Lewes inspection report 2022
Report for Lewes Prison
Summary
This was a disappointing inspection of a prison that had made some good progress at our 2019 independent review of progress (IRP). There is no doubt that pandemic restrictions have hampered the ambitious governor in her work to improve the jail, but nevertheless the recovery was too slow. The allocation of work or education was not functioning properly, and so there were no meaningful activities for most prisoners, who were spending 22 hours locked up during the week while workshops and classrooms remained empty. Despite the high level of unemployed prisoners, standards of cleanliness on the wings had deteriorated – rigorous routine cleaning was not taking place. Similarly, many cells had extensive graffiti on the walls that was still visible despite being painted over. Prisoners were struggling to access some basic needs.