Lewes Prison: Inmates face squalid conditions and violence, inspectors say

Inmates at Lewes Prison in East Sussex face "squalid conditions and violence", according to an inspection report.

The Chief Inspector of Prisons said there had been "a worrying lack of overall progress" since the last full inspection in May 2022.

Toilets were found to be "filthy", and rates of self-harm had increased, with some prisoners only out of their cells for one hour a day.

The Prison Service said it was "working urgently" to improve the situation.

Chief Inspector of Prisons Charlie Taylor said: "Time out of cell was among the worst we have seen outside pandemic restrictions, and we were left concerned for prisoners' well-being."

The jail receives prisoners from courts in Sussex, Kent and Surrey.

The latest visit took place in January and found half the inmates were still not allocated to either education or employment, with some spending up to 23 hours a day in their cells.

Rates of self-harm are now high compared to other reception prisons, with one prisoner known to be at risk accommodated in a cell with broken glass in its windows.

There had been some increase in staffing levels after "very determined efforts" to recruit, although with 53 officers leaving since the previous inspection and 58 recruited, there had been a net gain of only five.

While cleanliness had got better, the report said progress had been "too slow". with improvements to cells described as "piecemeal".

Many toilets were "scaled and dirty", and some were in "a filthy state".

Improvements had been made in the prison's health care, with many of the failures highlighted in the May inspection addressed and staffing levels improved.

Rob Preece from the charity the Howard League for Penal Reform said: "These conditions will never help people to turn their lives around and move on from crime.

"This is why the government's plan to build more prisons, at a time when there are insufficient staff to run the ones we already have, is so reckless."

A Prison Service spokesperson said: "This report makes it clear that not enough progress has been made since the last inspection.

"We are working urgently to improve care and support for the most vulnerable prisoners through renewed training for staff, and are bolstering the education and training on offer so offenders can get trained up while behind bars to find a job on release.

"We have also invested in cutting-edge technology for HMP Lewes in order to keep out the drugs, phone and weapons that can fuel violence inside jails."

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