Risley opened in 1964 as a male and female remand centre. In 1989 the male part of the prison became a training prison. The training prison was expanded further and refurbished in 2003 with the addition of a new wing. The sex offender population was relocated to separate residential areas in 2009. In 2009, Risley became a hub for up to 200 foreign national prisoners. There is a drug recovery unit on C Wing.
Accommodation
- A wing – category C prisoners, with several foreign national prisoners
- B wing – induction/first night unit for mainstream category C prisoners
- C wing – developing incentivised substance-free l iving unit
- D wing – category C prisoners E wing – prisoners convicted of sexual offences
- F wing – prisoners convicted of sexual offences; transitioning to a self-isolators support unit
- G wing – prisoners convicted of sexual o ffences (including older prisoners and those with a disability)
- R1 – independent living unit for prisoners on the enhanced level of the incentives scheme
- Segregation unit