Prison
Cat B male training
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Lowdham Grange
IMB Annual Report 2021 · Published 17 August 2021
HMP Lowdham Grange operated a restricted regime throughout the year due to COVID-19, which impacted various aspects of prison life and the Board's monitoring capabilities. Despite these challenges, the prison was generally well-managed, maintaining safety with reduced violence, effective healthcare provision, and positive staff-prisoner relationships, though staff morale declined. Key concerns remain around mental health transfers, property management, drug availability, and the progression of IPP prisoners, as well as the overall impact of lockdown on wellbeing.
Positive Findings
The prison was well-managed during the pandemic, reacting swiftly to minimize virus spread and maintaining effective healthcare provision. Positive staff-prisoner relationships and fair treatment were noted. Improvements included prioritised education provision, a new property system, and the introduction of a body scanner to reduce illicit items. The chaplaincy and PAL service demonstrated admirable commitment and innovation in supporting prisoners during challenging times.
Key Concerns
Mental Health
Repeated
Significant delays in finding appropriate treatment/beds in secure units for prisoners with serious mental health problems.
Resettlement/Release
Repeated
While there have been fewer prisoner moves, analysis of the applications received by the Board indicates no improvement in the management of prisoners’ property when transferring between establishments.
Resettlement/Release
Prisoners are no longer transferred to their ‘local’ prisons as they near the end of their sentences and can be released from Lowdham Grange, which does not have the necessary programmes to support them.
Safety
Repeated
The regular use of body worn cameras by prison custody officers (PCOs) is still at a very low level, and this prevents the recording of incidents which can provide video footage for later detailed analysis.
Resettlement/Release
Repeated
Schemes to support IPP prisoners and assist them towards parole/release do not seem to have progressed during the reporting year.
Safety
The Board is at a loss to understand how the arrival of virus-positive prisoners can have been permitted on such a regular basis, and the arrival of such prisoners continues as this report is being written, in March 2021.
Safety
It is of concern to the Board that the recent HMIP scrutiny survey revealed that only 53% of prisoners who had been on ACCT said they had felt ‘cared for’ by staff.
Substance Misuse
The Board continues to have real concerns about the availability of psychoactive substances, particularly spice and cocaine. Equally, there is concern about the volume of homemade alcohol being found.
Segregation
The Board remains very concerned that some prisoners are segregated for extended periods and these extended stays continue to be both undesirable and in many cases, detrimental to the prisoners concerned.
Equality/Diversity
Facilities for prisoners with limited English language skills are unsatisfactory with, for example, most documentation being available only in English.
Mental Health
The mental and emotional wellbeing of prisoners is of significant concern due to the effect of prolonged periods of lockdown in their cells.
Healthcare
The reported NHS capacity issues for dealing with backlogs of elective work and urgent care have had an impact on the prisoners.
Board Commentary
Staffing
Staffing levels remained stable and largely up-to-strength, with recruitment adapting to online methods. However, staff illness and absences, particularly during a significant COVID-19 outbreak, presented challenges, necessitating mutual aid from other prisons. Staff morale reportedly declined during the pandemic, and the effectiveness of the key worker scheme was difficult to monitor due to staffing pressures.
Healthcare
Healthcare services remained effective despite pandemic pressures, with HMIP rating them as 'reasonably good'. Technology-assisted access and responsive nurse triage supported provision. Initiatives included a Hepatitis C screening program and urgent dental care, while medication supply was maintained. However, NHS capacity issues impacted prisoners' urgent and elective care, and the Board remains significantly concerned about long delays for mental health transfers to secure units for severely unwell prisoners.
Regime & Daily Life
HMP Lowdham Grange operated a restricted regime throughout most of the year due to COVID-19, significantly curtailing purposeful activity and out-of-cell time. While essential wing work continued, most prisoners received limited daily unlock, with 21% having less than one hour and 68% having 1-2 hours out of cell. Despite efforts to provide in-cell activities and a cohorting system, boredom and frustration among prisoners increased, contributing to an rise in staff assaults.
Applications to the IMB
Prisoners can apply to their IMB about any aspect of their treatment. This table shows application counts by category.
| Category | Current | Previous | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation (including transfers) | 45 | 38 | |
| Discrimination | 117 | 100 | |
| Food | 19 | 20 | |
| Healthcare | 236 | 215 | |
| Legal | 21 | 28 | |
| 15 | 10 | ||
| Other | 975 | 1,820 | |
| Property | 120 | 115 | |
| Safety | 62 | 50 | |
| Staff conduct | 55 | 45 | |
| TOTAL | 1,705 | 2,496 | |
| Visits | 20 | 15 | |
| Work and Pay | 25 | 35 |
Recommendations (12)
Ministry of Justice: 3
HMPPS: 5
Governor / Director: 4
Recommendation 1
Ensure that priority is given to holding Coroner’s inquests for deaths in custody to enable prisoners’ families to understand more of the circumstances of the deaths of their relatives.
Ministry of Justice
Safety
Recommendation 2
Continue to focus on reviewing the sentences of IPP prisoners enabling them to progress and move towards a safe release.
Ministry of Justice
Resettlement
Recommendation 3
Continue to work with colleagues in other government departments to ensure that appropriate facilities are available for those prisoners with mental health issues, in order to prevent the need for prisons to hold such prisoners in segregation for extended periods.
Ministry of Justice
Mental Health
Recommendation 4
Implement national procedures to test prisoners for COVID19 prior to transfer/travel to new establishments so as to reduce risks to prisoners and staff in the receiving prisons.
HMPPS
Safety
Recommendation 5
Show commitment to funding and supporting innovative programmes of rehabilitation, mental health support, personal development, education and skills development for prisoners in a post-Covid-19 regime.
HMPPS
Regime
Recommendation 6
Ensure adequate resourcing for probation services within the prison estate.
HMPPS
Resettlement
Recommendation 7
Give renewed emphasis to the development of a national system of storage and retrieval of prisoners’ property when they are moved between prisons.
HMPPS
Resettlement
Recommendation 8
Ensure that the best outcomes for prisoners (safety, fair and humane treatment, health and wellbeing, progression and release) are achieved in the new arrangements for operating the contract for HMP Lowdham Grange from February 2023.
HMPPS
Other
Recommendation 9
Give commitment to prisoner wellbeing by developing and delivering innovative programmes of rehabilitation, mental health support, personal development, education & skills development for prisoners in a post-Covid-19 regime.
Governor / Director
Regime
Recommendation 10
Continue to champion the work of the race equality task force and in leading changes throughout the prison where this is identified as needed.
Governor / Director
Equality
Recommendation 11
Ensure that the introduction of the new body worn video camera equipment and systems is progressed, and also put in place processes to ensure that they are issued and used by staff.
Governor / Director
Safety
Recommendation 12
Continue to increase efforts to curb the import of drugs and illicit items into Lowdham Grange.
Governor / Director
Substance Misuse
Other IMB Reports for Lowdham Grange
HMIP Inspections
Recent inspections by HM Inspectorate of Prisons for this establishment.
3 Mar 2025
Unannounced
8 Jan 2024
IRP
15 May 2023
Unannounced
Safety: 2
Respect: 2
Activity: 1
Release: 2
PPO Fatal Incidents
Prisons and Probation Ombudsman fatal incident investigations for this establishment.
Prevention of Future Deaths Reports
Coroner PFD reports issued to this establishment.