Prisoners at a Lancaster Category C prison are not allowed to receive books from relatives at the same time as education provision has been slashed by more than 40 per cent, a watchdog’s report has revealed.

The decision to slash the education budget at HMP Lancaster Farms by 41 per cent is believed to damage the prison’s ability to prepare convicts for life after release, says the Independent Monitoring Board (IMB), which oversees prisons for the Justice Secretary.

New contracts introduced late last year have resulted in the reduction in education opportunities.

And inmates are not allowed books sent by friends and family through approved suppliers, despite national policy permitting it, the report says.

HMP Lancaster Farms will see places increase from 584 to 824, with cells equipped with modern security features such as reinforced windows to tackle threats like drones carrying contraband.

placeholder image — HMP Lancaster Farms will see places increase from 584 to 824, with cells equipped with modern security features such as reinforced windows to tackle threats like drones carrying contraband.

In its 2025-26 annual report, published this week, the board said six courses had been withdrawn because of funding cuts.

These include programmes which previously helped prisoners into employment after release.

Courses affected included the prison's Railtrack programme and a catering workshop which helps provide prisoners with links to employers in the outside world.

Currently, there are only 452 full-time work and education places for a population of 560 men.

IMB 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."

The board questioned whether Lancaster Farms can effectively operate as a resettlement prison due to changes in its population.

The reported also noted use of force incidents fell by 26 per cent, dropping from 489 incidents in 2024-25 to 362 in 2025-26.

The board described Lancaster Farms as a largely safe prison, praising staff for their management of risk and vulnerable prisoners.

Healthcare provision, which was heavily criticised in last year's report, also showed signs of improvement following the appointment of a new healthcare management team.

The report identified self-harm as another significant issue, with 418 incidents involving 121 prisoners recorded during the year.

However, there were no deaths in custody during the reporting period.

Lancaster Farms, a category C prison on the outskirts of Lancaster, operated close to full capacity throughout the year and is currently undergoing major expansion works that will create an additional 240 prison places by net year.