Why Lucy Letby has 'enhanced prisoner status' despite murdering seven babies

Child killer Lucy Letby is said to be raking in extra privileges like more cash to spend on treats and extra time out of her cell that allows her a weekly visit.

Theformer neonatal nurse is serving a whole life order for the murder of seven babies, as well as the attempted murder of seven more between 2015 and 2016. Just days into her sentence at HMP Bronzefield, Letby was fast-tracked to an enhanced prisoner status.

According to an insider, she was given the upgrade to ensure her safety among other prisoners in different units. "Lucy is reserved and very quiet, she isn't really a problem with staff," they told MailOnline. "It grates with officers though - she's committed the worst crimes possible and here she is on the enhanced unit with all the benefits that come with it. Again the real reason she is here is safety, she would be attacked on any other unit."

READ MORE: Lucy Letby 'fast-tracked to jail privileges' with extra cash for sweets and more visits

Letby was moved straight from her induction to Unit Four - a wing reserved exclusively for enhanced inmates, according to a prison source.

No matter the crime, all prisoners are automatically given standard status after sentencing, but Letby is believed to have been swiftly fast-tracked. Her privileged status also means she now has a cleaning job and is entitled to a weekly visit - double the allowance for regular prisoners.

Roughly a quarter of inmates at Bronzefield are classified as enhanced. Letby shared the unit with former prison officer Linda De Sousa Abreu, 31, who was jailed after being caught on camera having sex with a prisoner.

She too was fast-tracked to Unit Four - reportedly for her own protection - after serving as a guard at HMP Wandsworth.

Enhanced prisoners are allowed to spend £33 a week in the prison canteen. Standard-status inmates get £19.80, while those on "basic" punishment status receive just £5.50.

A 2023 menu from HMP Chelmsford shows some of what's on offer: Kinder Bueno bars for 60p, Snickers for 80p, and cans of Pepsi for 59p.

Letby, 35, is one of just four female prisoners in the UK to be handed a "whole life order", which she received in August 2023. It came after her conviction for murdering babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital between June 2015 and June 2016.

As she continues to maintain her innocence, her case has drawn the attention of high-profile figures - including former health secretary Jeremy Hunt, who has called for it be reviewed. In the wake of her sentencing, the Thirlwall inquiry was also set up to investigate how the crimes were allowed to happen.

Hunt said the most disturbing evidence came from 14 paediatric specialists, who ruled the deaths or injuries of the newborns happened as a result of natural causes or errors in medical care. "It pains me to say it - this analysis raises serious and credible questions about the evidence presented in court," he said.

The Mirror has contacted the Ministry of Justice and HMP Bronzefield for comment.

READ MORE: 'I guarded Lucy Letby on first night in prison and one thing hit me within seconds'