HMP Lincoln, HMIP inspections

The prison was given a full inspection in April 2025, the full report can be read on the HM Inspectorate of Prisons website, just follow the links below. In their latest report the inspectors said:

HMP Lincoln is a category B reception and resettlement prison serving courts across Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and East Yorkshire, run by HM Prison and Probation Service, holding 567 prisoners against an operational capacity of 614. Inspectors rated safety, respect and preparation for release all reasonably good, unchanged, while purposeful activity improved to reasonably good, up from not sufficiently good. Inspectors said Lincoln set a standard to which other reception prisons should aspire, under an effective and experienced governor and senior leadership team.

Ninety-two per cent of prisoners had a named officer, well above the reception-prison comparator average, and 96% could use the phone daily. Education was rated Good by Ofsted, one of only two reception prisons nationally to achieve that rating, and hepatitis C testing was offered universally with full uptake. Effective keywork and strong coordination of hospital appointments were also highlighted as particular strengths.

Inspectors nonetheless raised concerns that new arrivals found it much too difficult to have phone numbers approved for family and friends, that self-harm was rising while care planning for prisoners in crisis needed improvement, and that a temporary water heating system, in place for around seven years, urgently needed investment. Consultation and complaints processes were weak, medicines were not always transported and dispensed securely, and prisoners unallocated to work or education spent 22 hours a day locked up. The prison was also significantly overcrowded, with the large majority of prisoners sharing cells designed for one.

Charlie Taylor
HM Chief Inspector of Prisons
July 2025

HMP Lincoln

To read the full reports, go to the HM Inspectorate of Prisons website or follow the links below: