HMP & YOI Askham Grange

Key Data and contact details

Askham Grange, in the village of Askham Richard near York, opened in January 1947 as Britain’s first open prison for women and remains one of only a small number of women’s open establishments in England and Wales. It holds adult women and female young offenders, most of whom have already served time in closed conditions elsewhere before being transferred to Askham Grange to prepare for release. The prison runs a Mother and Baby Unit with places for around ten mothers, and residents work in a public-facing garden centre and coffee shop on site as part of its focus on vocational skills and resettlement.

At its most recent independent inspection, in June and July 2023, HM Inspectorate of Prisons found that around a quarter of places at Askham Grange were sitting empty, despite many women in closed prisons being suitable for open conditions — a missed opportunity, inspectors said, given the prison’s resettlement role. Inspectors also found that safety perceptions had worsened since the previous visit, with more women reporting that they felt unsafe and fewer feeling treated with respect by staff, alongside staffing gaps in leadership, education and training roles that limited what the prison could offer.

Askham Grange’s management submitted a formal action plan in response to these findings. Given its role helping women in the final stage of long sentences prepare for life outside, families may find it useful to weigh these findings against the practical visiting and contact details set out above.