HMP Hewell makes progress despite systemic failures

The latest annual report from the Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) at HMP Hewell highlights the same key concerns as last year, evidencing little commitment from ministers to tackle systemic issues such as overcrowding or poor mental health provision. An over-reliance on short custodial sentences, and lengthy periods on remand due to failures of the court system, have continued to impact the prison’s ability to provide rehabilitative activities, or necessary resettlement services, to reduce chances of reoffending and keep communities safe.

The Board notes that:

• Overcrowding has led to many men sharing cells designed for single occupancy, locked in for up to 22 hours a day. This is inhumane, and has a detrimental impact on prisoners’ health and wellbeing and motivation to change.
• The length of time some men are spending on remand, with an increasing proportion remanded away from home, is detrimental to children and family life, and prisoners’ chances of maintaining employment and accommodation in the community.
• Specialist resources for prisoners with severe and complex mental health needs remain hard to get, often taking months; resources for those who have learning, social, emotional and psychological needs are also inadequate.
• Effective key work, intended to be the cornerstone of staff-prisoner relationships and rehabilitation, is not delivered as intended due to the high churn of men and staff time. The national training provided for this skilled intervention is inadequate.

Chair of IMB Hewell, Addie Horner said:

“Mental health provision has not improved, despite the Minister’s assurance last year that ‘solutions in the draft Mental Health Bill’, which has not been progressed, will improve the situation. The high number of men on remand or serving short sentences reduces the prison’s already limited capacity to provide essential rehabilitative services.

Hewell is being asked to perform a role that it is not equipped or resourced to do. The fact that it has made some progress in providing a safe, fair and humane regime, and achieved effective resettlement for some prisoners, is testimony to the determination of staff and the management team.”