Source · IMB Annual Report
Stafford
Year: 2025
Published: 16 Oct 2025
Type: Prison · Cat C training
Recommendations: 9
Key concerns
Positive findings
HMP Stafford, a Category C training prison for men convicted of sexual offences, maintains a generally safe environment with positive prisoner-staff relationships. Key concerns include a long-standing legionella issue impacting health and facilities, challenges for prisoners in gaining employment post-release due to national policy and offence history, and infrastructure not meeting modern standards. The Board also noted issues with mental health waiting times and a loss of facilities for older prisoners following a relocation.
Safety statistics
| Indicator | This year | Previous |
|---|---|---|
| Deaths in custody | 11 | 5 |
| Self-harm incidents | 66 | 131 |
| ACCT cases opened | 107 | 160 |
| Prisoner assaults | 17 | 12 |
| Assaults on staff | 0 | — |
| Use of force | 30 | 57 |
Positive findings
HMP Stafford maintained a low risk and generally safe environment, largely due to staff efforts and prisoners feeling safer in a dedicated sexual offence prison. Key achievements include the successful 'Insiders' and 'Listeners' programmes, high standards of cleanliness, effective in-cell phones, and praised food quality. The prison demonstrates strong commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) and good support from the chaplaincy team. Healthcare services are appreciated, supported by an excellent team of prisoner health champions, and the Jail Arts and Music Society (JAMS) and RESTART schemes have had positive impacts on wellbeing. Education outcomes are strong, and the prison is commended for its online systems training and efforts to maintain family contact through an excellent Visits Centre and innovative social events for prisoners without visits.
Key concerns
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
The longstanding and ongoing issues with legionella in the prison places all prisoners, particularly the elderly and vulnerable prisoners at increased risk of health problems. Whilst the Governor and senior leadership team continue to do their utmost to manage this risk, the IMB feel a permanent solution is long overdue.
Healthcare
Repeated
The longstanding and ongoing issues with legionella in the prison places all prisoners, particularly the elderly and vulnerable prisoners at increased risk of health problems. Whilst the Governor and senior leadership team continue to do their utmost to manage this risk, the IMB feel a permanent solution is long overdue.
Resettlement/Release
prisoners leaving HMP Stafford can face additional challenges due to their offending history.
Resettlement/Release
Challenges for prisoners leaving HMP Stafford to secure post-release employment due to their offending history and national policy regarding Release on Temporary Licence (ROTL) for Prisoners Convicted of Sexual Offences (PCoSOs).
Resettlement/Release
At present prisoners convicted of sexual offences (PCoSOs) are unable to be considered for release on temporary licence (ROTL). This national policy negatively impacts on prisoners at HMP Stafford from integrating into society and finding suitable employment prior to release.
Estate/Conditions
Much of HMP Stafford’s infrastructure, as one of, if not, the oldest fully functioning prison in England, does not meet modern standards.
Estate/Conditions
As HMP Stafford is currently one of, if not, the oldest fully functioning prison in England and much of its infrastructure does not meet modern standards
Regime/Time Out of Cell
The recent relocation of the SSG from the portacabin has resulted in the loss of access to outdoor space and the absence of adequate natural light in the new facility, reducing facilities for older prisoners.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
The recent relocation of the SSG from the portacabin has resulted in the loss of access to outside space and the absence of adequate natural light in the new facility.
Mental Health
Recent gaps in the mental health and psychosocial substance misuse service leadership had reduced oversight and had impacted service delivery, with patients waiting for up to 34 weeks to access interventions.
Other
Inconsistent communication from the prison regarding CSU transfers and Rule 45 hearings, negatively impacting the Board’s ability to attend all hearings.
Recommendations
| # | Recommendation | Addressee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The longstanding and ongoing issues with legionella in the prison places all prisoners, particularly the elderly and vulnerable prisoners at increased risk of health problems. Whilst the Governor and senior leadership team continue to do their utmost to manage this risk, the IMB feel a permanent solution is long overdue. Can the minister identify and authorise capital funding to address this long-standing issue?
Repeated
Response
A number of improvements to the infrastructure at HMP Stafford have been completed including resurfacing roads and pathways and the replacement of plate exchangers on E and F wings. Work is also due to commence on replacing the roofing to the industries and estates complex and upgrading CCTV on D wing and in the Segregation Unit. Additional funding has been requested to enable refurbishments to showers on E and F wings, one of the boiler houses and an aspirator system upgrade. Unfortunately, demands for maintenance are much greater than the available funding. Therefore, once a bid for a project is received, HMPPS has to prioritise works very carefully to make best use of that funding, focusing on risk to life and risk to capacity and decency. |
Ministry of Justice | Noted |
| 1 | As HMP Stafford is currently one of, if not, the oldest fully functioning prison in England and much of its infrastructure does not meet modern standards, will the Prison Service allocate additional funding to enable the facilities to better meet the needs of its prisoners? | HMPPS | |
| 1 | The recent relocation of the SSG from the portacabin has resulted in the loss of access to outdoor space and the absence of adequate natural light in the new facility. How will the Governor address the reduction in facilities allocated to older prisoners? | Governor / Director | |
| 1 | As HMP Stafford is currently one of, if not, the oldest fully functioning prison in England and much of its infrastructure does not meet modern standards, will the Prison Service allocate additional funding to enable the facilities to better meet the needs of its prisoners? | HMPPS | |
| 1 | The recent relocation of the SSG from the portacabin has resulted in the loss of access to outdoor space and the absence of adequate natural light in the new facility. How will the Governor address the reduction in facilities allocated to older prisoners? | Governor / Director | |
| 2 |
The Board recognises the Minister’s previous and well documented support for securing post release employment for large numbers of prison leavers. It is acknowledged that prisoners leaving HMP Stafford can face additional challenges due to their offending history. How does the Minister plan to address this issue in order to give the prisoners released from HMP Stafford a better chance of successfully reintegrating into society and thereby reduce their risk of reoffending?
Response
It is important that released prisoners have the best chance of reintegrating into society. Gaining employment is a key factor in reducing reoffending, but I recognise that this can be challenging. The HMPPS Creating Future Opportunities programme delivers additional resettlement services in custody and the community to support individuals into mainstream opportunities, particularly in relation to employment, training and education for those individuals who experience challenges or face barriers preventing them from successfully reintegrating into their local community. Locally, HMP Stafford has been working with its Regional Employment Lead to welcome businesses to the prison to help break the stigma around PCOSOs and demonstrate the valuable skills, experience and positive work ethic they can offer. HMP Stafford will continue to commission qualifications and vocational skills through the new Prison Education Service contracts to help prisoners learn valuable skills and gain academic and vocational qualifications to improve their employment prospects. Additionally, I am pleased to report that HMP Stafford have engaged with the ‘Entrepreneurs Unlocked’ company, to explore how to support self-employment for PCoSOs. |
Ministry of Justice | In progress |
| 2 | The Board recognises the Minister’s previous and well documented support for securing post release employment for large numbers of prison leavers. It is acknowledged that prisoners leaving HMP Stafford can face additional challenges due to their offending history. How does the Minister plan to address this issue in order to give the prisoners released from HMP Stafford a better chance of successfully reintegrating into society and thereby reduce their risk of reoffending? | Ministry of Justice | |
| 3 |
At present prisoners convicted of sexual offences (PCoSOs) are unable to be considered for release on temporary licence (ROTL). This national policy negatively impacts on prisoners at HMP Stafford from integrating into society and finding suitable employment prior to release. Would the Minister consider commissioning a review of the ROTL national policy and its application to PCoSOs?
Response
I acknowledge the Board’s concerns regarding resettlement support for prisoners convicted of sexual offences (PCoSOs) and the application of Release on Temporary Licence (ROTL). While ROTL remains a key resettlement tool, its availability is determined by a prisoner’s sentence type and assessed risk level. Most PCoSOs are subject to more restrictive ROTL arrangements due to Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements eligibility, risk assessments, or sentence classification. I will continue to assess the impact of current policy frameworks and remain open to considering whether further examination of this area may be appropriate to support rehabilitation outcomes. |
Ministry of Justice | Noted |
| 3 | At present prisoners convicted of sexual offences (PCoSOs) are unable to be considered for release on temporary licence (ROTL). This national policy negatively impacts on prisoners at HMP Stafford from integrating into society and finding suitable employment prior to release. Would the Minister consider commissioning a review of the ROTL national policy and its application to PCoSOs? | Ministry of Justice |
Applications to the IMB
| Category | Current | Previous |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation, including laundry, clothing, ablutions | 20 | 3 |
| Canteen, facility list, catalogues | 3 | 2 |
| Discipline, including adjudications, incentives scheme, sanctions | 8 | 3 |
| Equality | 2 | 6 |
| Finance, including pay, private monies, spends | 12 | 6 |
| Food and kitchens | 3 | 4 |
| Health, including physical, mental, social care | 30 | 26 |
| Letters, visits, telephones, public protection, restrictions | 13 | 21 |
| Miscellaneous | 18 | 17 |
| Property during transfer or in another facility | 10 | 16 |
| Property within the establishment | 15 | 16 |
| Purposeful activity, including education, work, training, time out of cell | 9 | 8 |
| Sentence management, including HDC, ROTL, parole, release dates, re-categorisation | 8 | 7 |
| Staff/prisoner concerns, including bullying | 16 | 11 |
| Transfers | 3 | 5 |
Related inspections & investigations
19 Nov 2024
HMIP · Unannounced
Safety 4
· Respect 4
· Activity 3
· Release 3
Other reports for Stafford
Report details
- Establishment
- Stafford
- Type
- Prison · Cat C training
- Report year
- 2025
- Published
- 16 October 2025
- Responsible body
- HMP Stafford
- Recommendations
- 9
- MoJ rating (2024/25)
- 3 — Good
Population
| Operational capacity | 753 |
Service providers
Canteen
DHL
Education services
Novus and Prospects Training
Escort contractor
GEOAmey
Facilities management
Amey plc
Library services
Staffordshire County Council
Mental health provider
PPG
Physical health and social care provider
PPG
Reading and numeracy support
Shannon Trust
Visits management
PACT