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A–D category: Not yet verified.
Predominant function (2025/26): Reception
Ministry of Justice performance classification. This describes the stated performance year, not a current A–D category or the categories of every prisoner.
Monthly snapshot: 24 August 2026
Operational capacity is the capacity reported for this prison in the same monthly bulletin.
Official monthly spreadsheet · Ministry of Justice publication
Prison site location
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Location information checked 13 September 2026.
8 September 2025
Built in the 19th century, HMP Lewes in Sussex is a category B reception and resettlement prison for adult men, holding 558 prisoners at the time of this inspection. The population is characterised by high turnover, with 65% of prisoners on remand or unsentenced and…
14 May 2024
In 2022, our unannounced inspection of HMP Lewes was concerning enough for us to return for an independent review of progress (IRP) in February last year. Disappointingly during that review, we found that things had got even worse, with some prisoners routinely getting less than…
5 April 2023
we found that outcomes for prisoners remained not sufficiently good in safety and respect, and poor in purposeful activity. A shortfall of staff across different grades and departments was affecting outcomes for prisoners. Retention of staff was also poor. Violence was too high and prisoners…
23 August 2022
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…
16 January 2020
This independent review of progress at HMP Lewes followed up 12 of the 53 recommendations from the 2019 inspection. Inspectors judged that three recommendations showed good progress, six showed reasonable progress and three showed insufficient progress; none showed no meaningful progress. The review covers violence…
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