Lindholme prison coronavirus regime too 'restrictive'

HMP Lindholme is a category C prison and housed about 900 inmates at the time of the inspection

A "restrictive" regime imposed at a prison due to coronavirus has resulted in a rise in violence and mental health issues, inspectors have said.

HM Inspectorate of Prisons said strict rules at HMP Lindholme, near Doncaster, meant prisoners spending long hours in their cells "without reprieve".

An inspection in October found the restrictions were not proportionate when compared to other prisons.

Progress to relax the regime had also been too slow, inspectors concluded.

Charlie Taylor, HM chief inspector of prisons, said the regime introduced in March was in line with guidelines designed to protect staff and inmates from Covid-19.

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However, Mr Taylor said most of the 900 inmates were allowed out of their cells for less than an hour a day and it was not uncommon for them to spend 28 hours in their cells at weekends.

"There was mounting frustration among prisoners who reported the excessive time spent locked up was having a negative impact on their well-being, including weight gain, difficulty in sleeping and a deterioration in their mental health," he said.

Plans by the governor to ease restrictions had stalled as negotiations with the local staff association had failed to come to an agreement, Mr Taylor said.

"While we were aware of the need to ease restrictions in a safe and measured way, progress had been far too slow," he added.

"The failure to improve the regime during the summer meant prisoners were now subject to a second-wave tightening of restrictions without having had much reprieve."

Mr Taylor did praise the prison's education team, noting that more prisoners were engaging with education than before the pandemic and he said there had been improvements in prison safety since it was inspected in 2017.

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