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Independent Monitoring Boards annual report

Lowdham Grange

Report year 2026 Published 14 Jul 2026 Type Prison, category B, Long-Term High Security Estate Population 660 Responsible body HMP Lowdham Grange 9 recommendations

Original IMB report page ↗ 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 Lowdham Grange has shown progress under HMPPS control following contractor change, yet faces significant challenges. Key concerns include high rates of violence, self-harm, and drug availability, exacerbated by persistent staff shortages and the restrictive 'cohorting regime'. While healthcare provision has improved, mental health support and transfers for severely ill prisoners remain inadequate, and property issues continue to cause distress.

Positive findings

Summary written by this site (AI-generated)
HMP Lowdham Grange has made significant progress since HMPPS took control, with a stable leadership team driving improvements across many areas. Notable positives include enhanced security, improved induction, better management of social visits, and major cell refurbishments. Healthcare provision has significantly improved under the new provider, with reduced waiting times for GP and dental appointments. Education opportunities have expanded, with more vocational qualifications and successful recruitment of specialist teachers.

Recommendations

All 9 recommendations

Key concerns

All 9 key concerns

Recommendations 9 items · 3 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 1

Addressee: Ministry of Justice · Topic: Mental Health

Recommendation (the Board's words)
What urgent action is the Minister taking to provide appropriate treatment for prisoners with severe mental health problems who are being held for long periods in segregation unit?

Source text verified

Recommendation 2

Addressee: Ministry of Justice · Topic: Staffing

Recommendation (the Board's words)
What steps will the Minister take to improve recruitment and retention of custodial staff, given that 40% of staff at HMP Lowdham Grange have less than two years’ service.

Source text verified

Recommendation 3

Addressee: Ministry of Justice · Topic: Safety

Recommendation (the Board's words)
What does the Minister intend to do about resources to tackle the availability of drugs and high levels of violence in prisons, and what is the expected timeline for delivery?

Source text verified

Recommendation 4

Addressee: HMPPS · Topic: Regime

Recommendation (the Board's words)
What evidence do you have that the cohorting regime imposed on prisons in the long-term high-security estate will reduce violence?

Source text verified

Recommendation 5

Addressee: HMPPS · Topic: Other · Repeated from a previous year

Recommendation (the Board's words)
What plans do you have to address the problem of prisoners’ property going missing during transfers between establishments and between cells within the prison?

Source text verified

Recommendation 6

Addressee: HMPPS · Topic: Staffing

Recommendation (the Board's words)
Does HMPPS believe staffing levels at prisons in the long-term high-security estate are adequate, given the high levels of staff sickness and the number of officers engaged in constant observation and hospital bed-watch duties. If not, what action will be taken to address these shortfalls?

Source text verified

Recommendation 7

Addressee: HMPPS · Topic: Staffing

Recommendation (the Board's words)
What is HMPPS doing to make sure there are enough stable, long-term staff, given that some custody officer jobs are currently filled by foreign staff on short-term visas?

Source text verified

Recommendation 8

Addressee: Governor / Director · Topic: Substance Misuse · Repeated from a previous year

Recommendation (the Board's words)
What further plans do you have to reduce the availability of drugs, which are taking a toll on prisoner’s health and contributing to the high levels of violence in the prison?

Source text verified

Recommendation 9

Addressee: Governor / Director · Topic: Safety · Repeated from a previous year

Recommendation (the Board's words)
What is being done to reduce the number of prisoners resorting to self-harm, evidenced by the very high level of ACCTs across the establishment?

Source text verified

Key concerns 9 items

Key concerns were extracted from the report text by an AI model.

Key concern 1

Substance Misuse · Repeated from a previous year

Drugs are still widely available and a serious hazard to health, as well as a contributor to threats and violence among users and dealers.

Key concern 2

Staffing · Repeated from a previous year

The Board remains concerned about staff shortages and high levels of absenteeism. Prisoners complain about the resulting regime restrictions at short notice and report to us that it contributes to self-harm and disruptive behaviour.

Key concern 3

Safety · Repeated from a previous year

From our observations, our monitoring of daily log sheets and feedback from prisoners, levels of violence are still high, especially prisoner-on-staff assaults.

Key concern 4

Safety · Repeated from a previous year

The Board is seriously concerned about the number of prisoners resorting to self-harm, some of which is extreme and requires emergency hospitalisation.

Key concern 5

Safety · Repeated from a previous year

The figures for using force on prisoners are still high, although the prison has introduced better auditing of incidents.

Key concern 6

Other · Repeated from a previous year

From the Board’s observations, the poor handling of prisoners’ property on transfers between prisons and within the prison is causing anger and frustration among the prisoners affected, leading to instances of self-harm and anti-social behaviour, including attacks on staff and cell damage.

Key concern 7

Regime/Time Out of Cell

The ‘cohorting regime’ introduced across all high-security prisons, which divides prisoners into groups and limits when they can leave their cells to mix with others (to maintain control and reduce risk), has been poorly received by prisoners. They complain to the Board about reduced time out of cell and less time in work and education.

Key concern 8

Staffing

Prisoners say the number of new and inexperienced staff has led to challenges in getting assistance with queries and problems. They have also raised concerns about communication barriers with foreign national custody officers on short-term work visas.

Key concern 9

Mental Health · Repeated from a previous year

Lack of provision in secure hospitals has resulted in prisoners with severe mental health problems remaining in the segregation unit for many months.

Safety statistics

Incidents during the reporting year.

IndicatorThis yearPrevious
Deaths in custody7not recorded
Self-harm incidents922823
Prisoner assaults477450
Assaults on staff289261
Use of force1,221762
Drug finds248410

Population

Population660
Operational capacity888
CNA (designed for)888 (74% occupied)

Report details

Establishment
Lowdham Grange
Type
Prison, category B, Long-Term High Security Estate
Report year
2026
Published
14 July 2026
Responsible body
HMP Lowdham Grange
Recommendations
9
MoJ rating (2025/26)
1, Serious concern

Service providers

ServiceProvider
EducationNovus
HealthcareNorthamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
Prison OperatorHM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS)

Related inspections and investigations

HMIP inspection, 11 May 2026

IRP

HMIP inspection, 3 Mar 2025

Unannounced · Safety 1 · Respect 1 · Activity 2 · Release 2

HMIP inspection, 8 Jan 2024

IRP

HMIP inspection, 15 May 2023

Unannounced · Safety 2 · Respect 2 · Activity 1 · Release 2

HMIP inspection, 2 Feb 2021

Inspection

David Loch

PPO fatal incident · Other non-natural

Anthony Binfield

Prevention of future deaths report · 17 Dec 2025 · Suicide (from 2015) | State Custody related deaths

Nigel Saunders

Prevention of future deaths report · 3 Aug 2022 · State Custody related deaths

Other reports for Lowdham Grange

2025

Published 18 Jun 2025 · Population 837 · Self-harm 821 · Key concerns recorded

2024

Published 12 Jul 2024 · Population 808 · Self-harm 844 · Key concerns recorded

2023

Published 31 May 2023 · Population 860 · Self-harm 606 · Key concerns recorded

2022

Published 21 Jun 2022 · Population 880 · Self-harm 528 · Key concerns recorded

2021

Published 17 Aug 2021 · Population 885 · Self-harm 480 · Key concerns recorded

2020

Published 15 Jul 2020 · Population 885 · Key concerns recorded