Prison
Cat B, local
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Hewell
IMB Annual Report 2020 · Published 21 January 2021
The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted HMP Hewell, leading to a full lockdown, 23.5-hour cell confinement, and cessation of most activities. While staff are commended for averting a direct catastrophic impact from the virus and improving cleanliness, concerns remain regarding prisoner welfare, mental health, and rehabilitation. The prison saw leadership changes and continued a journey of improvement after years of poor performance, with some areas showing progress despite ongoing challenges in safety, healthcare provision, and regime delivery.
Positive Findings
The Board commends staff for their agile and effective response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which averted a catastrophic direct impact on the population. Significant organisational and physical improvements have been made, leading to a much cleaner environment and improved staff morale. Governors and senior managers are receptive to concerns, and the segregation unit has undergone a remarkable positive transformation with lower occupancy and an experienced staff team. The care response for prisoners' routine physical illnesses and emergencies is good.
Key Concerns
Resettlement/Release
Repeated
The Board restates its previously recorded concern at the prevalence and treatment of prisoners held in custody indefinitely under indeterminate sentences for public protection. We have seen no evidence of attempts to manage the sentences of these individuals with any focus on forward progression. Nor have we seen recognition that the despair of endless detention results in self-destructive behaviour, leading to the use of segregation and challenges to discipline within the prison. This, in turn, causes these prisoners to fail at the parole board. We urge the minister to take up the issue of prisoners still being held in custody indefinitely despite the power to pass such sentences being removed eight years ago.
Mental Health
Repeated
Similarly, the Board remains concerned about the difficulties encountered in transferring prisoners with severe mental health/behavioural issues to an environment where they can be treated effectively. Again, will the minister work with colleagues in other departments to ensure greater availability of more suitable locations for these prisoners?
Regime/Time Out of Cell
The Board would like to see a clearer articulation of the expectations, priorities and remits of a local prison, to enable Hewell to focus on fulfilling that declared role. Further, the Board is keen to see evidence that only prisoners fitting the recognised profile for a local prison are routinely accommodated at the establishment.
Equality/Diversity
Repeated
Sufficient funds should be identified to improve access and accommodation for those with physical disabilities.
Education/Purposeful Activity
Even before the restrictions caused by the pandemic, the Board was concerned (admittedly on the basis of limited evidence) about the paucity of effective educational provision for those in Hewell. The situation has worsened with the restricted regime. The Board urges more effective scrutiny of the education contracts, to ensure more effective outcomes.
Safety
Please conclude the report into the death on 14 June 2018, so that an inquest may be carried out.
Mental Health
The Board is keen to see evidence of a concerted focus on addressing prisoners’ mental health needs. We wish to see improved outcomes for those accessing these services and interventions. The Board would wish to see evidence of a reduced incidence of self-harm.
Equality/Diversity
The Board is concerned at the lack of robustness in the approach to equality issues, and would welcome renewed vigour and accountability in this regard. We recognise that progress has recently been made in terms of collecting data but are concerned still at the lack of rigour in its analysis and lack of influence on practice. We are keen to see equality embedded in the regime and evidenced in day-to-day activity.
Complaints/Property
Repeated
The Board is often aware of a reliance on systems and processes in managing issues within Hewell, rather than a focus on robust problem solving and effective decision making. This tendency is demonstrated in the frequency with which ostensibly minor issues or concerns are allowed to escalate, with recourse to documentary systems – for example, the complaints or adjudication systems not resolving the issues as speedily or effectively as possible. We would like to see frontline officers being more proactive in resolving concerns.
Food/Catering
The Board is aware of the challenges presented in the preparation and serving of food. During the reporting year, there have been too many instances of broken kitchen machinery, limiting the range of food prepared. The Board has significant evidence, in the form of formal applications, anecdotal comments and our own observations, of unappealing food being served. A regular lack of hygiene measures – for example, missing protective clothing and broken warming trays, as well as unsatisfactory serving conditions and practices, such as blocked servery drains, and sandwich fillings served in cling film – have been a frequent cause for concern. There is an almost total lack of facilities for prisoners to eat other than in their cells. We would urge a focus on the importance of food, and on its quality and presentation, in the coming year.
Board Commentary
Staffing
HMP Hewell experienced staff instability and loss of experienced personnel early in the reporting year, negatively impacting morale. However, changes in leadership and the COVID-19 lockdown led to a marked improvement in staff morale, with officers reporting more time for supportive interactions and mentoring new colleagues. Despite this, the key worker system remains poorly embedded, with minimal contact recorded, representing a missed opportunity.
Healthcare
Prisoners consistently express dissatisfaction with healthcare services, particularly mental health support, citing unmet needs and long waiting times for consultations, including delays of six to eight weeks for psychiatrists. While routine physical illness and emergency care are good, the Board has less confidence in mental health provision, especially following the inpatient unit's closure. There are also concerns about delays in transferring prisoners with complex health needs to more appropriate facilities.
Regime & Daily Life
The COVID-19 pandemic led to a full lockdown, severely restricting the regime with prisoners often locked in cells for 23.5 hours daily. Education, gym, and most work activities ceased, causing concerns for rehabilitation and mental health. Overcrowding, with many cells designed for one holding two, continued to undermine dignity and foster friction. While a basic regime was maintained, its expansion and easing of restrictions had only just begun by the reporting period's end.
Applications to the IMB
Prisoners can apply to their IMB about any aspect of their treatment. This table shows application counts by category.
| Category | Current | Previous | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation (including transfers) | 45 | 38 | |
| Allocations to wings/landings/cells | 39 | 31 | |
| Complaints about staff | 31 | 16 | |
| Disciplinary matters (adjudications) | 2 | 1 | |
| Discrimination | 0 | 0 | |
| Downloads (requests for literature/photos/newspapers/music) | 6 | 4 | |
| Education, training and work | 13 | 8 | |
| Family and personal relationships | 4 | 2 | |
| Food | 8 | 7 | |
| Health | 31 | 29 | |
| Legal | 12 | 11 | |
| Money, earnings and benefits | 24 | 16 | |
| Other | 35 | 34 | |
| Parole | 2 | 1 | |
| Property (damage/loss/security) | 95 | 62 | |
| Religious and cultural observation | 1 | 1 | — |
| Safety (including bullying/victimisation) | 16 | 9 | |
| Segregation | 3 | 2 | |
| Sex offenders | 0 | 0 | |
| Substance misuse | 0 | 0 | |
| Support for foreign nationals | 1 | 0 | |
| Telephone access | 8 | 4 | |
| Total | 384 | 278 | |
| Visits (family/professional) | 3 | 2 | |
| Wellbeing and personal care | 3 | 1 |
Recommendations (10)
Ministry of Justice: 2
HMPPS: 3
Other: 1
Governor / Director: 4
4 repeated
Recommendation 1
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
The Board restates its previously recorded concern at the prevalence and treatment of prisoners held in custody indefinitely under indeterminate sentences for public protection. We have seen no evidence of attempts to manage the sentences of these individuals with any focus on forward progression. Nor have we seen recognition that the despair of endless detention results in self-destructive behaviour, leading to the use of segregation and challenges to discipline within the prison. This, in turn, causes these prisoners to fail at the parole board. We urge the minister to take up the issue of prisoners still being held in custody indefinitely despite the power to pass such sentences being removed eight years ago.
Ministry of Justice
Resettlement
Recommendation 2
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Similarly, the Board remains concerned about the difficulties encountered in transferring prisoners with severe mental health/behavioural issues to an environment where they can be treated effectively. Again, will the minister work with colleagues in other departments to ensure greater availability of more suitable locations for these prisoners?
Ministry of Justice
Mental Health
Recommendation 3
The Board would like to see a clearer articulation of the expectations, priorities and remits of a local prison, to enable Hewell to focus on fulfilling that declared role. Further, the Board is keen to see evidence that only prisoners fitting the recognised profile for a local prison are routinely accommodated at the establishment.
HMPPS
Regime
Recommendation 4
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Sufficient funds should be identified to improve access and accommodation for those with physical disabilities.
HMPPS
Equality
Recommendation 5
Even before the restrictions caused by the pandemic, the Board was concerned (admittedly on the basis of limited evidence) about the paucity of effective educational provision for those in Hewell. The situation has worsened with the restricted regime. The Board urges more effective scrutiny of the education contracts, to ensure more effective outcomes.
HMPPS
Education
Recommendation 6
Please conclude the report into the death on 14 June 2018, so that an inquest may be carried out.
Other
(other)
Safety
Recommendation 7
The Board is keen to see evidence of a concerted focus on addressing prisoners’ mental health needs. We wish to see improved outcomes for those accessing these services and interventions. The Board would wish to see evidence of a reduced incidence of self-harm.
Governor / Director
Mental Health
Recommendation 8
The Board is concerned at the lack of robustness in the approach to equality issues, and would welcome renewed vigour and accountability in this regard. We recognise that progress has recently been made in terms of collecting data but are concerned still at the lack of rigour in its analysis and lack of influence on practice. We are keen to see equality embedded in the regime and evidenced in day-to-day activity.
Governor / Director
Equality
Recommendation 9
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
The Board is often aware of a reliance on systems and processes in managing issues within Hewell, rather than a focus on robust problem solving and effective decision making. This tendency is demonstrated in the frequency with which ostensibly minor issues or concerns are allowed to escalate, with recourse to documentary systems – for example, the complaints or adjudication systems not resolving the issues as speedily or effectively as possible. We would like to see frontline officers being more proactive in resolving concerns.
Governor / Director
Complaints
Recommendation 10
The Board is aware of the challenges presented in the preparation and serving of food. During the reporting year, there have been too many instances of broken kitchen machinery, limiting the range of food prepared. The Board has significant evidence, in the form of formal applications, anecdotal comments and our own observations, of unappealing food being served. A regular lack of hygiene measures – for example, missing protective clothing and broken warming trays, as well as unsatisfactory serving conditions and practices, such as blocked servery drains, and sandwich fillings served in cling film – have been a frequent cause for concern. There is an almost total lack of facilities for prisoners to eat other than in their cells. We would urge a focus on the importance of food, and on its quality and presentation, in the coming year.
Governor / Director
Food
Other IMB Reports for Hewell
PPO Fatal Incidents
Prisons and Probation Ombudsman fatal incident investigations for this establishment.
Prevention of Future Deaths Reports
Coroner PFD reports issued to this establishment.