Female: The uncrowded capacity is 360 including a separate Mother and Baby Unit which can accommodate 12 mums. The main accommodation comprises of two houseblocks each containing five wings.

Houseblock One holds women on remand and sentenced YOIs, stabilisation, Induction, Lifers and open unit.

Houseblock Two holds a foreign national unit, complex individuals unit and all sentenced women.

The majority of the accommodation is single occupancy and the wings hold on average 38 women. There is a Separation and Care unit and a 15-bed healthcare facility.

Male: The current crowded capacity for male residence is 944. Each wing houses approximately 80 men with the exception of Z2, the enhanced wing, which has 64. There are twelve wings on the male side across three houseblocks.

Each cell has integral sanitation and the wings each have shower facilities, a servery area plus an association area. There is a Separation and Care Unit which holds 14 prisoners and an inpatient Healthcare unit which can hold up to 14 residents.

Our Early Days in Custody (EDIC) process includes dedicated Early Days Centres - wings where new arrivals will spend some time to settle into the routines and processes of the prison. It enables staff to get to know then, identifying any concerns or issues so that appropriate support can be provided.

'Insiders' are existing prisoners who have been vetted and trained to provide peer support to new arrivals. They can spend time with them to explain how the prison works, what is expected of them and what they can expect of their time in HMP Peterborough.

Insiders provide an important link between staff and prisoners. There may be times when a prisoner is unsure of a process, needs information or advice and doesn’t feel comfortable approaching prison staff. The Insider can provide the familiarity and understanding of someone who has been in their position, speaking from a position of empathy and experience.

Insiders can also help staff to identify prisoners who may be struggling to adjust or require additional support. As part of their duty of care and without breaching confidentiality, they are able to flag to staff that a prisoner may be feeling down or showing signs of potential self-harm, enabling officers to monitor their wellbeing and offer support where appropriate.

HMP Peterborough has a Mother and Baby Unit (MBU), staffed by both operational and non-operational teams reporting to the MBU and Perinatal Service Manager. These teams manage pregnancy services, MBU applications, resident onboarding, separation support, care planning for children in alternative arrangements, and resettlement planning.

Each MBU has a dedicated Nursery and Early Years Workers who support child development. A Pregnancy Mother and Baby Liaison Officer (PMBLO) at each site contacts all pregnant prisoners to assess their needs. Since 2021, each prison also follows a reviewed annual Perinatal Pathway offering psychological support for women on the MBU and those in the wider prison during the perinatal period.

Women are encouraged to apply to an MBU early, allowing time for transfer before their due date and reducing separation from children. Applications can include babies in the community under 18 months, with careful consideration of separation issues. All women - remanded or sentenced, regardless of offence, sentence type, or nationality - are eligible for MBU placement.