HMP Lowdham Grange

Reports

• HMIP3 Mar 2025

  Situated on the outskirts of Nottingham, Lowdham Grange is a category B training prison which can hold up to 888 adult men. Nearly all prisoners are serving long sentences, including life, and many present a very serious risk of harm. From 1998 until August 2023, the prison was operated by Serco on a 25- year contract. After this period, a new private contractor, Sodexo, took over. However, the handover was mismanaged and the new contractor failed to deliver on its commitments. This led to the prison being brought under the direct management of HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) in August 2024. When we inspected in May 2023, leaders were three months into a complex and difficult transition between contractors and our judgements reflected this. In

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• HMIP8 Jan 2024

  1.1 HMP Lowdham Grange, near Nottingham, is a category B training prison capable of holding up to 900 adult men, many convicted of very serious offences. It first opened under private contract in 1998 and was operated by Serco for 25 years. Following a competition and market test, the contract was transferred to Sodexo in February 2023, making Lowdham Grange the first contracted prison to transfer between two private sector providers. 1.2 In the months following our full inspection, the Ministry of Justice and senior HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) leaders (see Glossary) considered that conditions at the prison had deteriorated so significantly that, on 18 December 2023, it was announced that HMPPS would activate the ‘step-in’ procedure (see paragraph 1.7) to stabilise the prison, in accordance with the Criminal Justice Act 1991, and as part of its contract management arrangements with Sodexo. 1.3 This review visit followed up on the concerns we raised at our last inspection of Lowdham Grange in May 2023, and on 6 October both Sodexo and HMPPS were given notice of our proposed visit, in line with the independent review of progress (IRP) protocol. What we found at our last inspection 1.4 At our previous inspections of HMP Lowdham Grange, in 2018 and 2023, we made the following judgements about outcomes for prisoners. Figure 1: HMP Lowdham Grange healthy prison outcomes in 2018 and 2023 Note: rehabilitation and release planning became ‘preparation for release’ in October 2023. 1.5 At the last full inspection, in May 2023, we found an atmosphere of uncertainty and anxiety, among both staff and prisoners, following the transfer of contract from Serco to Sodexo. A new director had been Report of an independent review of progress at HMP Lowdham Grange appointed shortly before the inspection, but leaders were still grappling with many issues, including the loss of some key specialist staff, a lack of understanding of new routines and a widespread perception among prisoners and staff that communication from leaders was poor. The prison was not safe, with high levels of violence and easy access to illicit drugs. Oversight of use of force and segregation were not good enough. We were also concerned that there had been three self- inflicted deaths in March, shortly after the transition, prompting speculation among staff and prisoners that uncertainty and change had been causal factors. 1.6 Prisoners expressed frustration that basic requests were not being dealt with, and outcomes in health care were undermined by staff shortages and inadequate oversight of services. The prison was also failing to fulfil its rehabilitative function, with an inconsistent regime and poor access to work and education. Many prisoners posed a high risk of harm, yet offender management, public protection and resettlement services all needed to improve. 1.7 After the last inspection, I said that Lowdham Grange was struggling, and to some extent this was predictable in the context of transition from one provider to another. Leaders were sighted on the concerns that we identified, but they needed support and encouragement to make sure that they were addressed expeditiously. What we found during this review visit 1.8 In the period following our last full inspection, HMPPS senior leaders decided that, despite the efforts of HMPPS Custodial Contracts Directorate and Sodexo to improve standards, conditions had deteriorated further. Therefore, on 18 December 2023, the Ministry of Justice announced that HMPPS would take over the operational management of the prison for an interim period, to improve safety and security at the prison. The process known as ‘step-in’ allows the Secretary of State to intervene when there are serious concerns over the operation of a privately run prison and the provider’s capacity to fulfil the obligations set out in the contract. The step-in process enabled

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• NPM-uk-imb-preparation-for-release1 Jan 2024

  7.3.1 Offender management unit The probation team in the offender management unit (OMU) remains under-resourced, with only nine probation officers in role in January 2025. Probation officers manage caseloads of over 90 prisoners, including a substantial number of ‘high-risk cases’. This is significantly above plan and the view of the Board is that the department is overloaded. This has impacted on outcomes for prisoners in both sentence planning and management in the community. While the Board has noted some progress, we have not seen any substantial improvement over the prior year. However, OAsys reviews (a system of assessing the needs of a prisoner, as well as their risk of reoffending) have had a manageable backlog, an improvement over 2023-2024. It has consistently been raised by prisoners that probation officers did not see prisoners in person ‘on the wings’ from November 2023 until January 2025. This delay, as reported by managers, directly resulted from unsafe prison conditions, and OMU staff attendance is still subject to the ongoing approval of the prison health and safety team. The impact on prisoners is that for many months they had been contacted only by phone, and the Board is concerned that this has inhibited the quality of probation officer and prisoner engagement. 21 The Board notes that there are no longer allocated interview rooms in each house block for probation officers to use for one-to-one sessions with prisoners. Probation officers are reliant on [...]

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• NPM-uk-imb-safety1 Jan 2024

  The Board has noted an improvement in stability across the establishment during the year, particularly after 1 August, when HMPPS took full control. There has been a more consistent regime, with prison rules enforced by experienced officers. The increased availability of illicit drugs has caused considerable safety risk to prisoners through the effects of their use, as well as violence related to the debts incurred. The Board has witnessed the considerable increase in prisoners declared to be ‘under the influence’ and number of ‘code blue’ emergencies being called resulting in pressure on healthcare resources and ambulance responses. 4.1 Reception and induction On arrival, prisoners, plus their property, which has been transferred from another establishment, are searched, including with the use of a body scanner and X-ray equipment installed in the unit. Information related to the prison regime, first night and induction arrangements are given, and the prisoners are interviewed by a member of the healthcare team to assess their immediate needs. Board members have commented that the reception area is often cluttered, poorly laid out and badly organised, and that holding rooms are small and bare. There is little space for prisoners’ needs to be adequately assessed or for confidential conversations about their concerns. Prisoners frequently express their frustration at being unable to access their property, which is stored in reception. This can include paperwork for appeals, [...]

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• NPM-uk-imb-purposeful-activity1 Jan 2024

  Education is provided by Novus under contract. A number of courses are run, including two levels of English and maths, and art classes. The prison is working to reduce the number of prisoners failing to report for their sessions, particularly among the younger group. Those who do attend have expressed satisfaction to Board members with the education provision. The library opening times make it very difficult for full-time workers to attend. It is not well resourced and there is a limited budget for improvements. There are workshops providing meaningful employment for prisoners making furniture under contract for well-known retailers, as well as clothing and PPE (personal protective equipment) for both the NHS and the Prison Service. New contracts are actively being sought to increase the number of prisoners in work. More emphasis is now placed on providing work that leads to qualifications to help prisoners with their future employment prospects. Painting and decorating, waste recycling and warehousing skills’ work can now result in recognised certification. An innovative ‘twinning’ arrangement with Mansfield Town Football Club provides instruction in various sports-related skills, as well as physical activities, and results in Football Association-approved certification. The scheme is open to prisoners within two years of release and the club says it will try to offer future work opportunities. Other prisoners are also employed in cleaning and groundwork around the prison, [...]

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• NPM-uk-imb-respect1 Jan 2024

  5.1 Accommodation, clothing, food Accommodation at Lowden Grange is modern by prison standards. It consists of five house blocks divided into 14 wings. All cells include a toilet and wash basin. Six wings have integral showers. The remaining eight wings have communal showers on the lower landings. Each house block has an exercise yard and there is also a sports field and well- equipped gym within the prison grounds. Since our last report, there has been an improvement in cleanliness and tidiness, despite some periods where we observed a build-up of litter outside. We have also observed poor standards of cleanliness on wings at times but, overall, the situation has improved. All cells have phone points and handsets for prisoner use. All numbers for outgoing calls must be approved and calls are monitored. This is an important service, which gives prisoners regular access to their families. Prisoners pay for phone credits, but free credit may be issued by the prison at times of distress or difficulty. We have received complaints throughout the reporting period that some phones, especially in the care and separation unit (CSU), are not working. Television sets are provided for prisoners on the standard (middle) or enhanced (top) levels of the incentives scheme. This gave prisoners access to a range of in-cell activities, including education materials, pastoral support and religious services, in addition to a selection of entertainment services. 5.1.2 Clothing Prison clothing is [...]

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• HMIP15 May 2023

  HMP Lowdham Grange, near Nottingham, is a category B training prison holding up to 800 adult men, many convicted of very serious offences. A privately-run establishment, the prison first opened in 1998 and was operated by Serco for 25 years. Following a competition and market test, the prison was handed over to Sodexo on 16 February 2023. During this inspection the prison was in a state of active transition with the new provider seeking to make progress toward implementation of their contract and delivery model. This was the first time that management of a prison had been handed from one private provider to another. We found an atmosphere of uncertainty and anxiety, with staff and prisoners keen to tell us about their concerns as well as expressing general dissatisfaction about how they were being treated. These findings were reflected in our healthy prison test scores, with outcomes judged not sufficiently good in three tests and poor in our test of purposeful activity, a significant deterioration from our previous inspection in 2018. Leaders were grappling with many issues, including the loss of some key and specialist staff, a lack of understanding of new routines and expectations, and a widespread perception among prisoners and staff of poor communication. Appointed at relatively short notice, and in response to the departure of others, the new director was very experienced and appeared to have a good understanding of the extent of the challenge. He expressed to us his commitment to see the delivery of the new contract to a successful conclusion. The prison was not safe enough, and the sense of instability was reflected in the availability of drugs and levels of recorded violence, which were lower than in 2018 but had increased in recent months and remained high in comparison with similar prisons. Initiatives to promote positive behaviour, as well as oversight and assurance of the use of force and segregation, were not yet good enough. The poor state of governance was perhaps most starkly reflected in a failure to investigate consistently allegations of misconduct among staff. Our staff survey showed discontent among some staff groups, low morale, and a mistrust of the new leadership. Of greatest concern, however, were the 14 prisoner deaths, including six which were self-inflicted, that had occurred since we last inspected. Three of these had taken place in March, shortly after the transition, prompting speculation among staff and prisoners alike that uncertainty and change were causal factors. The evidence pointed to continuing high levels of self-harm and an indifferent approach to oversight and intervention. The number of prisoners who told us they felt respected by staff was consistent with findings from the previous inspection and similar prisons, although many staff were inexperienced and seemed to us to be in need of guidance, support and leadership. Prisoners expressed frustration that their basic requests were not dealt with, and staff needed to embrace change and apply themselves more constructively, but peer support, reasonable access to services and good environmental and living conditions helped to mitigate this. Work to promote equality had largely lapsed since the transition, but there was little evidence of unfair treatment of prisoners with protected characteristics. In contrast, outcomes in health care were undermined by significant staff shortages and inadequate oversight. The prison was failing to fulfil its rehabilitative function. Unlock was often sporadic, with staff and prisoners uncertain about routines. Our own spot checks indicated that more than 40% of prisoners were locked up during the working day, with between three and nine hours out of cell for each individual, depending on their employment status. The frustration this created among prisoners was palpable. Access to work and education was poor, with our

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• HMIP5 Mar 2021

  Scrutiny inspection of HMP Lowdham Grange (2021-03-05)

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