Recommendation 1
Recommendation (the Board's words)Will the Minister improve the funding to enable the prison to recruit and retain an adequate number of staff?
Source text verified
Independent Monitoring Boards annual report
Lewes
Report year 2023
Published 26 Jul 2023
Type Prison, category B local
Population 554
Responsible body HMP Lewes
14 recommendations
Original IMB report page ↗ Ministerial response, 4 Oct 2023 ↗ imb.org.uk ↗
The summary and positive findings below were written from the report by an AI model. The Board's own wording is in the report linked above.
Summary
Summary written by this site (AI-generated)HMP Lewes continues to face severe challenges, primarily driven by staff shortages that restrict the regime, leaving many prisoners out of cell for only an hour a day. This has contributed to significant increases in self-harm and assaults on staff, while issues with healthcare provision, mental health support, and the decency of accommodation persist. The Board highlights the disproportionate use of force against BAME prisoners and the ongoing lack of resettlement support for those on remand.
Positive findings
Summary written by this site (AI-generated)The Board commends the compassionate response of management and staff following deaths in custody. Improvements were noted in refurbishing C wing showers, redecorating common areas with prisoner participation, and repairing bunk beds. Initiatives to encourage prisoners to return from segregation were successful. Healthcare staffing improved from 49% to 70% filled posts, with better relations between PPG and prison staff. The introduction of a dedicated Patient Engagement Lead significantly improved communication and reduced officer workload. The veterans' forum, supported by SSAFA, provided valuable assistance including benefits and employment aid. The chaplaincy team was praised for their hard work and meaningful contribution to prisoner welfare, and one officer was observed demonstrating excellent negotiation skills in a property transfer situation. Repairs to CSU showers and the Wallgate water system were finally undertaken.
Recommendations
- Recommendation 1Addressed to Ministry of Justice
- Recommendation 2Addressed to Ministry of Justice
- Recommendation 3Addressed to Ministry of Justice
Key concerns
- Key concern 1Safety
- Key concern 2Safety
- Key concern 3Equality/Diversity
Recommendations 14 items · 8 repeated
Recommendations were extracted from the report by AI, and responses and their status from the ministerial response by AI. Each recommendation shows whether its wording has been checked against the report.
Recommendation 2
Recommendation (the Board's words)Will the Minister speak to colleagues to seek to ensure that there are sufficient beds in secure mental health hospitals to speed up the transfer of prisoners and support their rehabilitation?
Source text verified
Recommendation 3
Recommendation (the Board's words)Will the Minister improve the right to access probation and resettlement services for the large number of prisoners held on remand for long periods?
Source text verified
Recommendation 4
Recommendation (the Board's words)Will the Minister reconsider the recommendation of the Justice Committee to commission a resentencing exercise for all prisoners on imprisonment for public protection (IPP) sentences?
Government response (as published)
HMP Lewes houses up to 16 IPP prisoners at any one time. All have accessed and completed the necessary courses in other prisons. Those that come to the attention of the Board are distressed and traumatised by the hopelessness of their situation. The Board is disappointed that the Secretary of State has rejected the Justice Committee’s recommendation for a resentencing exercise for IPP prisoners.
Source text verified
Recommendation 5
Recommendation (the Board's words)Given the age of most of the prison wings, will the Minister ensure that there is sufficient funding available to make proper repairs to the infrastructure?
Government response (as published)
The Board has seen some evidence of redecoration. Industrial washing machines and dryers were sourced early in this reporting year but, at the end of the year, have still not been fitted. Fire safety improvements have been undertaken on F wing but there is still no CCTV on this wing housing vulnerable prisoners. Shower refurbishment is ongoing on C wing but has not commenced on G wing. The facilities management meet regularly with senior management.
Source text verified
Recommendation 6
Recommendation (the Board's words)Will the prison service review the staffing budget in prisons and stop the practice of including non-effective staff in staff numbers?
Source text verified
Recommendation 7
Recommendation (the Board's words)Will the prison service ensure that maintenance and repairs are carried out in a timely manner and that sufficient funding is available locally to do this?
Source text verified
Recommendation 8
Recommendation (the Board's words)The Board is concerned that, in the light of the cost of living crisis, the prisoner food budget will very soon be insufficient. When will the prison service be reviewing this?
Source text verified
Recommendation 9
Recommendation (the Board's words)Will the Governor ensure that the induction processes at HMP Lewes are improved and that the vulnerable prisoners wing is not used for new receptions in the future?
Source text verified
Recommendation 10
Recommendation (the Board's words)Will the Governor do all in her power to increase the number of hours out of cell for all prisoners at HMP Lewes?
Government response (as published)
The staff reprofiling exercise was undertaken but not completed in this reporting year. The regime has been further curtailed due to staff shortages and, although education and work places have been available, they have frequently been inaccessible to prisoners due to lack of staff enablement.
Source text verified
Recommendation 11
Recommendation (the Board's words)Will the Governor ensure that all prison staff are aware of the importance of supervising dispensary hatches?
Source text verified
Recommendation 12
Recommendation (the Board's words)Will the Governor work towards a restoration of the key work scheme to at least pre Covid-19 standards?
Source text verified
Recommendation 13
Recommendation (the Board's words)Will the Governor increase the number of work and education places to allow more men an increase in time out of cell?
Government response (as published)
There has been an attempt to maximise the number of work and education places available. However, if prisoners are not allocated work or education their time out of cell has been little more than one hour a day.
Source text verified
Recommendation 14
Recommendation (the Board's words)Will the Governor ensure that there are working washing machines and dryers on all wings to enable men to change their clothes regularly, and that men arriving into reception always receive two sets of kit?
Government response (as published)
Industrial washing machines and dryers were sourced early in this reporting year but, at the end of the year, have still not been fitted. (See 5.1.4).
Source text verified
Key concerns 17 items
Key concerns were extracted from the report text by an AI model.
Key concern 1
There has been a near-40% increase in the incidents of self-harm but no increase in the number of assessment, care in custody, teamwork documents (ACCTs) opened.
Key concern 2
There has been a 46% increase in the number of assaults on staff but no corresponding increase in the number of men referred to a challenge, support and intervention plan (CSIP).
Key concern 3
There is a disproportionate use of force against black, Asian and minority ethnic prisoners.
Key concern 4
The inappropriate allocation of men from reception to the vulnerable prisoners (VP) wing resulted in the bullying of vulnerable prisoners and the potential for the bullying of non-vulnerable prisoners once moved to a main wing.
Key concern 5
There is inconsistent supervision of medicine dispensary hatches on wings by prison officers.
Key concern 6
The Board considers the induction process to be inadequate at HMP Lewes.
Key concern 7
Prisoners who do not have a job or are not in education or chaplaincy sessions are out of their cells for little more than an hour a day.
Key concern 8
The Board is concerned about the inappropriate use of the care and separation unit (CSU) for men with complex and severe mental health needs and those on constant watch.
Key concern 9
The Board considers that the inadequate provision of washing and drying machines, together with a shortage of kit throughout the year, is not decent.
Key concern 10
The Victorian wing housing vulnerable prisoners is served by a temporary boiler which provides inconsistent heating and hot water, which at times causes damp and black mould in some cells on the wing.
Key concern 11
The key work system does not work as planned.
Key concern 12
There is inadequate provision for disabled prisoners and those needing palliative and end-of-life care.
Key concern 13
Due to staffing issues, mental health services have struggled to keep up with assessments and there have been long waits to see the psychiatrist.
Key concern 14
Prisoners requiring secure mental health care are waiting too long for assessment and transfer to hospitals.
Key concern 15
Access to education and library services throughout the year has been severely impacted by shortages of prison staff.
Key concern 16
Limited numbers of work training places and the small number of jobs available make progress for the majority of men difficult.
Key concern 17
Resettlement for sentenced prisoners was generally fine, however, remand prisoners are given no support in this area.
Safety statistics
Incidents during the reporting year.
| Indicator | This year | Previous |
|---|---|---|
| Deaths in custody | 5 | not recorded |
| Self-harm incidents | 490 | 353 |
| ACCT cases opened | 524 | 563 |
| Assaults on staff | 101 | 69 |
Population
| Population | 554 |
| Operational capacity | 624 |
| Time out of cell | 1.0h/day |
Applications to the IMB
| Category | Current | Previous |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation (including transfers) | 45 | 38 |
| Adjudications | 3 | 1 |
| Conditions of detention | 104 | 102 |
| Employment and training | 24 | 27 |
| Equality and Diversity | 15 | 18 |
| Family contact | 41 | 39 |
| Food | 23 | 18 |
| General | 25 | 17 |
| Health care | 89 | 114 |
| Legal | 12 | 20 |
| Other | 11 | 12 |
| Pay | 4 | 4 |
| Personal safety | 64 | 63 |
| Property | 40 | 23 |
| Religious/faith | 4 | 7 |
| Respect | 19 | 12 |
| TOTAL | 534 | 597 |
| Vulnerable prisoners | 1 | 2 |
| Wages/money | 0 | 0 |
Report details
- Establishment
- Lewes
- Type
- Prison, category B local
- Report year
- 2023
- Published
- 26 July 2023
- Responsible body
- HMP Lewes
- Recommendations
- 14
- MoJ rating (2025/26)
- 3, Good
Service providers
| Service | Provider |
|---|---|
| Education | Weston College |
| Employment support | Jobcentre Plus |
| Facilities management | Gov Facility Services Limited (GFSL) |
| Family liaison services | Pact (Prison Advice and Care Trust) |
| Healthcare (main provider) | Practice Plus Group (PPG) |
| Housing | Southdown Housing |
| Kitchen supplies | Bidfood |
| Library Services | East Sussex County Council Library Services |
| Prisoners' purchases delivery | DHL |
| Probation Service | Probation Service |
| Sexual health clinics and screening programmes | East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust |
| Social care | Agincare, Eastbourne |
| Transport | GEOAmey |