Highpoint

Role and background

HMP Highpoint is a men's prison in Newmarket, Suffolk.

Inside the prison and daily life

It is divided into North and South sites, with a mixture of single and double cells. The separate sites have different residential layouts. Most cells have showers, and residential units have cooking facilities to encourage greater independence.

Courses include communication and numeracy, art, business enterprise, construction, graphics, barbering, carpentry and decorating. Prisoners can work in kitchens, gardens and domestic roles, while physical education and first aid offer further qualifications.

Peer reading support is another element of the educational offer. Cooking facilities on residential units also provide a practical setting in which men can develop everyday skills within the prison's controls.

Education and behaviour programmes sit alongside healthcare and family support. Some men may apply for temporary release if they meet the criteria, but this is individually considered. Highpoint's two-site structure makes the organisation of movement, activity and progression a useful part of understanding daily life there.

Visiting and family contact

Families should check visiting times, booking procedures, identification rules and support for children or disabled visitors before travelling. Those details can change. Understanding the establishment's role is useful, but it does not replace confirming the arrangements for a particular visit.

Practical advice before you make arrangements

Use Highpoint's official page below for its current booking route, required identification, permitted items and travel instructions.

Confirm that the person is still at Highpoint and that your visit has been accepted before making travel arrangements. Ask the prison in advance about disability access, medication or children's needs.