Source · IMB Annual Report
Hewell
Year: 2023
Published: 19 Jan 2024
Type: Prison · Cat B
Population: 1,060
Recommendations: 18
Key concerns
Positive findings
HMP Hewell, a Category B reception prison, faced severe overcrowding in the reporting year, with its population increasing to 1,060 and many prisoners sharing cells designed for one. This contributed to a significant rise in self-harm incidents and a persistent, restricted regime where most men are locked in cells for 22 hours daily. The report highlights ongoing challenges with staff shortages, inadequate key worker training, and delays in mental health transfers, alongside concerns about resettlement provision and the unmet needs of neurodiverse prisoners.
Safety statistics
| Indicator | This year | Previous |
|---|---|---|
| Deaths in custody | 2 | — |
| Self-harm incidents | 664 | 517 |
Positive findings
The Board commended the Governor and staff for their strenuous efforts to deliver a safe, fair, and humane regime despite external pressures, acknowledging their talent and determination. Improvements in equality and diversity, including the appointment of prisoner equality advocates and a neurodiversity support manager, were noted. Staff in the segregation unit received praise for building positive relationships, and the allocation of a dedicated mental health nurse to the unit was welcomed. The prison also showed sustained commitment to improving accommodation cleanliness and decency, and made efforts to reduce food complaints and enhance family contact through in-cell telephony.
Key concerns
Overcrowding
Repeated
Overcrowding has become worse, exacerbating issues for prisoners with complex social and psychological needs, with many sharing cells designed for one and eating/defecating in the same space.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Repeated
Persistent lack of time out of cell for the majority of prisoners, with many locked up 22 hours a day, leading to an inhumane regime and detrimental effects on health and wellbeing.
Safety
A significant increase in self-harm incidents (664), ranking Hewell second highest in its comparator group, with key work schemes impacted by staff shortages.
Safety
Inconsistent and incomplete use of body-worn video cameras (BWVCs) and a lack of timely documentation for use of force incidents.
Staffing
Repeated
Key working and pathway planning not delivered as intended due to staff shortages, high prisoner churn, and inadequate training for new officers.
Equality/Diversity
Repeated
Inadequate provision for disabled and ageing prisoners, despite some physical improvements, with some accommodated in specialist units purely for mobility reasons.
Mental Health
Repeated
Men held in segregation for long periods awaiting specialist mental health or other prison facilities due to a national lack of resources.
Education/Purposeful Activity
Repeated
Persistent underuse of available vocational work, training, and education opportunities, exacerbated by low literacy levels among prisoners.
Resettlement/Release
Repeated
A significant proportion of prisoners (25-35%) are released to homelessness, with failures in inter-agency collaboration hindering effective resettlement and increasing re-offending risks.
Recommendations
| # | Recommendation | Addressee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
What is being done to address or influence the backlogs in the court system which mean prison beds are taken up with men on remand or awaiting sentencing?
Repeated
Response
It is not appropriate for the Government or its representatives to direct court matters including the decision to remand. The MOJ is recruiting up to 1,000 judges in 22/23 and has taken steps to enable courts to sit at maximum capacity. The MOJ monitors the level of the remanded population across the reception estate and is taking steps to ensure that reception prisons can continue to serve the courts and make the best possible use of the available capacity. |
Other | |
| 2 |
Will the Minister advise on the progress of the Mental Health Bill which offered remedies for concerns raised in our annual report last year? Our concerns about the lack of appropriate services for prisoners with complex mental health needs remain and are growing.
Repeated
Response
The solutions in the draft Mental Health Bill will improve the situation, including measures to speed up access to specialist inpatient care and treatment and will introduce a statutory 28-day time limit for transfers from prison to hospital. Other comments by the Minister refer to local solutions being put in place at Hewell. |
Other | |
| 3 | What review mechanisms/safeguards will be in place to monitor the impact of introducing rigid bar handcuffs and PAVA spray to prisons, with a consequent risk of moving to a culture focusing on control/enforcement rather than built on transformative inputs and effective relationships between staff and prisoners? | Other | |
| 4 |
Is the Minister recognising the growing awareness of the neurodiversity of the prison population and what additional resources can HMP Hewell expect to implement the new Prisoner Education Service announced at the end of September, bearing in mind low literacy levels?
Repeated
Response
The response quoted commitments to investment as outlined in the Prisons Strategy White Paper and the setting up of a Transforming Delivery Directorate. |
Other | |
| 5 |
We repeat our call for IPP (imprisonment for public protection) cessation and reparations.
Repeated
Response
The IPP Action Plan will continue to focus on ensuring that individuals have a progression plan appropriate to their current needs. |
Other | |
| 6 | When will Hewell have access to IT for prisoners? This would be time-saving for staff and will empower prisoners to take responsibility for organising their prison life and activities. It will reduce frustration, delay, and lack of trust inherent in paper-based systems. | HMPPS | |
| 7 |
What is the Prison Service doing to improve the effectiveness of agencies working together to achieve effective release and resettlement? Despite good work being done by individual agencies, we see men being released without the dots having been joined; this negates in-prison work done to achieve positive resettlement and may increase the chances of homelessness, unemployment and re-offending.
Repeated
Response
The HMPPS response was to re-iterate Government strategy and policy as outlined in the Prisons Strategy White Paper; the reductions quoted in re-offending between 2010/2021 seem meaningless in the context of our point about pressures on the prison service in our reporting year. |
HMPPS | |
| 8 | Is the Prison Service satisfied that training for new officers prepares them for the roles and tasks that will be expected of them? We are concerned about the length and content of training for new officers, outside aspects relating to security and control. | HMPPS | |
| 9 | What is the prison service doing to ensure that the introduction of PAVA and rigid bar handcuff training is tempered with an increase in key working and a rehabilitation focus? | HMPPS | |
| 10 | Improve the core regime, increasing time out of cell and maximising access to meaningful occupation of time, whether in work, vocational activity or education. Repeated | Governor / Director | |
| 11 |
Protect staff time to deliver key work and push for national resources, including training, to make this central to the regime and culture at Hewell.
Repeated
Response
The Governor was able to evidence plans to achieve this change and how it was being rolled out across the prison. |
Governor / Director | |
| 12 | Effectively monitor the introduction of rigid bar handcuffs/PAVA spray, ensuring that it does not shift the balance towards control and containment. | Governor / Director | |
| 13 | Address significant shortcomings in the immediate practical resettlement needs of men leaving Hewell, including improvement of inter-agency working, so that no man is found wandering up the drive without the means of reaching a safe destination or ability to meet release conditions. Repeated | Governor / Director | |
| 14 | Insist that the use of BWVCs is fully enforced alongside timely completion of use of force paperwork. | Governor / Director | |
| 15 | Monitor complaints by prisoners more rigorously, note the wide variation and quality of responses from staff, in particular the tone, an indicator of whether the desired culture change is being achieved throughout the prison. Improve the thoroughness of recording and responding to complaints about staff behaviour. | Governor / Director | |
| 16 | Continue to improve the take up of work/education and vocational activity and expand the opportunities available for meaningful activity on house blocks. Repeated | Governor / Director | |
| 17 |
Continue to develop a culture of inclusion and respect, keeping up the momentum on neurodiversity, equality and communication across the prison.
Repeated
Response
This was accepted and was reinforced as a priority following an HMIP inspection. There has been progress in respect of analysis, attitude and engagement. There is evidence of action being taken but much more to be done to embed the change. |
Governor / Director | |
| 18 | Ensure efficient succession planning and continue to empower and encourage senior staff to use their initiative and creativity to find solutions in their areas of responsibility. | Governor / Director |
Applications to the IMB
| Category | Current | Previous |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation (including transfers) | 45 | 38 |
| Discipline and adjudications | 20 | 18 |
| Discrimination (including protected characteristics) | 9 | 8 |
| Food | 15 | 25 |
| Healthcare | 25 | 22 |
| Money | 6 | 5 |
| Other | 11 | 14 |
| Personal property | 23 | 30 |
| Safeguarding (including self-harm and bullying) | 14 | 12 |
| Social care | 7 | 5 |
| Staff | 18 | 12 |
| Total | 222 | 219 |
| Visits, letters and phone calls | 21 | 19 |
| Work, education, activities, pay and incentives | 8 | 11 |
Related inspections & investigations
18 Sep 2015
PFD
Liam Smith · State Custody related deaths; Hospital Death (Clinical Procedures and medical management) related deaths
Other reports for Hewell
Report details
- Establishment
- Hewell
- Type
- Prison · Cat B
- Report year
- 2023
- Published
- 19 January 2024
- Responsible body
- HMP Hewell
- Recommendations
- 18
- MoJ rating (2024/25)
- 1 — Serious concern
Population
| Population | 1,060 |
| Operational capacity | 1,094 |
| CNA (designed for) | 1,074 99% |
| Time out of cell | 2.0h/day |
Service providers
Catering
Aramark
Chaplaincy Services
Prison Service
Education
Novus
Healthcare
Practice Plus Group
Hewell Virtual Court
BT
IMB Secretariat
Ministry of Justice
Maintenance
Amey
Prisoner Escort and Custody Services (PECS)
GEOAmey
Prison Shop and Canteen
Synergy