Northern Ireland has just three prisons, all run by the Northern Ireland Prison Service (NIPS). Because there are so few, most people end up at one of these three regardless of where in Northern Ireland they’re from – here’s what each one does.
HMP Maghaberry. Near Lisburn, Maghaberry is Northern Ireland’s high-security prison, holding adult male prisoners on remand and serving longer sentences, in both separated and integrated conditions.
HMP Magilligan. On the coast near Limavady, Magilligan is a medium-security prison holding adult male prisoners serving shorter sentences. It also includes Foyleview, a low-security unit for selected prisoners nearing the end of their sentence.
Hydebank Wood. In south Belfast, Hydebank Wood is a college-focused site for young men aged 18–24, and also holds Northern Ireland’s only women’s prison, Ash House, on the same grounds.
England & Wales prisons are categorised A–D and can be searched using the Find a Prisoner service. Northern Ireland doesn’t use that system, and there isn’t an equivalent public prisoner-finder tool – see our Finding Someone in a Northern Ireland Prison page for how to track someone down instead.