Lowdham Grange inspection report 2023

Summary

HMP Lowdham Grange, near Nottingham, is a category B training prison holding up to 800 adult men, many convicted of very serious offences. A privately-run establishment, the prison first opened in 1998 and was operated by Serco for 25 years. Following a competition and market test, the prison was handed over to Sodexo on 16 February 2023. During this inspection the prison was in a state of active transition with the new provider seeking to make progress toward implementation of their contract and delivery model. This was the first time that management of a prison had been handed from one private provider to another. We found an atmosphere of uncertainty and anxiety, with staff and prisoners keen to tell us being treated.

Inspection ratings