Police have launched a criminal investigation into the management of a scandal-hit prison after five men died in nine months.

The probe was prompted after senior coroner Laurinda Bower took the unusual step of writing to Nottinghamshire Police to urge them to consider whether criminal investigations should take place after she found a string of failures contributed to the deaths at HMP Lowdham Grange.

The prisoners all took their own lives after Sodexo took over the Category B men’s prison in Nottinghamshire in February 2023 in the first ever private-to-private prison transfer.

The Ministry of Justice stepped in later that year and took the prison back into public control after inspectors found conditions were unsafe.

In February, the coroner announced she planned to write to the police over concerns there had not been “sufficient consideration” over possible criminal inquiries into issues at the troubled jail.

A spokesperson for Nottinghamshire Police has now confirmed the force has launched an investigation.

“We received the report from the coroner in late May 2026 and we have begun an investigation,” the force said. “No arrests have been made.”

It is understood to be rare for a prison provider to face a criminal probe over self-inflicted deaths on their watch.

Anthony Binfield, 30, David Richards, 42, and Rolandas Karabauskas, 49, took their own lives within 19 days of each other in March 2023, weeks after Sodexo had taken over management of the prison from Serco on 15 February.

In a damning prevention of future deaths report for the three men, Ms Bower said multiple failings and missed opportunities had led to their deaths. She said there had been a “complete breakdown” of risk identification and sharing information at the prison and staffing levels were so low that prison officers and healthcare staff were “firefighting”.

“I am troubled that unless there is a radical change in culture, and reflective learning from deaths is prioritised, prisoners will continue to die in custody,” she said.

Ricky Crosher, 40, and Matthew Osborne, 39, died in October and November that year. Inquests found both men died as a result of suicide contributed to by neglect, with multiple failings contributing to their deaths.

Mr Osborne had been isolated in the prison’s segregation unit for 54 days and his cell door had been opened for less than three minutes in the three days before his death.

On 25 November, there were no observations of him between 2.32pm and 4.22pm, during which time he ended his life. The segregation staff who were supposed to be monitoring him were watching television to “keep track of the football reporting”, the inquest heard.

He was also housed in a cell which did not meet basic standards, including the lack of a mattress, the coroner said in a prevention of future deaths report.

In December that year, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) intervened to take control of the prison on an interim basis and brought in new governor Neil Thomas to “improve safety and security at the prison”.

In May 2024, the MoJ confirmed the arrangement would become permanent – with a formal handover taking place in the summer – and that Sodexo would pay a settlement to cover the cost of the government being required to step in.

Sodexo said it would not comment on a live investigation.

The Ministry of Justice has been contacted for comment.

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