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HMP Lowdham Grange - Needs Greater Focus On Training and Reintegration

18 October 2006

HMP Lowdham Grange was a largely safe and respectful establishment but there was too little education, training and reintegration work, said Anne Owers, Chief Inspector of Prisons, publishing the report of an announced inspection.

HMP Lowdham Grange, a privately-managed prison run by Serco, holds long-term prisoners, including serious offenders.

Inspectors were pleased to note:

• mutually respectful staff-prisoner relationships, and a clean and well maintained environment;
• improved staff recruitment and retention which reduced the proportion of inexperienced staff;
• prisoners had plenty of time out of cell and 80% were in full time work;
• effective suicide and self-harm prevention procedures; and
• sound management of race and diversity issues.

However, inspectors were concerned that:

• the prison’s contract focused on prison industries, where work was menial and repetitive; prisoners had few opportunities to gain vocational qualifications to support employment on release;
• here were insufficient education, offending behaviour programmes or reintegration services;
• there was evidence of a growing drugs problem, but no accredited drugs programme; and
• anti-bullying procedures were weak and minority ethnic prisoners reported greater vulnerability than white prisoners.

Anne Owers said:

“The Director and staff at Lowdham Grange deserve credit for achieving a generally safe and respectful establishment. However, the contract to which the prison operated did not focus adequately on reducing reoffending. The prison’s proposed expansion offers an opportunity to redraw the contract and rebalance provision.  The regional offender manager should satisfy herself that an appropriate regime, focused on reducing reoffending, is put in place before this expansion goes ahead.”

Linda Jones, Regional Offender Manager for East Midlands, said:

"I am pleased that the Chief Inspector has acknowledged that Lowdham Grange is a safe, clean prison with mutually respectful staff-prisoner relationships; this recognition is a credit to the hard work of the director and his staff.

"The new house block will not only expand the operational capacity at Lowdham Grange but will also enhance the support services for prisoners by providing a new vocational training centre as well as increased education facilities.  All this is expected to considerably widen the opportunities available for prisoners to aid their resettlement."

NOTES TO EDITORS

1. The full announced inspection of HMP Lowdham Grange took place from 13-17 March 2006. 
2. HMP Lowdham Grange, near Nottingham, is a privately managed Category B training prison run by Serco. It holds long-term prisoners, including serious offenders.
3. Inspectorate reports and releases are available at http://inspectorates.homeoffice.gov.uk/hmiprisons. (new window)Anne Owers has limited time available for interviews. For an electronic copy of the report or to request an interview with Anne Owers, please telephone 020 7035 3850.

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