How the IEP Scheme Works: Basic, Standard, Enhanced (UK Prison 2026)

The Incentives and Earned Privileges scheme — known on every wing as "the IEP" — is the framework that decides what your daily life in a UK prison actually looks like. It governs how often you can have visits, how much canteen you can spend, whether you can wear your own clothes, what kind of cell you get, and whether you have access to a TV. Get on Enhanced and life is bearable. Get knocked down to Basic and the same sentence becomes considerably harder. This guide explains how the IEP scheme works in UK prisons in 2026 — the three levels, what each gives you, how to move up, and the behaviours that get you moved down.

What Is the IEP Scheme?

The IEP scheme was introduced in 1995 and has been revised several times — most significantly in 2013 (which removed automatic Enhanced for new arrivals) and again in 2020 and 2024 with updates to reflect SDS40 release rules and digital tablet use. It is set out in PSI 30/2013 and in each prison's local IEP policy.

The principle is simple: prisoners who behave well, engage with their sentence plan, and contribute positively to the wing get more privileges. Prisoners who don't, lose them.

There are three levels in adult prisons:

**Basic** — the lowest level. Highly restricted regime, used as a sanction for poor behaviour.

**Standard** — the default level for most prisoners. Reasonable access to visits, canteen, TV.

**Enhanced** — the highest level, earned through sustained good behaviour over months.

Every prisoner is on one of these three levels at all times. Your level can change — usually after a formal IEP review — and the change affects your daily life immediately.

Where You Start

Most new arrivals begin on **Standard** level. There is no longer an "Entry" level for new arrivals — the 2013 reforms abolished that and replaced it with immediate Standard, with the expectation that prisoners earn Enhanced through behaviour over time.

The exceptions:

Prisoners arriving with an existing IEP level from another prison (transferred from another establishment) usually keep their level

Prisoners with active disciplinary findings or risk concerns at reception may be placed on Basic from the start (rare)

Standard Level: The Default

Standard is what most prisoners are on. It allows:

**Visits**: minimum 2 social visits per month (60 minutes minimum, often 90+ minutes in practice)

**Canteen spend**: typically £15.50 per week from private cash plus your prison wages (around £33–£60 per week total spending power for most prisoners on Standard, varies by prison)

**Personal cash limit**: usually £25.50 per week from private cash, the rest must come from earnings

**Television**: in-cell TV available in most cells, with a £1 weekly hire charge from your account

**Personal clothing**: most prisons allow some personal clothing on Standard (varies — check the local IEP policy)

**Phone access**: standard wing phone or in-cell telephony where available

**Association time**: standard out-of-cell hours

**Job and education access**: full access to available roles and courses

Standard is liveable. It's not generous, but it covers the essentials.

Enhanced Level: The Goal

Enhanced is earned, not given. To be considered for Enhanced you typically need:

**Sustained good behaviour** for at least 3 months on Standard (varies by prison — some require 6 months)

**Active engagement** with your sentence plan, education or work

**Positive entries** on your wing record (kept by personal officer and wing staff)

**No disciplinary findings** (adjudications) within the qualifying period

**A formal IEP review** by your personal officer recommending Enhanced status

**Confirmation by the wing manager**

What Enhanced gives you:

**Visits**: minimum 3 social visits per month, often more depending on the prison

**Canteen spend**: typically up to £25.50 per week from private cash plus earnings (around £45–£85 per week total)

**Personal cash limit**: higher private cash spend allowance

**Television**: in-cell TV with no charge in many prisons

**Personal clothing**: full access to personal clothing

**Cell allocation**: priority for single cells where available, sometimes en-suite or "Enhanced wing" cells

**Job priority**: first refusal on the better-paid prison jobs (kitchen lead, gym orderly, induction worker)

**Education priority**: first place on Open University and vocational courses

**Family days**: priority for family day visits and special visits

**Tablets and digital**: in prisons with in-cell tablets, Enhanced often gets more app access

**Privileges around possessions**: more property allowed in cell (extra books, more personal items)

The difference between Standard and Enhanced is significant. For long sentences, Enhanced is the difference between an exhausting decade and a manageable one.

Basic Level: The Punishment

Basic is the IEP equivalent of being grounded. It is used for:

Persistent rule-breaking

Adjudication findings (formal disciplinary)

Drug positive (mandatory drug test)

Violence or threats

Refusing to engage with sentence plan

What Basic restricts:

**Visits**: minimum 1 social visit per month (the legal minimum)

**Canteen spend**: typically £4 per week from private cash plus earnings only — a sharp drop

**Television**: TV removed from cell (some prisons retain TV but with limited channels)

**Personal clothing**: removed — prison kit only

**Association time**: reduced

**Job and education**: may be suspended or restricted

**Property in cell**: reduced to bare minimum

Basic is rarely indefinite. It's normally imposed for 7–28 days with a review at the end. Behave during the Basic period and you go back to Standard. Continue to misbehave and Basic is extended.

> **Insider tip:** A short stretch on Basic (7 days for a minor wing-rule breach) is recoverable. Multiple Basic placements within a sentence damage your parole prospects, your category review and your access to ROTL/HDC. Avoid them.

How IEP Reviews Work

IEP reviews happen in two ways:

1. Scheduled review

Every prisoner has a periodic IEP review — usually quarterly. The personal officer compiles wing reports, work and education feedback, and any disciplinary record. The review form is signed off by the wing manager.

2. Triggered review

A specific incident triggers a review:

Adjudication finding (disciplinary hearing where you're found guilty)

Positive mandatory drug test

Violence or threats

Repeated minor warnings

You should be told in writing what the proposed change is and given the chance to respond. You can:

Accept the proposed level change

Make written representations

Request to see the wing manager in person

Appeal a downgrade through the formal complaints process (Comp 1, then Comp 2)

How to Move Up to Enhanced

Practical steps that wing staff actually look for:

**Engage with your sentence plan**. Attend offending behaviour courses, education classes, work allocations.

**Get a job and turn up reliably**. Wing servery, cleaner, library orderly — any job. Reliability matters more than the role.

**Keep your cell tidy**. Cell inspections happen. A clean cell with kit folded is noticed.

**Don't get adjudications**. Even minor charges (insolence, refusing an order, disobedience) reset your IEP qualifying period.

**Don't lend or borrow**. Debt issues lead to wing tension and IEP downgrades.

**Talk to your personal officer**. Make them know your name, your goals, your engagement. They write your reports.

**Avoid bad company**. Wing groups known for drugs, violence or bullying drag your reputation down by association.

**Be polite to staff**. Officers remember rude prisoners and quietly slow their progress.

**Volunteer for positive roles**: Listener (trained by Samaritans), Insider (peer mentor for new arrivals), Equality rep, peer educator.

**Be patient**. Enhanced is earned over months, not weeks. Three to six months of consistent good behaviour is the standard window.

What Causes a Downgrade

Common triggers:

Positive MDT (mandatory drug test)

Possession of unauthorised items (phone, drugs, weapons)

Fighting or threatening behaviour

Refusing a direct order from staff

Persistent rule-breaking (smoking inside, refusing to work, breaking association rules)

Failure to engage with sentence plan

Violence or threats to staff or other prisoners

A single serious incident (positive drug test, fight, phone find) is usually enough to drop you straight from Enhanced to Standard, sometimes Standard to Basic. Multiple minor incidents can also accumulate.

IEP and Cell Allocation

Some prisons run "Enhanced wings" — a separate wing or landing for Enhanced prisoners. These wings tend to have:

Better cell condition

Quieter environment

More mature, settled prisoners

Sometimes en-suite cells

Greater out-of-cell time

Getting onto an Enhanced wing is a meaningful quality-of-life improvement. Apply through your personal officer once you're on Enhanced.

IEP and Visits

The number of visits per month depends on your IEP level:

| Level | Minimum social visits per month |

|-------|-------------------------------|

| Basic | 1 |

| Standard | 2 |

| Enhanced | 3 |

In practice, many prisons allow more than the minimum, particularly for Enhanced prisoners and at family days or special events. Some prisons offer extra visits as a specific reward.

IEP and Family Days

Family days are extended, more relaxed visits — often half a day, with refreshments, activities for children, and less restricted contact. They are usually:

Reserved for Enhanced prisoners

Available 1–4 times per year per prisoner

Booked in advance through the family liaison officer or visits booking team

For prisoners with children, family days are one of the most valuable IEP benefits.

IEP and ROTL

Release on Temporary Licence (ROTL) — leaving prison for a few hours or a day for work, training, family contact or resettlement — is normally only available to:

Category D (open prison) prisoners

Enhanced status prisoners

Prisoners within 2 years of release (or earlier for specific schemes)

A demoted IEP level can stop ROTL applications immediately. Read more in our ROTL guide.

IEP and HDC

Home Detention Curfew (the tag) requires:

Sentence between 3 months and 4 years (with various exclusions)

Within 6 months of release

Suitable home address

Risk assessment passed

IEP level Standard or Enhanced

A Basic IEP at the time of HDC assessment is a frequent reason for refusal. Even a recent Basic period in your IEP history weighs against you.

Local Variation

Each prison sets its own local IEP policy within the national framework. Some examples of variation:

**HMP Berwyn** (Cat C) operates an additional "Achieving" level above Enhanced for top-tier prisoners with extra privileges

**HMP Five Wells** (Cat C) uses tablet-based IEP tracking

**HMP Wandsworth** (Cat B local) has limited Enhanced wing capacity, so Enhanced status doesn't always mean better cell

**HMP Bronzefield** (women's) has specific provisions for mothers and pregnant prisoners

Always read the local IEP policy posted on the wing or available in the library.

Appealing an IEP Downgrade

If you believe an IEP downgrade is unfair:

**Request the written reasons** from your personal officer or wing manager.

**Make written representations** within the timeframe (usually 7 days).

**Submit a Comp 1** if not resolved at wing level.

**Escalate to Comp 2** for governor-level review.

**Refer to the Independent Monitoring Board** for independent oversight.

**Refer to the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman** if internal complaints are exhausted.

**Judicial review** — possible for IEP decisions that breach policy or procedural fairness, but rare and usually requires a specialist prison law solicitor.

FAQ

How long does it take to get to Enhanced?

Usually 3–6 months of sustained good behaviour on Standard. Some prisons require longer, particularly for prisoners with previous adjudications.

Can I be put on Basic without warning?

A serious incident (drug positive, fight, weapon find) can lead to immediate Basic, with the formal review following. For lesser issues, you should normally have a warning first.

Does Basic affect my release date?

Not directly — Basic is not a sanction that adds days to your sentence. But repeated Basic placements affect parole, HDC and category review, which can delay release.

Can I lose my job if I'm put on Basic?

Often yes. Many wing jobs require Standard or Enhanced as a minimum. Education placements may also be paused.

How do staff decide who gets Enhanced?

Personal officer recommendations based on wing reports, work and education feedback, adjudication record, and sentence plan engagement. Final sign-off is by the wing manager.

Can family complaints help if I think IEP is unfair?

Family can raise concerns with the prison via letter or by contacting the Independent Monitoring Board. They have no direct say in IEP decisions but external pressure can prompt review.

Does the IEP scheme apply in open prisons (Category D)?

Yes, but in practice almost all Category D prisoners are Enhanced — open conditions assume good behaviour and engagement. Loss of Enhanced in open conditions usually means transfer back to closed conditions.

*Last updated: April 2026.*

How the IEP Scheme Works: Basic, Standard and Enhanced