HM Prison Hewell

HMP Hewell
Category B and C buildings
from Hewell Grange Farm
Location Tardebigge, Worcestershire
Security class Adult Male, Categories B, C and D
Capacity 1278
Population 1431 (as of June 2008)
Opened 2008 (1946)
Former name HMPs Blakenhurst, Brockhill and Hewell Grange
Managed by HM Prison Services
Governor Gareth Sands
Website Hewell at justice.gov.uk

HM Prison Hewell is a multiple security category men's prison in the village of Tardebigge in Worcestershire, England. The prison is operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service.

History

Hewell Prison is on the site of the Hewell Grange country house and estate, the former seat of the Earls of Plymouth and has open days for its park and garden.[1] The estate was sold to the government c.1945 and in 1946 the main house was used as a Borstal.

Over the years two other purpose-built prisons were built and opened on the estate: HMP Blakenhurst and HMP Brockhill, to hold other categories of prisoner, with enlargements. The Borstal itself was reclassified in 1991 to a Category D open prison, and renamed HMP Hewell Grange. The new 650-bed prison was operated by UK Detention Services, a partnership between Mowlem, Sir Robert McAlpine and Corrections Corporation of America.[2]

In January 2008, the Prison Service announced that the three prisons would merge to be managed by a single team.[3] Its provisional name for public consultation was 'HMP Redditch', however local residents objected and in March 2008 it was decided to rename the site HMP Hewell.[4] HMP Hewell was formally created on 25 June 2008, and is the first in an efficiency drive involving the creation of new Titan prisons in the United Kingdom.

The Ministry of Justice closed the Brockhill part of the prison in September 2011. The closure formed part of wide-ranging cost saving, with one other prison shut in 2011.[5]

In July 2017 Tornado squads were brought in from outside to deal with a prison riot in Cell House Block 6, A-spur; the 'B' section. The riot was instigated following the commencement of a phased smoking ban, of which House Block 6 was the first to have the ban imposed; overcrowding, living conditions, unexplained lock-downs and lack of prison officer staff were all contributing factors. The rioters damaged water pipework, the CCTV system, and numerous cells were severely damaged. The trouble was confined to one area of the prison, that was back in the control of the prison officers within a few hours. The wing where the riot took place was deemed unfit for occupation due to the damage caused, and inmates housed in that area were either moved to other prisons or relocated to other cell blocks within Hewell. It took several weeks for the area to be brought back into use, following extensive renovations and works to repair the damage caused. [6]

The prison today

One of the Category D site buildings

Hewell is a multiple security category prison for adult males. Different categories (B, C, and D) of prisoners are housed in different sites. The prison primarily serves the Worcestershire, West Midlands and Warwickshire catchment area. Accommodation at the prison is divided into 8 house blocks, 7 of which have single or double occupancy cells, and 1 house block which has dormitory accommodation.

Category B & C prisoners are employed in workshops providing Construction Industry Training, double glazing manufacture, industrial cleaning, waste management, laundry and contract services. Education offered includes ICT courses, ESOL, basic literacy and numeracy, art and cookery classes.

Category D prisoners also have access to external college courses, Open University distance learning, as well as a range of ICT, literacy and numeracy courses. Employment is provided throughout the estate including:

  • Farms
  • Gardens
  • Kitchen
  • Full-time employment via a Resettlement to Work Scheme.

In January 2017 an inspection report described Hewell as “a prison with many challenges and areas of serious concern”. Prison inspector, Peter Clarke said, the “main concerns at the closed site were regarding issues of safety and respect”. Clarke said levels of violence were “far too high”, he described communal areas as “dirty” and claimed many cells were over-crowded, with some, “filthy”. 60% said getting drugs was easy, a quarter of prisoners felt unsafe, and self harm had increased.[6]
In December 2017, ten people were convicted of smuggling a range of contraband into Hewell and other prisons following the chance filming of a wildlife program in adjacent fields.[7]

Notable former inmates

  • David Fairclough, lorry driver jailed for three months for dangerous driving in connection with the 1997 M42 motorway crash
  • David Pipe - Professional footballer for Newport County

See also

References

  1. ↑ Hewell Grange Park and Garden - Grade II* - Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1000886)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
  2. ↑ McDonald, Douglas C. (1994). "PUBLIC IMPRISONMENT BY PRIVATE MEANS: The Re-emergence of Private Prisons and Jails in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia". The British Journal of Criminology. 34: 29–48. JSTOR 23638186. (Registration required (help)).
  3. ↑ "Prisons merge to create new jail". bbc.co.uk. 22 January 2008. Retrieved 2009-02-15.
  4. ↑ "Title change for 'super' prison". bbc.co.uk. 29 January 2008. Retrieved 2009-02-15.
  5. ↑ "Two prisons to shut in efficiency bid, MoJ says". BBC News. 13 July 2011.
  6. 1 2 HMP Hewell unrest brought under control by prison riot squads The Guardian
  7. ↑ "Ten sentenced for smuggling drugs into prisons by drones". BBC news. 13 December 2017. Retrieved 14 December 2017.

Coordinates: 52°19′17″N 1°59′35″W / 52.3214°N 1.9931°W / 52.3214; -1.9931

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