// BBC UK NEWS — CRONACA
How a troubled prison reached breaking point
HMP Lowdham Grange is a Category B jail in Nottinghamshire
HMP Lowdham Grange is located about 10 miles north-east of Nottingham. Despite its sedate rural surroundings, operations at the Category B jail have been far from serene, with people describing a picture of chaos following the first private-to-private transfer of a prison in England and Wales.
Issues didn't end there, with safety at the prison becoming such a concern that the government had to step in - and has remained at the helm ever since.
And despite some improvements, families of inmates past and present have said problems at the prison persist.
Like a lot of prisons, HMP Lowdham Grange - which opened in 1998 under security contractor Serco - has had its issues.
Almost eight years ago, allegations emerged of assaults by prison officers on inmates following several outbreaks of violence at the jail.
But inspectors did reserve praise for several elements of the prison's operation. For example, a programme in which prisoners could read bedtime stories to children, as well as a rehabilitation scheme involving a TV channel run by inmates.
In addition, reports by the Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) for prisons painted a broadly positive picture, with a 2020 document saying the jail "is built on a positive ethos", praising "firm leadership" and regular sampling of paperwork and CCTV to ensure standards are maintained.
The prison has a capacity for a maximum of 900 inmates
The prison - which has a maximum capacity for about 900 inmates - came under the control of another outsourcing firm Sodexo on 16 February 2023. The Sodexo takeover from Serco was a landmark moment, given it was the first time one private operator had taken over from another in England and Wales.