Source · IMB Annual Report
Chelmsford
Year: 2023
Published: 8 Feb 2024
Type: Prison · Cat B, local, YOI
Recommendations: 4
Key concerns
Positive findings
HMP Chelmsford is a Category B local prison that faces significant challenges, particularly with overcrowding where 49% of prisoners share single cells, and an increasing use of force attributed to inexperienced staff. While positive developments include improved staff-prisoner interactions and an increase in key worker sessions, persistent issues like inadequate property safeguarding, frequent missed healthcare appointments due to officer shortages, and difficulties in transferring mentally ill prisoners require urgent attention. The IMB highlights these concerns and makes recommendations to the Minister, Prison Service, and Governor to address systemic failings.
Safety statistics
| Indicator | This year | Previous |
|---|---|---|
| Deaths in custody | 3 | — |
| Self-harm incidents | 980 | 933 |
| ACCT cases opened | 840 | — |
| Prisoner assaults | 227 | 241 |
| Assaults on staff | 169 | 177 |
| Use of force | 864 | 661 |
Positive findings
The Board witnessed many examples of good interaction between staff and prisoners, providing good care and support. Nursing staff gained the ability to prescribe, easing pressure on GPs. The gym, sports hall, football pitch, and library, with their overseeing staff, are highly valued by prisoners for physical and mental health. The openness of the monthly Use-of-Force Review Group was welcomed, with active IMB input sought by the Deputy Governor. There was swift follow-up by senior management on IMB concerns regarding named officers. A significant increase in key worker sessions, with a plan for further growth, was noted. Prisoners could contact healthcare and pharmacy by phone from their cells for faster communication. Innovative approaches in education, like shifting to graphic design and "managing money" classes, were adopted. A Neurodiversity Support Manager was appointed and is training prison staff in mental health care, and a prison employment lead was appointed, establishing direct contact with local employers for training and job matching.
Key concerns
Overcrowding
A total of 49% of young people in Chelmsford share cells designed for single occupancy. This conflicts with the requirements of decency and respect and is in contravention of the United Nations standard minimum rules for the treatment of prisoners.
Other
Repeated
The Board has highlighted the issue of safeguarding prisoners’ property in previous annual reports, when prisoners were moved across the Chelmsford estate, with little change.
Safety
The Board considers the level of use of force to be high which, in our view, is down to the inexperience of staff and the issue of easier-to-use rigid-bar handcuffs.
Mental Health
It is difficult to transfer men at Chelmsford to appropriate mental health facilities, because of the sheer number of prisoners with serious mental health issues and the lack of beds in the community.
Healthcare
Appointments for dentistry, doctors, physiotherapy, etc, were frequently missed due to shortage of movements officers.
Complaints/Property
Complaint form availability was, at best, patchy. Officers and senior officers did not appear to understand the importance of making these forms available.
Safety
The IMB is also concerned that B wing is not remote from other wings and it was a challenge to maintain separation between VP and non-VP prisoners, even within B wing itself.
Education/Purposeful Activity
In June, it was reported to the IMB that the library photocopier had reached its one-year anniversary of being broken. This is unacceptable.
Resettlement/Release
Mr P was tagged and released with just £110 to his name. He had no passport, no place to go, no job, no family in UK, nothing. HMP Chelmsford has rightly raised an official complaint about how the Home Office handled this.
Recommendations
| # | Recommendation | Addressee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | It is difficult to transfer men at Chelmsford to appropriate mental health facilities, because of the sheer number of prisoners with serious mental health issues and the lack of beds in the community. What will the Minister do to rectify this? | Ministry of Justice | |
| 2 | How does the Prison Service plan to eliminate overcrowding? A total of 49% of young people in Chelmsford share cells designed for single occupancy. This conflicts with the requirements of decency and respect and is in contravention of the United Nations standard minimum rules for the treatment of prisoners. | HMPPS | |
| 3 | The Board has highlighted the issue of safeguarding prisoners’ property in previous annual reports, when prisoners were moved across the Chelmsford estate, with little change. How does the Governor propose to improve processes so that property does not get lost ? Repeated | Governor / Director | |
| 4 | The Board considers the level of use of force to be high which, in our view, is down to the inexperience of staff and the issue of easier-to-use rigid-bar handcuffs. What does the Governor plan to do to address this? | Governor / Director |
Applications to the IMB
| Category | Current | Previous |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation, including laundry, clothing, ablutions | 6 | 11 |
| Canteen, facility list, catalogues | 6 | 15 |
| Discipline, including adjudications, incentives scheme, sanctions | 2 | 12 |
| Equality | 9 | 6 |
| Finance, including pay, private monies, spends | 7 | 7 |
| Food and kitchens | 12 | 6 |
| Health, including physical, mental, social care | 42 | 34 |
| Letters, visits, telephones, public protection, restrictions | 20 | 20 |
| Miscellaneous | 18 | 16 |
| Property during transfer or in another facility | 2 | 17 |
| Property within the establishment | 29 | 31 |
| Purposeful activity, including education, work, training, time out of cell | 2 | 17 |
| Sentence management, including HDC, ROTL, parole, release dates, re-categorisation | 18 | 7 |
| Staff/prisoner concerns, including bullying | 34 | 21 |
| Transfers | 2 | 14 |
Related inspections & investigations
22 Jan 2024
HMIP · Unannounced
Safety 2
· Respect 2
· Activity 2
· Release 2
Other reports for Chelmsford
Report details
- Establishment
- Chelmsford
- Type
- Prison · Cat B, local, YOI
- Report year
- 2023
- Published
- 8 February 2024
- Responsible body
- HMP Chelmsford
- Recommendations
- 4
- MoJ rating (2024/25)
- 1 — Serious concern
Population
| Operational capacity | 723 |
Service providers
Education
People Plus
Facilities Management
GFSL (Gov Facility Services Limited)
Healthcare
Castle Rock Group (CRG)
Substance misuse service (clinical part)
Forward Trust