MONITORS have said the levels of self-harming among inmates at HMP Hewell remain "stubbornly high."

In its annual report, the Independent Monitoring Board's (IMB) noted that 359 incidents of self-harm happened last year, from March 1, to September 30.

"Forty-nine per cent of all healthcare callouts during the six-month period were to respond to self-harming injuries," the IMB said.

HMP Hewell in Tardebigge, near Redditch, remains on the Prison Performance Support Programme, which it was placed under in February 2020. This is in light of "the deep-rooted issues that cannot be fixed overnight," according to the report.

The IMB raised concerns that at-risk prisoners may not be being identified in time under a restricted regime due to the pandemic.

They said: "The question remains as to whether, with the restricted regime, prisoners at risk of suicide or self-harm are pre-emptively identified before an incident takes place."

The IMB noted that although the response to the pandemic had been "effective," there is concern that measures will "cause collateral damage to prisoners’ broader welfare, rehabilitation, sentence management and, crucially, their mental health".

Monitors said that the prison "does not provide adequate provision for men with disabilities," although some improvement was found in these areas.

They also highlighted that "a focus on cleanliness and basic decency during the year began to have a positive impact."

IMB Hewell Chair Rodger Lawrence said: “The local community should be very proud of how the staff at HMP Hewell responded to the pandemic.

"Not only were they responding to the national emergency, but they had a new Governor determined to raise standards and bring the prison into the 21st century.

"When the board members returned to the prison after the first lockdown they were impressed with the improvements.”

A prison spokesperson said: “Drugs fuel self-harm and violence and we know the new security measures at Hewell are already having a positive impact.”