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© Copyright, Independent Monitoring Boards 2026.

41% cut in education provision at HMP Lancaster Farms

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HMP Lancaster Farms

In its 2025-26 annual report (published 9 July 2026), the Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) at Lancaster Farms prison expressed concern about the impact of new education contracts on the available provision of education and training. Despite claims from the Ministry of Justice that overall spending on prison education is not being reduced, the IMB highlights that the new prisoner education services contracts, which came into effect in the autumn of 2025, resulted in a 41% reduction in hours of education provided in the first year of the contract at HMP Lancaster Farms.

The IMB notes that:

  • The prison currently only has 452 full-time equivalent spaces in employment and education for a population of 560 men, meaning some men who would like to work or be in education cannot access this.
  • Six courses offering men good opportunities of employment on release, such as the Railtrack and catering courses, have been terminated due to funding cuts.
  • The Board is concerned that the handing of prisoners’ mail does not fall within national policy. The prison does not allow men to be sent books by friends and family through approved suppliers and men are expected to open rule 39 mail (confidential legal mail) in front of prison staff.

However, it is also pleased to report that:

  • After the Board highlighted major concerns regarding healthcare provision in 2025, there have been considerable improvements in this area. The overall percentage of Applications to the Board in this area has reduced from 32.5% in the first half of its reporting year, to 20% in the second half.
  • Use of force reduced by 26%, from 489 incidents in the 2024-25 reporting year to 362 incidents in the 2025-26 reporting year.

IMB Lancaster Farms Chair, Neil Curran, said:

“Despite claims from the Ministry of Justice that overall spending on education and training in prisons has not been cut, the reality on the ground paints a very different picture. It leads us to question whether the new education contracts, which came into effect in the autumn of 2025, are fit for purpose. The result is that Lancaster Farms is struggling to perform its role effectively as a resettlement prison, giving men the necessary skills and education to give them the best chance of employment on release.”