HMP Lowdham Grange welcomes experienced new director

Serco has announced that Martin Booth has taken over as the new prison director at HMP Lowdham Grange.

Martin moves to his new role from Serco-run HMP Ashfield near Bristol, where he was the prison director for almost three years.

He has 30 years’ experience. His first role with Serco was working with the business development team that won the contract to run HMP Thameside.

Martin joined HMP Lowdham Grange’s management team in 2010 before moving to New Zealand as part of the team transitioning Mount Eden Corrections Facility in 2011.

He returned to the UK in 2014 when he became the deputy director at HMP Doncaster before being promoted to the role of prison director at HMP Ashfield in March 2019.

Talking about his new post, Martin said: “I am delighted to have moved to HMP Lowdham Grange. The prison has faced severe challenges from covid over the past two years, but as the Independent Monitoring Board reported last year, this was extremely well managed. Prisoners feel safe, are treated fairly and humanely and with respect and there is a regime built on a positive ethos.

“Lowdham has an excellent management team and the hidden heroes who work here do an incredible job in challenging circumstances and I am proud to be joining them.”