Custody

The Corrections Department of the Velocity Interoperability Network holds persons committed to custody by the courts of the Velocity Interoperability Network. It is responsible for their safety, for their decent treatment, for the security of its establishments and for preparing those it holds for their return to the community. Its establishments are run to the standards set out on the Standards and Inspection page.

On 6 September 2026 the Department assumed responsibility for five custodial establishments and one court custody suite, which had been operated under interim arrangements by member organisations since 10 August 2026. Every person held on that date was received into the Department's custody under the same warrant and with the same entitlements as before.

5

Custodial establishments, together with one court custody suite

1,340

Operational capacity across the five establishments

1,046

Persons held in custody at establishment on 6 September 2026

78%

Occupancy of operational capacity at establishment

The register of facilities. The register below is maintained by the Department and revised whenever the function or capacity of an establishment changes. Certified normal accommodation is the number of places an establishment can hold in decent conditions; operational capacity is the maximum it may hold without unacceptable risk to safety, control or the regime. Population is as at 6 September 2026.

No establishment was above its certified normal accommodation at establishment. The Department does not hold anyone under the age of 18; a young person committed by a court is placed with the Children and Families Department of the Network under arrangements agreed between the two Departments.

Regimes. Persons are allocated to an establishment according to their legal status, sex, age and the level of security their sentence requires. The four regimes are described below.

Remand

Persons committed by a court to await trial or sentence are held at Eastfield Remand Centre, in separate units for men and women. They are presumed innocent, wear their own clothing, may receive more frequent visits than sentenced persons and are not required to work, although they may attend education and take a placement if they wish.

Closed conditions

Sentenced adult men are held at Northgate Custody Centre, sentenced adult women at Southbank Women's Centre and sentenced young adults aged 18 to 25 at Meridian Young Adults Centre. Movement within the establishment is supervised and the perimeter is secure. Every sentenced person has a sentence plan and is expected to take part in education, work or a programme.

Open conditions

Westbrook Resettlement Centre holds sentenced persons assessed as suitable for open conditions, normally in the final part of their sentence. There is no secure perimeter. Those held may be released on temporary licence for work, training or family contact in preparation for release.

Court custody

The Central Exchange Court Custody Suite holds persons attending the courts of the Network during the court day. No one is held there overnight; those remanded or sentenced are transferred to the appropriate establishment the same day.

Reception into custody. The steps below apply to every person received into an establishment of the Department, whether from court, on transfer or on recall.

1. 1

   Step 1: Arrival and identification

   On arrival the warrant of the court is checked against the identity of the person received. Property is recorded, receipted and stored, and the person is informed of the reason for their detention and of the rules of the establishment in a language they understand.

2. 2

   Step 2: Health screening

   Every person is seen by a nurse on the day of reception and, where needed, by a doctor within 24 hours. Medicines are recorded and continued. Anyone at risk of self-harm is placed on a care plan from the first night.

3. 3

   Step 3: First night

   The first night is spent on a dedicated first-night unit with additional staff. Each person is offered a telephone call to a family member, a meal, and a written guide to the establishment.

4. 4

   Step 4: Induction

   Within three working days each person completes an induction covering the daily routine, visits, letters, money, complaints, education and work, and how to see a member of the resettlement staff.

5. 5

   Step 5: Assessment and sentence plan

   Within ten working days the person's education, skills, health and resettlement needs are assessed and, for sentenced persons, a sentence plan is agreed. The plan is reviewed at least every six months.

Healthcare in custody is provided under arrangements with the Health Department of the Network, with a nurse on duty at every establishment at all times and a doctor attending daily. Legal visits and correspondence with legal representatives are confidential and are not limited in number.

Population and capacity are reported quarterly on the Statistics page. For what happens after reception, see Rehabilitation and Release and Resettlement. Enquiries about a person in custody may be sent to contact@corrections.gov.vin; the Department will confirm only what the person has consented to disclose.