‘Unfit’ prison beginning to show improvements

PRISON inspectors have described a Midland jail as ‘‘undignified’’ and ‘‘a disgrace’’ despite a number of improvements made since the start of the pandemic.

A damning report last year concluded HMP Hewell men’s prison, near Redditch, could not be considered fit as a 21st century jail.

The Independent Monitoring Board (IMB), which monitors prisons to ensure that people in custody are treated humanely, said at the time that stringent Covid restrictions may have caused ‘‘collateral damage’’ to prisoners’ welfare.

In its most recent report into the prison the IMB said Hewell was beginning to turn things around.

The report stated: “The Board’s overall impression is of an improving prison which is now safer and more secure than we have shown in previous reports. The Board is particularly keen to commend the agility and imagination with which the prison has managed the impact of the pandemic and the extent to which both the prisoners and staff have, largely, been protected from the direct impact of Covid.”

It added that real progress had been made towards a ‘‘bold and ambitious programme’’ to move the prison forward despite the challenges of the pandemic.

However, inspectors went on to say that ‘‘systemic failings’’ remain a cause for concern, some of which have been caused by the ‘‘basic fabric of the buildings’’ and years of neglect. Issues include frequent false fire alarms, broken vehicle gates and antiquated computer systems which have a ‘‘deleterious impact on the smooth running of the prison’’.

There is concern over the ‘‘inappropriateness’’ of the prison for disabled prisoners and staff, which the report said ‘‘remains a disgrace’’ and that the majority of men share cells designed for a single person. Inspectors say such arrangements are ‘‘undignified’’ and appear to create much of the tension within the prison.