Recommendation 1
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 · IMB Annual Report
Lowdham Grange
AI-generated report summary 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.
Year: 2026
Published: 14 Jul 2026
Type: Prison · Cat B, Long-Term High Security Estate
Population: 660
Recommendations: 9
Key concerns
Positive findings
Safety statistics
| Indicator | This year | Previous |
|---|---|---|
| Deaths in custody | 7 | — |
| Self-harm incidents | 922 | 823 |
| Prisoner assaults | 477 | 450 |
| Assaults on staff | 289 | 261 |
| Use of force | 1,221 | 762 |
| Drug finds | 248 | 410 |
Positive findings
AI-generated summaryHMP 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.
Key concerns
Drugs are still widely available and a serious hazard to health, as well as a contributor to threats and violence among users and dealers.
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.
From our observations, our monitoring of daily log sheets and feedback from prisoners, levels of violence are still high, especially prisoner-on-staff assaults.
The Board is seriously concerned about the number of prisoners resorting to self-harm, some of which is extreme and requires emergency hospitalisation.
The figures for using force on prisoners are still high, although the prison has introduced better auditing of incidents.
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.
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.
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.
Lack of provision in secure hospitals has resulted in prisoners with severe mental health problems remaining in the segregation unit for many months.
Recommendations
Recommendation 2
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.
Recommendation 3
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?
Recommendation 4
What evidence do you have that the cohorting regime imposed on prisons in the long-term high-security estate will reduce violence?
Recommendation 5
What plans do you have to address the problem of prisoners’ property going missing during transfers between establishments and between cells within the prison?
Recommendation 6
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?
Recommendation 7
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?
Recommendation 8
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?
Recommendation 9
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?
Related inspections & investigations
Safety 1
· Respect 1
· Activity 2
· Release 2
Safety 2
· Respect 2
· Activity 1
· Release 2
David Loch · Other non-natural
Raymond Wallace · Other non-natural
Adam Diesa-Green · Other non-natural
Uziel Mendoza-Sillerico · Natural causes
Stephen Metcalfe · Other non-natural
Anthony Binfield · Suicide (from 2015) | State Custody related deaths
Nigel Saunders · State Custody related deaths
Other reports for Lowdham Grange
Population 837
· Self-harm 821
· Concerns
Population 808
· Self-harm 844
· Concerns
Population 860
· Self-harm 606
· Concerns
Population 880
· Self-harm 528
· Concerns
Population 885
· Self-harm 480
· Concerns
Population 885
· Concerns