STAFF and inmates at a prison where three inmates died in March believe that turbulence following Britain’s first private-to-private handover of jail providers was to blame, an inspection report reveals today.

The prisons regulator found HMP Lowdham Grange in “a state of turmoil” during a surprise inspection three months after Sodexo took over from Serco in February.

“The fallout from this was affecting almost every aspect of prison life, with significant staff shortages and rising levels of self-harm, violence and disruptive behaviour,” a spokeswoman for HM Inspectorate of Prisons said.

Its inspection report said it was of “greatest concern” that there had been 14 prisoner deaths since the last inspection in 2018 and “three of these had taken place in March, shortly after the transition, prompting speculation among staff and prisoners alike that uncertainty and change were causal factors.”

HM Chief Inspector of Prisons Charlie Taylor said: “Lowdham Grange was struggling. Some turbulence is to be expected in the context of transition from one provider to another, but that does not mean the issues we found were inevitable.” 

Howard League for Penal Reform chief executive Andrea Coomber KC said: “It would be wrong to speculate about factors that may have contributed to these tragedies, but clearly they warrant an urgent and thorough investigation.”

The report found that the Category B prison was “not safe enough,” with availability of drugs and recorded violence both on the increase.

“The poor state of governance was perhaps most starkly reflected in a failure to investigate consistently allegations of misconduct among staff,” the inspectors added.

Their staff survey revealed “low morale and a mistrust of the new leadership,” with evidence pointing to “continuing high levels of self-harm and an indifferent approach to oversight and intervention.”