| Inspections | Regimes |
| Visits and getting there | Local News |
Key Contact Details
| Name of Prison | HMP & YOI Isis |
| Address: | Western Way Thamesmead SE28 0NZ |
| Other contact details: | |
| Web Site: | |
| Email: | |
| Main switchboard: | 020 3356 4000 |
| At Risk hotline: | |
| Fax: | 020 3356 4001 |
| Visits booking number: | 020 3356 4031 |
| Visits centre phone: | 020 8317 3888 |
| Visits centre web site: | www.spurgeons.org/hmp-isis |
| Type of Prison: | Male Cat C aged under 30 |
The prison is located alongside HMP Belmarsh and HMP Thameside. It is run by HMPS as part of the London Region and has a capacity of 628. The #1 governor is Emily Thomas, who has been in post since June 2016.
HMP&YOI Isis is a Category C training and resettlement prison built specifically for young adult men aged roughly 18 to 27, and stands on the same Thamesmead site as HMP Belmarsh and HMP Thameside, sharing some services with its neighbours. It opened in 2010 and today has an operational capacity of around 628, though its baseline certified normal capacity is lower, at 478 — a gap that has contributed to crowding pressures. Isis was built to hold some of London’s most complex young offenders, many of whom arrive with gang affiliations, unresolved trauma, or histories of violence, which has made managing safety on the wings a persistent and difficult challenge for successive governors.
Inspectors from HM Inspectorate of Prisons visited Isis in November and December 2025 and rated it “not sufficiently good” for safety, purposeful activity, and preparation for release, with respect the only area judged “good”. The inspection found violence remained dangerously high, with almost a third of prisoners saying they felt unsafe, and around a quarter of drug tests coming back positive. More than a third of prisoners were locked in their cells during the working day, and most who did get out of their cells were only occupied part-time. On a more encouraging note, inspectors praised the governor’s new “Peace Strategy”, which moved away from blanket gang-based segregation towards incentives and relationship-based behaviour management, and highlighted strong staff-prisoner relationships, good healthcare, and improving education outcomes as genuine bright spots.
For families and friends staying in touch with someone at Isis, it is worth knowing that the regime can still be restrictive and unpredictable, so visit times and phone access may vary week to week — the practical contact and visiting details above are the best starting point, and it is always sensible to check directly with the prison before travelling.