Source · IMB Annual Report
Chelmsford
Year: 2025
Published: 27 Jan 2026
Type: Prison · Cat B, local, YOI
Recommendations: 4
Key concerns
Positive findings
HMP Chelmsford, a Category B local prison, reported three deaths in custody and a 4% reduction in self-harm incidents, though the total of 848 remains high. Operational capacity was 660, with 71% of the population being unsentenced, and overcrowding remains a significant concern, especially in the older Victorian wings. The prison saw a decrease in prisoner-on-staff violence but an increase in prisoner-on-prisoner violence and consistently high use of force incidents. Challenges persist with mental health provision due to a lack of specialist beds, property safeguarding, and staff conduct, while the Launchpad platform and improved dentistry services were positive developments.
Safety statistics
| Indicator | This year | Previous |
|---|---|---|
| Deaths in custody | 3 | — |
| Self-harm incidents | 848 | 884 |
| ACCT cases opened | 924 | 953 |
| Prisoner assaults | 203 | 195 |
| Assaults on staff | 143 | 167 |
| Use of force | 980 | 1,019 |
Positive findings
The Board found HMP Chelmsford to be a safe place for most prisoners, most of the time, noting a reduction in self-harm and assaults on staff. They commended the Governor and Deputy for significant improvements since the Urgent Notification in 2021, aided by the successful Launchpad platform and enhanced opportunities for training. Positives include good gym facilities, a well-organised visitors’ centre, improved dentistry, and commendable de-escalation by experienced staff. The Board also praised mental health interventions, family engagement initiatives like Storybook Dads, and excellent vocational training.
Key concerns
Overcrowding
Overcrowding is the root cause of many issues in our prisons. Urgent action is needed to address this serious problem.
Mental Health
Many prisoners entering prison have mental health problems - some of them severe - and they urgently need care in a specialist unit. However, there are not enough secure places to meet the needs of the prison population, creating a ‘log-jam’ in local healthcare units, where facilities are taken up by prisoners who should be elsewhere.
Other
Repeated
The Board has serious concerns about the processes for safeguarding prisoners’ property (particularly during intra-Chelmsford moves).
Complaints/Property
The number of complaints about staff is too high. Most generally related to verbal abuse and poor attitude.
Safety
gang culture continued to be an issue at HMP Chelmsford. The prison’s proximity to London exacerbates the problem. C and F wings are the most affected.
Safety
HMP Chelmsford continues to have one of the highest rates nationally for use of force incidents when prisoners fail to follow instructions.
Resettlement/Release
While the Board understands that HMP Chelmsford’s management has little choice in the matter, we remain frustrated by the practice of forcibly transferring prisoners to other establishments just days before their release. This is done to create space for new arrivals from local courts. Such moves can be highly disruptive and distressing, especially for prisoners who have mental health issues.
Estate/Conditions
Accommodation in E, F and G wings remained reasonable, but the old Victorian wings - A, B, C and D - continued to be a cause for concern.
Estate/Conditions
main central laundry, where the ongoing issues can be traced to one overriding factor - the unreliability of the boiler.
Mental Health
The Board believes that many prisoners who ended up in the CSU should not have even been in prison, suffering, as they were, from severe mental issues.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
From November 2024, the Board had no complaints from prisoners or officers about the key worker process. That said, we are disappointed that the target was to see these ‘most vulnerable’ prisoners only once per month.
Equality/Diversity
During December 2024 and January 2025, there was a marked uptick in problems around the prison, with prisoners complaining about officers using inappropriate and potentially racist language, and bullying.
Equality/Diversity
There was, generally, a shortage of cells suitable for wheelchair users.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
One anomaly noted by the Board happens when a man gets a ‘nicking’ and is slated for an adjudication. Part of that process sees him downgraded to the basic level. However, if it is subsequently decided not to proceed with the adjudication, the man does not return to his earlier status but stays on basic status, even though, officially, he has done nothing wrong. The Board understands that this process was established in 2013, after government intervention, and we believe it should be re-examined.
Complaints/Property
The Comp 1 (ordinary) complaints system involved a prisoner completing a complaint form and relying on the ‘complaints clerk’ to process it in a timely fashion. Unfortunately, this often did not happen, causing issues. Some prisoners told the IMB that they had no idea whether prison managers had received their complaint. So, after, say, a month with no word, the prisoner would send in a repeat complaint, only to be told that ‘repeats’ were not allowed. This anomaly needs addressing, as prisoners have no way of knowing that their original Comp 1 form has been received and are bound to assume the worst if they hear nothing back.
Healthcare
The Board noted that healthcare complaint forms were less readily available than other types of complaint form. This has been a consistent issue over recent years and the Board believes it’s time to take action. We have resorted to carrying the forms on our monitoring visits to the wings.
Healthcare
The optician visited the prison once a month and, on average, there were 30 prisoners waiting to see him. This suggests an increase in the optician’s capacity would be extremely welcome.
Healthcare
However, we were concerned that, at times, the dispensing of some medicines at was severely restricted by the fact that the healthcare centre/pharmacy unit did not operate 24 hours a day.
Substance Misuse
As explained in the latest HMIP inspection report (published in May 2024), illicit drugs were a growing concern and HMP Chelmsford was not immune.
Education/Purposeful Activity
In May 2025, the library manager was frustrated that staff shortages meant fewer prisoners were able to visit the library.
Education/Purposeful Activity
With that in mind, it was extremely disappointing to discover that huge cuts to the education budgets of prisons across the UK are on their way.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Full-time workers on G wing did not have enough time to shower on returning to the wing in the afternoon. G wing had more full-time workers than other wings and is located furthest from places of employment.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Prisoners undertaking the multi-skills training course (the highest priority training in the prison) were required to give up two gym sessions per week. This was enough for many prisoners to decline the training outright, as they seemed to choose short-term enjoyment over future societal and personal benefits.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Prisoners working on A wing felt they were poorly treated, citing lack of gym access, limited time in the fresh air and only one weekly exercise session (often in the punishment yard).
Recommendations
| # | Recommendation | Addressee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Overcrowding is the root cause of many issues in our prisons. Urgent action is needed to address this serious problem. What specific and immediate action will the Minister take to tackle this serious problem and make it your highest priority?
Response
HMPPS appreciates the Board’s recognition and praise of the Launchpad platform. At present there are no plans to provide a feature to enable prisoners to book appointments on the system. There is work taking place to investigate the feasibility of providing a single system for prisoner applications which may include requests for medical appointments. This work is in early development and will only be implemented if an effective solution can be found. |
Ministry of Justice | Noted |
| 1 | Launchpad has been a great success in allowing prisoners to check and verify personal information. Will the Prison Service commit to adding a feature so prisoners can book and manage their medical appointments? If so, what timeline do you anticipate for implementation? | HMPPS | |
| 2 |
Many prisoners entering prison have mental health problems - some of them severe - and they urgently need care in a specialist unit. However, there are not enough secure places to meet the needs of the prison population, creating a ‘log-jam’ in local healthcare units, where facilities are taken up by prisoners who should be elsewhere. This obviously impacts on prison staff - especially those in the CSU - who are forced to deal with very mentally unwell individuals daily. What immediate steps will the Minister take to increase the availability of secure specialist mental health units, reduce the pressure on local healthcare facilities, and ensure prison staff are not left managing severely unwell individuals without adequate support?
Response
The Body Worn Video Cameras (BWVC) Policy Framework does not provide for the recording of routine work practices. The policy intention for the use of BWVCs is in response to incidents or pre-emptively, where the member of staff is aware that the prisoner may become volatile or has a history of violence in certain circumstances. Activation of BWVC must be justifiable, necessary, and proportionate. It is for the user to determine when a situation is beginning to escalate and thereby commence recording. The use of BWVCs during the conducting of full searches has the potential to impact upon privacy rights of the person being searched. Where a safety or security incident occurs during a full search, and there are overwhelming proportionality and necessity requirements for recording the incident which outweigh the impact on privacy of the individual, staff can activate their BWVC. As soon as the incident is resolved, if the full search is to recommence, the BWVC recording must be stopped. Any member of staff capturing footage of a search is required to justify their use of their BWVC. If it is assessed that the situation has the potential to deteriorate during a full search, staff should be encouraged to keep their BWVCs activated, but positioned so as to only capture audio, not footage of the search. Any amendment to the existing policy would require an assessment of legality, resource, data protection, and formal consultation with a range of stakeholders. There are currently no anticipated plans to change the intended purpose of BWVCs. At HMP/YOI Chelmsford, there is an emphasis on preserving BWVC footage for any incident. Where BWVC, including accompanying audio footage is not available for review, the Prison ensures there are follow up management conversations with staff to remind of the responsibilities to activate BWVC when managing incidents. The Governor and the management team appreciate the Board’s observations captured in the report about BWVCs, including acting on reports about staff conduct. |
Ministry of Justice | Rejected |
| 2 | Body worn video camera (BWVC) footage (video and audio) is a huge benefit to internal investigations, but it is only evidential when continuous. If video cannot be shown, such as, for example, for modesty reasons, the audio must remain uninterrupted to be used as proof. Will the Prison Service make this standard practice for all departments, functions, and all officers? And, if so, when? | HMPPS |
Applications to the IMB
| Category | Current | Previous |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation (including transfers) | 45 | 38 |
| Adjudications and Incentives | 5 | 8 |
| Drugs and alcohol | 5 | 6 |
| Financial (credits and spends) | 9 | 12 |
| Healthcare (physical and mental) | 37 | 49 |
| Legal (including immigration) | 7 | 10 |
| Meals (food quality, dietary requirements) | 9 | 14 |
| Other (including diversity and equality issues) | 10 | 11 |
| Property (including lost property) | 28 | 15 |
| Regime (time out of cell, activities) | 13 | 20 |
| Religion | 4 | 5 |
| Safeguarding (children’s social care) | 3 | 3 |
| Staff and prisoner concerns (including bullying/harassment) | 17 | 13 |
| Visits (family visits, visitors’ centre) | 6 | 9 |
| Work and pay (including complaints about pay) | 9 | 12 |
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
- 2025
- Published
- 27 January 2026
- Responsible body
- HMP Chelmsford
- Recommendations
- 4
- MoJ rating (2024/25)
- 1 — Serious concern
Population
| Operational capacity | 660 |
Service providers
Dental services
Time for Teeth
Education
People Plus
Facilities management
GFSL (Gov Facility Services Limited)
Healthcare
HCRG Care Group
Prisoner transport
Serco
Substance misuse services
Forward Trust