffing levels had improved and one-to-one keyworker sessions were rated notably effective.

Given these findings, families in touch with someone at Onley may find it worth asking directly about access to activities and mental health support during visits — the contact details above are the best way to arrange this.

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