Prison
Cat B
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Lowdham Grange
IMB Annual Report 2025 · Published 18 June 2025
HMP Lowdham Grange has seen some safety improvements since HMPPS took over, but faces critical challenges including six deaths in custody, widespread drug availability with high positive test rates, and a significant increase in use of force. Healthcare provision remains a major concern due to chronic staffing shortages, lack of night cover, and long mental health transfer delays. Persistent under-resourcing in probation and psychology departments impacts prisoner progression and resettlement, while the regime continues to be hampered by staffing issues and reduced social visits.
Positive Findings
The Board welcomed progress in making the prison safer, particularly since HMPPS took control in August 2024, noting enhanced gate security, vigilance against drones, and effective intelligence-led searches. The reintroduction of the Listeners' scheme, improved staff-prisoner relationships, and generally good food quality were also positive. Healthcare saw improved working relationships and successful social care input, including a well-managed TB screening. Education provision was praised by attendees, and workshops provided meaningful employment leading to qualifications. The OMU improved internal processes and high-risk prisoner management, while a successful peer coach initiative aided behavioural programmes. The Board also noted positive feedback on regular family days and improvements to the visits environment.
Key Concerns
Safety
Repeated
There have been six deaths in custody since our last report, bringing the total number of deaths at the prison to 20 in six years.
Substance Misuse
Repeated
Prisoners report that drugs are still readily available, mandatory drugs testing has shown positive results almost reaching 50%, and there is a marked increase in the number of 'code blue' calls for prisoners unresponsive under the influence of drugs.
Mental Health
Self-harm incidents have fallen slightly, but the number of individuals who self-harm has increased.
Safety
Prisoner-on-prisoner violence has fallen, but assaults on staff are still at a high level, and the use of force on prisoners has increased significantly.
Complaints/Property
The prison complaints system has been improved, but the Board receives many applications about late and inadequate responses.
Healthcare
Repeated
The provision of healthcare to prisoners is still a major concern due to no head of department for sustained periods, staff shortages, no healthcare cover at night, the use of agency staff leading to lack of continuity in care, long delays in finding placements for severely mentally ill prisoners in secure hospitals, and long waits for dentist and optician appointments.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
The number of key work sessions with prisoners is still below target.
Education/Purposeful Activity
Delivery of behavioural courses has been hampered by staffing issues in the psychology department.
Resettlement/Release
Prisoners with category C and D status are waiting many months for transfers to suitable prisons.
Resettlement/Release
Prisoners are released without full support, due to staffing issues within probation services at the prison.
Other
The prison has a duty to inform the IMB whenever there is an event classed as a ‘serious incident’, but this has not happened on numerous occasions during the year.
Estate/Conditions
The reception area is often cluttered, poorly laid out and badly organised, and holding rooms are small and bare.
Other
Prisoners frequently express their frustration at being unable to access their property, which is stored in reception, and property going missing during transfers.
Safety
Repeated
HM Coroner was heavily critical of the failure to learn from previous deaths in custody at Lowdham Grange and found failings in culture and systems contributed to three self-inflicted deaths.
Safety
Concerns over the lack of staff training and guidance in the use of Hydramist to deal with cell fires.
Safety
Prisoners subject to ACCTs generally received limited support; observations were often chaotic, and paperwork difficult to locate.
Safety
The high number of prisoners on an ACCT on some wings, plus staff unfamiliar with the wing, led to poor-quality support for some vulnerable men.
Safety
Repeated
High levels of violence have continued at the prison throughout the reporting period.
Safety
Demand for Challenge, Support and Intervention Plans (CSIPs) was greater than the supply of trained staff to support these plans.
Safety
The Board is not aware of any measurement to identify if the CSIP plans had challenged the perpetrators of violence or supported them to change their behaviour.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Staff shortages and inexperienced officers on the wings frequently meant self-isolating prisoners were not identified and did not have access to showers, exercise, or food.
Safety
It has not been possible to provide a full breakdown of planned versus spontaneous use of force incidents, as the records available to the Board are incomplete.
Safety
Repeated
Governance of Use of Force incidents was previously judged to be very poor by HMIP due to insufficient oversight and accountability.
Safety
Board members were not advised of Pava incidents, making monitoring its use very challenging.
Safety
Use of Force scrutiny meetings were either cancelled or moved to different days/times without warning, making attendance impossible for several periods.
Safety
No evidence that operational managers are routinely checking on prisoners who have been subject to force in the 24 hours after the event.
Substance Misuse
The Board has serious concerns about prisoner safety and staff wellbeing when the availability of illicit drugs is so great.
Estate/Conditions
Observed poor standards of cleanliness on wings at times.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Complaints that some phones, especially in the Care and Separation Unit (CSU), are not working.
Food/Catering
Complaints about small portion sizes, with Board members witnessing very small lunches being served.
Food/Catering
Prisoners in the CSU have complained of feeling hungry and/or finding food inedible.
Estate/Conditions
One wing reported three microwaves were broken and had not been replaced, despite several requests to the works department.
Estate/Conditions
The fabric of the CSU remains tired and needs regular redecoration; cells are often out of action due to damage.
Staffing
CSU staff have frequently told the Board that the unit is understaffed, impacting the regime offered on many occasions.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Prisoners have little purposeful activity in the CSU; in-cell activities were not observed, and exercise is limited to 30 minutes a day, often disrupted by staff shortages.
Healthcare
The lack of attendance by a member of staff from the healthcare department at segregation reviews remains a concern.
Staffing
Staff were frequently assigned to wings where they were not familiar with the prisoners accommodated there, impacting relationships and continuity.
Resettlement/Release
Prisoners expressed frustrations that the lack of contact with offender management unit staff was affecting their sentence progression.
Equality/Diversity
Equality issues failed to be monitored and managed during most of the reporting year due to no consistent person in place as the equality officer, resulting in no data.
Complaints/Property
The Prisoner Information and Advice Committee (PIAC) and User Voice were disbanded, with prisoners feeling they weren't getting answers.
Equality/Diversity
There has been no steering group for younger prisoners, few activities for older prisoners, and a lack of association time for retired prisoners.
Equality/Diversity
Equality data is unavailable for this 12-month period, and Discrimination Incident Report Forms (DIRFs) were not getting a reply due to lack of resources.
Healthcare
The planned change for Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (NHCFT) to have a directly employed GP arrangement for the prison was not implemented successfully, leading to no GP provision for one week.
Healthcare
Plans to store medicines in individual locked cupboards are still being delayed, and frequent changes in regime have hindered healthcare staff delivering medication rounds.
Safety
A serious incident where a prisoner stabbed a prison officer at the hospital caused further anxiety about the risk involved in hospital attendances.
Mental Health
The loss of a psychology service was a direct consequence of management changes from Serco to Sodexo, impacting beneficial changes for prisoners with severe mental health issues.
Mental Health
Delays in implementing a wellbeing centre to deliver positive outcomes for mental health, which was planned and funded over two years ago.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
The severe limitations posed by the regimes during the year have had a negative impact on prisoner health, evident in the number of ACCTs.
Healthcare
The issue of providing healthcare services at night has been raised again by recent inquests into deaths, highlighting an urgent matter.
Education/Purposeful Activity
The library opening times make it difficult for full-time workers to attend; it is not well resourced and has a limited budget for improvements.
Staffing
Repeated
The probation team in the Offender Management Unit (OMU) remains under-resourced, with only nine probation officers in role managing caseloads of over 90 prisoners, leading to the department being overloaded.
Staffing
OMU staff attendance on wings was delayed for over a year due to unsafe prison conditions, impacting the quality of probation officer and prisoner engagement.
Estate/Conditions
There are no longer allocated interview rooms in each house block for probation officers to use, forcing reliance on visits or wing interactions and lacking safe, private spaces.
Resettlement/Release
Transferred-in prisoners to HMP Lowdham Grange have still been arriving with incomplete records.
Resettlement/Release
Decisions made by OMU staff regarding public protection issues were a concern, with many applications relating to cuts in family ties generating negative outcomes for prisoners.
Resettlement/Release
There is no restorative justice programme at HMP Lowdham Grange.
Resettlement/Release
Prisoners find it difficult to enrol on courses for progression to category C status, complete sentence plans, or improve parole chances.
Education/Purposeful Activity
Employment offered affords prisoners little opportunity to gain recognised qualifications or useful experience for future employment.
Education/Purposeful Activity
Prisoners' studies are hampered by a lack of access to computers and the internet, and disruptions from prison transfers.
Resettlement/Release
Those achieving category C status are frustrated by long waits for transfers to suitable prisons, with some even attaining Category D status while still at Lowdham Grange.
Resettlement/Release
The OMU had limited flexibility in the programmes it was able to offer prisoners.
Resettlement/Release
There is a waiting list of 80 for the Kaizen programme, with only 18 men currently going through it a year, indicating unsatisfactory throughput based on need.
Education/Purposeful Activity
Course delivery has been impacted significantly by regime changes and staffing issues, leading to extended course durations.
Staffing
A lack of qualified psychologists makes it difficult to introduce more non-accredited programmes for prisoners.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Social visit sessions have been limited to a maximum of 25 prisoners, reduced from 45 pre-Covid, and the number of days for family social visits was cut.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Prisoners have numerous concerns regarding reduced visiting hours and ongoing problems booking social visits, with many prime slots appearing 'block booked'.
Equality/Diversity
150 prisoners have not received social visits at all during the reporting year.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Families are being delayed unduly by entry gate searches, and escorts to and from wings regularly run late, cutting short friends and family time.
Equality/Diversity
The outside play area for family days is targeted at only the youngest children, with plans to remedy this.
Resettlement/Release
HMP Lowdham Grange is not resourced as a resettlement prison, and the probation team is completing the ‘resettlement role’ without adequate support or expertise.
Board Commentary
Staffing
The prison faces chronic staff shortages across key departments, including healthcare, psychology, and the Offender Management Unit (OMU), leading to high caseloads (over 90 prisoners per probation officer) and reliance on agency staff, which impacts continuity of care. Staffing issues have hampered the delivery of key work sessions, behavioural courses, and restricted access for essential staff like probation officers to the wings. While CSU staffing has improved, it remains understaffed, leading to impacts on regime delivery and staff exhaustion, although some staff show grit and compassion in challenging circumstances. The lack of a consistent equality officer and qualified psychologists further exacerbates staffing-related concerns.
Healthcare
Healthcare provision remains a major concern due to a persistent lack of a permanent head of department, severe staff shortages, and no overnight cover. The reliance on agency staff has led to a lack of continuity in physical and mental healthcare. Long delays for transfers to secure mental health hospitals and extended waiting times for dental and optician appointments are prevalent. While working relationships between healthcare and prison staff have improved, and a successful social care input was noted, issues like delayed medication storage and a week-long absence of GP provision highlight ongoing vulnerabilities. The high number of 'code blue' calls due to drug overdoses places significant strain on healthcare resources, reinforcing the urgent need for night cover and a comprehensive drug strategy.
Regime & Daily Life
The prison regime has seen some improvements in consistency since HMPPS took control, but frequent changes and staff shortages continue to limit purposeful activity and time out of cell, particularly in the Care and Separation Unit (CSU) where exercise is often disrupted. Prisoners protest regime restrictions through acts like in-cell fires. For self-isolating prisoners, staff shortages often prevent access to basic amenities like showers and exercise. Social visit sessions have been significantly curtailed from pre-Covid levels, and the number of days for family visits has been cut, leading to prisoner complaints about reduced family contact and booking difficulties.
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 | |
| Adjudications (including appeals) | 20 | 19 | |
| Catering | 42 | 35 | |
| Discrimination | 6 | 2 | |
| Education and training | 38 | 25 | |
| Healthcare | 57 | 68 | |
| Legal | 22 | 18 | |
| Official visits (including correspondence) | 10 | 8 | |
| Other | 48 | 36 | |
| Personal Finances (including pay) | 15 | 12 | |
| Privileges (including incentives and earned release) | 28 | 20 | |
| Property | 35 | 28 | |
| Race relations | 0 | 0 | |
| Security | 18 | 15 | |
| Segregation (including time out of cell) | 25 | 18 | |
| Staff conduct | 12 | 10 | |
| Substance misuse | 25 | 18 | |
| TOTAL | 533 | 452 | |
| Visits (including domestic, child and family) | 48 | 42 | |
| Work (including vocational training) | 20 | 18 |
Recommendations (7)
Ministry of Justice: 3
HMPPS: 3
Governor / Director: 1
Recommendation 1
What is being done to improve rehabilitation and resettlement provisions to help bring down re-offending rates?
Ministry of Justice
Resettlement
Recommendation 1
When will the Prison Service introduce effective safeguards for prisoners’ property during transfers between prisons or between cells within the prison?
HMPPS
Other
Recommendation 1
What is being done to ensure the mistakes and omissions highlighted in the recent Prevention of Future Deaths reports by the Coroner are not repeated?
Governor / Director
Safety
Recommendation 2
What is the Government planning to do about prisoners still being held on imprisonment for public protection (IPP) sentences?
Ministry of Justice
Resettlement
Recommendation 2
What is being done to bolster mental health services to offer adequate help to the high numbers of prisoners with mental health problems?
HMPPS
Mental Health
Recommendation 3
What steps are being taken to give Governors greater autonomy to introduce local initiatives to benefit prisoners?
Ministry of Justice
Regime
Recommendation 3
Is anything being done to expedite the moves of prisoners granted category C and D status to suitable establishments?
HMPPS
Resettlement
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.