'City jail sets standards others should aim for'

Lincoln Prison holds more that 560 prisoners

Lincoln Prison has been labelled the best performing reception jail in England and Wales by the watchdog.

A report by HM Inspectorate of Prisons said levels of violence, drug use and self-harm were lower than at other jails.

However, it raised concerns over overcrowding, the amount of time prisoners spent in their cells and access to doctors.

The report's summary said that "Lincoln is an impressive prison" and it "sets a standard to which other reception prisons should aspire [although] there is plenty of scope for things to improve further".

Overall the prison was rated "reasonably good" in all categories after unannounced inspections early this year.

The turnover of staff is lower than at other prisons, and the inspection noted the "impressive" Keywork system, with prisoners given designated officers to work with them through their time inside.

The report also said staff were well-motivated and "maintained good standards of behaviour and cleanliness on the wings".

It noted that Ofsted had rated education provision as "good", making it one of only two jails to be awarded that grade.

But concerns were raised about overcrowding, with nearly 90% of prisoners sharing cells designed for one person, and it said that "prisoners unallocated to work or education spent 22 hours locked up each day during the week".

Access to GP services took too long and "did not meet patients' needs", the report said.

The Category B prison was built in the Victorian era and houses 567 inmates.

A Prison Service spokesperson said: "We are pleased this report recognises the good work at HMP Lincoln, including the efforts of our hard-working staff and excellent education provision.

"But we know more needs to be done to address overcrowding.

"We are fixing this crisis - delivering the fastest prison building plan in over a century, investing up to £7bn and adding 14,000 new places, as well as investing hundreds of millions to improve the existing estate."

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