A third of jail's inmates test positive for drugs

One in three inmates at a prison in South Yorkshire has tested positive for drugs in the last year, according to an inspection report.

The Category C HMP Lindholme, near Doncaster, which holds about 1,000 men, was inspected without prior notice by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons over several days in June.

The "continuing availability and use of illicit drugs" at the jail was "arguably the most pressing challenge" faced there, according to a report which has just been published.

Last month, three men from Sheffield and Doncaster were arrested after police discovered a drone and a camouflaged parcel containing Class A and Class B drugs, tobacco, e-cigarettes and a knife near the prison.

In a survey completed by 176 men held at HMP Lindholme, 53% of respondents said it was "easy" or "very easy" to obtain drugs inside the prison - a figure comparable to other prisons of a similar size, the report said.

It continued: "Leaders had responded with more suspicion-testing, stronger intelligence and partnership working with the police, and practical steps to detect packages delivered by drones."

These were "encouraging developments", but the scale of drug use continued to "undermine safety, causing at least one death, fuelling debts and bullying, and damaging any chance some of the most vulnerable prisoners had to make progress", the report stated.

There were "possible links" of drug use to other deaths, but investigations into these had yet to be completed by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, it added.

The average random mandatory drug testing positive rate at HMP Lindholme was 33% for the last year, a higher rate than prisons of a similar size, although the report did confirm the figure "had been falling in recent months".

Inspectors said they had been given reports of vulnerable men being bullied into taking drugs, forcing them into debt and fear of reprisal.

The report also identified overcrowding as an issue, with about 37% of men at HMP Lindholme paired up in cells originally designed for one person.

At the time of the inspection, 956 prisoners were held at the prison, which has capacity for 1,010 inmates, the report said.

Assaults on both prisoners and staff remained above the average for similar prisons, although inspectors noted there had been a fall in the number of incidents since autumn 2025.

The report praised the work of the prison's current governor, Shaun Mycroft, who had been in post since June 2025, but said the facility "continued to face some significant and persistent challenges" since the last inspection in 2023.

"Safety had not improved and respect had deteriorated, but purposeful activity and preparation for release, while still not good enough, had both improved slightly", the report stated.

It concluded: "Notwithstanding some disappointing judgements and healthy prison scores following this inspection, we had confidence in the capability of leaders to take this prison forward and had some optimism they can bring about the change and improvement needed."

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