HMP Lincoln

Key data and contact details

HMP Lincoln is a Category B local prison serving courts across Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, and Humberside. It opened in 1872 on a new site to replace the old prison at Lincoln Castle, and its original High Victorian gothic buildings are still in use and listed for their architectural and historical importance. The prison has an operational capacity of around 650 and has, at times in its history, held considerably more prisoners than that, including a period in the early 2000s when it was among the most overcrowded prisons in the country.

HM Inspectorate of Prisons visited in April and May 2025 and rated Lincoln “reasonably good” across all four healthy prison tests — safety, respect, purposeful activity, and preparation for release — a notably positive outcome. Inspectors found that levels of violence, drug use, and self-harm were lower than at comparable prisons, and praised strong staff support, good education provision, and facilities including Bertie’s, a restaurant used for family visits events. The main issues flagged for improvement were problems with the heating system, medicines handling procedures that needed tightening up, and prisoners still spending more time locked in their cells than inspectors would like to see.

With family visit initiatives like the on-site restaurant, Lincoln has put some thought into making contact easier for relatives — the booking and visiting details above are the best place to start when arranging a visit.

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