HMP Hewell: Prisoners 'unable to access showers for weeks'

The Worcestershire prison housed 828 inmates at the time of the inspection early last month

Conditions at a prison have been described as "wholly unacceptable" during the coronavirus pandemic.

The chief inspector of prisons found HMP Hewell in Redditch "could not be safe", with almost a third of inmates saying they felt at risk.

In a report, HM Inspectorate of Prisons found social distancing restrictions had left some prisoners without access to a shower or fresh air for weeks.

However the control of Covid-19 cases was praised, with just nine infections.

The Worcestershire prison housed 828 inmates at the time of the inspection in early August, however chief inspector Peter Clarke reported the "high churn" of prisoners had "added to the challenges" faced by HMP Hewell.

Mr Clarke said "little progress" had been made in the five months since lockdown restrictions were announced to ensure prisoners had sufficient time outdoors and meaningful activity.

"This contributed to prisoners' frustration and potentially to a deterioration in mental and emotional well-being," inspectors said, with 70% of inmates reporting problems with their mental health.

Mr Clarke also found "wholly unacceptable" examples of inmates with impaired mobility "who had not had time in the fresh air for weeks and who experienced particular difficulty in accessing showers regularly".

Some, who were isolating, had gone without a shower for 14 days.

He wrote that prisoners felt "unsafe" due to the "lack of consistent attention to social distancing" and although the distancing rules would "inevitably reduce" violence, incidents at the prison remained "comparatively high - particularly against staff".

The prison has been in special measures since 2018, with a report in March finding it drugs-ridden with an "insatiable demand" for mental health support.

The Ministry of Justice has been approached for comment.