The prison was given a full inspection in June 2025, the full report can be read on the HM Inspectorate of Prisons website, just follow the links below. In their latest report the inspectors said:
HMP Hewell is a category B reception prison for adult men in Worcestershire, run by HM Prison and Probation Service, holding 1,013 prisoners against an operational capacity of 1,094. The prison’s category D open unit closed in March 2020, and Hewell now operates as a single category B site. Inspectors rated safety Not Sufficiently Good and preparation for release Not Sufficiently Good, both unchanged, respect Reasonably Good, also unchanged, and purposeful activity Not Sufficiently Good, an improvement from Poor at the previous inspection in 2022.
Eighty-one per cent of prisoners said they felt safe, and 69% said staff treated them respectfully, with 73% saying they had a staff member to turn to. Physical security had improved, with sealed cell windows and anti-drone netting over exercise yards, and the “Here2Help” peer mentor scheme was praised as particularly impressive. Vocational workshops delivered industry-standard skills in a realistic working environment, and on-site police officers ran an integrated offender management approach for prolific offenders.
Inspectors raised five priority concerns: the new-arrival regime and support were too limited, mentally unwell men waited far too long for a mental health hospital transfer, not all healthcare clinical areas met infection-prevention standards, induction was not consistently effective or timely, and resettlement support for prisoners on remand was far too limited. Just over half of prisoners were held in cells designed for one, around 40% were locked up for more than 21 hours a day, and far too many were released homeless or without sustainable accommodation. Only 53% of prisoners had a keyworker, and only 19% thought the prison’s culture encouraged good behaviour.
Charlie Taylor
HM Chief Inspector of Prisons
September 2025
To read the full reports, go to the HM Inspectorate of Prisons website or follow the links below:
| Inspection report (PDF), Report on an unannounced inspection of HMP Hewell by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons (2–12 June 2025, published 15 September 2025) | Easy read summary of the 2025 inspection report |
| Action plan, HM Prison and Probation Service action plan in response to the 2025 inspection of HMP Hewell | |