Drugs and dilapidated, dirty accommodation concerns at HMP Ranby, probe finds

Independent

19-05-2025

An inspection has identified drugs as a major concern at Ranby prison, with the report also highlighting that many inmates led a 'pretty bleak existence' in 'dilapidated and dirty' accommodation.
HMP Ranby – a men's category C training and resettlement prison in Retford, Nottinghamshire – underwent an unannounced inspection by HM Inspectorate of Prisons between February 10 and 20.
The report, published on Monday, revealed the inspection found outcomes for the 1,087 prisoners were 'not sufficiently good' in relation to four 'healthy prison tests' – safety, respect, purposeful activity and preparation for release.
The facility had been rated good for safety and reasonably good for respect at its last inspection in April 2022, and the most recent probe found that five out of 12 of its previous recommendations about areas of key concern had been fully achieved.
The top area of concern which the 2025 report made clear required 'immediate attention' was that there were 'too many drugs' in the prison.
'The influx of drones bringing large amounts of contraband into this East Midlands, category C prison was affecting outcomes for prisoners in many areas,' Charlie Taylor, chief inspector of prisons, said.
'Illicit drugs were the cause of poor attendance to activities and levels of violence that were now higher than most similar prisons.
'This led to a fall in our healthy prison assessment for 'safety' from good to not sufficiently good.
'With the random drug test results showing a positive rate of 23% and staggeringly, nearly a quarter of prisoners in our survey saying they had developed a drug or alcohol problem since they had been at the jail, there will need to be concerted action by the leadership and the prison service to make Ranby as safe as it was when we last inspected in 2022.'
The survey also showed 61% of inmates said it was easy to get hold of illicit drugs.
Leaders were praised for working hard to stop drugs from getting into the prison, with the report acknowledging there had been some arrests and convictions, but that drugs remained 'easily available' and drones delivering parcels 'persisted'.
Another major concern was that many of the buildings were 'dilapidated and dirty', with prisoners struggling to access basic items such as bedding, cleaning materials and clothing.
These conditions varied according to which blocks inmates were housed in.
'The 700 living on houseblocks one to three and five had a pretty bleak existence, living in accommodation that was now badly dilapidated, and with many cells lacking basic furniture and almost no self-cook facilities,' Mr Taylor said.
'By every measure things were worse for these men, the regime was much more limited, cell bells took longer to be answered and there were more drugs available.'
These houseblocks were found to be dirty, with rubbish and food scattered in communal areas, according to the report.
Also, many showers on these houseblocks needed fixing, the heating in several areas of the prison, including the chapel, was not working effectively and some of the flooring needed replacing.
Many cells were discovered to be in poor condition containing damaged sockets, sinks and toilets, with many suffering from mould.
The report also found that too many prisoners living in houseblocks one to three were not engaged in meaningful activity.
Mr Taylor said: 'When inspectors ran a roll check, they found that only 10% of the men were in activity off the wing on houseblocks one, two and three while 35% were locked in their cells.
'Astonishingly, 300 men at Ranby were not in purposeful activity at all and were lucky if they got out of their cells for two hours as day.'
But he said outcomes elsewhere were 'reasonable', explaining conditions in houseblocks four, six, seven and eight were better and cleaner, and that there was more for prisoners to do.
'For around a third of prisoners at Ranby outcomes were reasonable; they were housed in decent conditions and most had access to purposeful activity and some good time out of cell, but the rest lead a pretty diminished and depressing existence,' the chief inspector said.
HMP Ranby was originally a Second World War army camp before it was converted to a prison in the early 1970s.