| General Details | Inspections |
| Regimes, | Visits and getting there |
| Work and Education | Local News |
Key Contact Details
| Name of Prison | HMP The Verne |
| Address: | Verne Common Road Portland Dorset DT15 1EQ |
| Other contact details: | |
| Web Site: | |
| Email: | |
| Main switchboard: | 01305 825000 |
| At Risk hotline: | 01305 825058 |
| Fax: | |
| Visits booking number: | 01305 825014 |
| Visits booking email: | socialvisits.theverne@hmps.gsi.gov.uk |
| Visits booking web site: | www.gov.uk/prison-visits |
| Type of Prison: | Male Cat B |
HMP The Verne sits inside the Verne Citadel, a 19th-century fortress built between 1857 and 1881 to defend Portland Harbour, high above the sea on the Isle of Portland in Dorset. It opened as a prison in 1949, spent several years from 2014 as an immigration removal centre, and reopened as a prison in 2018. It now operates as a Category C training prison specialising in men convicted of sexual offences, with around a third of the population aged over 60.
HM Inspectorate of Prisons visited in July 2024 and rated safety “good” and respect “reasonably good”, though purposeful activity and preparation for release were both rated “not sufficiently good”. Inspectors were particularly concerned that there were no offending behaviour programmes running, meaning high-risk prisoners could wait years for the kind of intervention that would support their progression. Too few staff had the specific experience needed to work with this population, and the prison’s older population meant frequent medical appointments disrupted the regime. Staff retention had improved, which inspectors saw as a positive foundation to build on.
For families staying in touch with someone at The Verne, the contact details above remain the best way to arrange a visit.