HMP Low Newton

If you have any concerns about the wellbeing of a prisoner at HMP Low Newton you  can ring the at risk line on 0191 376 4189. Your  concerns will be dealt with  in confidence.

Key Contact Details

HMP&YOI Low Newton is a closed women’s prison at Brasside, near Durham, standing next to the high-security men’s prison HMP Frankland. It was originally built in 1965 as a mixed remand centre before being re-designated exclusively for women and young offenders in 1998, and it now holds a range of women including some restricted status prisoners, with a baseline certified normal capacity of around 322.

HM Inspectorate of Prisons visited in November 2025 and rated Low Newton “good” for safety, respect, and preparation for release, with purposeful activity judged “reasonably good” — a strongly positive set of results. Inspectors described a well-run, decent prison with strong staff-prisoner relationships under a governor who had brought significant cultural improvements since taking charge in January 2024. The main concerns raised were the number of acutely mentally unwell women being held in prison because of a shortage of hospital beds elsewhere, a sharp rise in use-of-force incidents (though around 40% of these were aimed at preventing self-harm rather than managing conflict), and delays for women getting phone numbers approved on their accounts. Housing on release remained a significant challenge, with three-quarters of women lacking settled accommodation to go to.

For families staying in contact with a woman at Low Newton, the visiting centre and contact details above are the best starting point, and the prison’s recent family strategy work suggests ongoing efforts to make contact easier for relatives.