The Ministry of Justice have announced that The Grange, the Cat D prison co-located with HMP Hewell is to close. This follows a critical report earlier this year on the living accommodation at the Grange from the prison’s inspector. The MoJ have said that the costs of refurbishing the Grange, a large old “stately” home would not provide value for money.
The prison, which holds just over 200 Cat D prisoners who are coming to the end of their sentences , will finally shut in March 2020 and any inmates remaining at that time will be moved to other Cat D prisons.
In the spring of 2019, the MoJ announced that HMP Haverigg would be re-roled as a Cat D prison providing approximately 400 places.