Key concern 1
Constant change in Number One Governor, causing churn and potential impact on long-term strategy.
Source wording under review
Independent Monitoring Boards annual report
Stafford
Report year 2024
Published 5 Sep 2024
Type Prison, category C
Population 746
Responsible body HMP Stafford
Original IMB report page ↗ Ministerial response, 7 Jan 2025 ↗ imb.org.uk ↗
The summary and positive findings below were written from the report by an AI model. The Board's own wording is in the report linked above.
Summary
Summary written by this site (AI-generated)HMP Stafford, a Category C training prison for men convicted of sexual offenses, is largely perceived as safe and calm, with commendations for staff and positive developments in medicines management. However, the Board raised significant concerns over persistent legionella issues and inadequate shower facilities, ongoing staff shortages impacting regime, and the unaddressed plight of IPP prisoners. Challenges also include the poor state of healthcare facilities, insufficient neurodiversity support funding, and difficulties in Board member recruitment.
Positive findings
Summary written by this site (AI-generated)HMP Stafford is frequently commented by prisoners as a safe establishment where they are treated fairly, humanely, and have their health and wellbeing needs met. Staff efforts maintain a calm environment despite leadership churn. The induction process is well-managed, and the establishment remains remarkably clean. Significant improvements were noted in medicines management by Practice Plus Group, with automated dispensing lockers appreciated by prisoners. Education and purposeful activity, provided by Novus and Prospects Training, deliver very good service and positive outcomes, with 94% of prisoners purposefully engaged. The IMB also commended the ongoing commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion, including the opening of a new ED&I Hub and increased focus on neurodiverse prisoners.
Key concerns
- Key concern 1Staffing
- Key concern 2Estate/Conditions
- Key concern 3Staffing
Key concerns 14 items
Key concerns were extracted from the report text by an AI model.
Key concern 2
Another continuing theme, of this and previous reports, was the presence of legionella within the water supply of the prison. In a time of low funding the Board was saddened by the amount of money and time that had been spent testing for, eradicating, and then flushing the system following a legionella outbreak. This was also, and remains, a major inconvenience for both prisoners and staff.
Key concern 3
Ongoing staff shortages impacting the 'normal' running of the prison, resulting in lost activities (e.g., social video calls) and wing closures, particularly due to detached duty.
Key concern 4
As of April 2024, HMP Stafford accommodated 24 (3.2% of its total population) prisoners convicted with an IPP (Imprisonment for Public Protection) sentence. Having been abolished as a sentence type in 2012, continued failure to address the release requirements of those prisoners so convicted leaves them frustrated, with no hope and, rightfully, a feeling of total injustice. A situation that HMP Stafford staff have dealt well with but on the grounds of humane and just treatment must be resolved by those with the power to do so, which lies outside the remit of the prison.
Key concern 5
Deteriorating condition of roadways within the prison, posing health and safety risks, with significant work remaining to be done despite some recent repairs.
Source wording under review
Key concern 6
Shower refurbishment and legionella outbreaks continued for all of the reporting period that negatively impacted, at different times, those prisoners who did not have in-cell showers. During a monitoring report in early March 2024, it was observed that only 63% of prisoner showers were working across the estate. However, this figure did rise to 75% when further monitored two weeks later.
Key concern 7
Impact of cost of living increases on food budgets, resulting in reduced menu choices and restricted availability of some items.
Key concern 8
It should be noted that the prison did not always inform the Board, in a timely manner, that a rule 45* hearing was scheduled, or that the time of it had been changed, which significantly limited the ability of the Board to monitor them.
Key concern 9
Whilst supportive of this increased focus on the needs of neurodiverse prisoners, the Board were concerned that given 40% of prisoners, at least, at HMP Stafford were neurodiverse, the one off budget allocation of £1500 was insufficient to support this important area and required review.
Key concern 10
The number of Apps received regarding property issues remained relatively high at 32 (21.2% of all Apps). Those regarding property within the prison, rather than on transfer, often concerned clothes that had gone missing, or items kept in store. These were usually more resolvable than those involving property that had gone missing during prisoner transfers, a known national issue, sadly, not helped by the lack of interest from the “sending” prison once a prisoner had been transferred out.
Key concern 11
Healthcare consulting rooms and facilities are not fully fit for purpose, with little improvement and some deterioration since previous inspections, impacting service delivery.
Source wording under review
Key concern 12
The Board acknowledged the tremendous outcomes achieved by both the staff and prisoners associated with the workshops, not just in terms of income but education as well, whilst recognising the difficulty of securing work for prisoners convicted of a sex offence. The only criticisms in this area received by the Board from prisoners were with regard to the level of pay, which they felt was very low when compared to other prisons in which they had served.
Key concern 13
5 Resettlement planning HMP Stafford was not a designated resettlement prison and hence not resourced accordingly.
Key concern 14
As in previous years recruitment and retention of Board members remained the major issue.
Safety statistics
Incidents during the reporting year.
| Indicator | This year | Previous |
|---|---|---|
| Deaths in custody | 5 | 12 |
| Self-harm incidents | 131 | 105 |
| ACCT cases opened | 160 | 150 |
| Prisoner assaults | 12 | not recorded |
| Assaults on staff | 1 | 8 |
| Use of force | 57 | 81 |
| Drug finds | 30 | not recorded |
Population
| Population | 746 |
| Operational capacity | 753 |
Applications to the IMB
| Category | Current | Previous |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation, including laundry, clothing, ablutions | 3 | 4 |
| Canteen, facility list, catalogues | 2 | 13 |
| Discipline, including adjudications, incentives scheme, sanctions | 3 | 7 |
| Equality | 6 | 1 |
| Finance, including pay, private monies, spends | 6 | 9 |
| Food and kitchens | 4 | 7 |
| Health, including physical, mental, social care | 26 | 34 |
| Letters, visits, telephones, public protection, restrictions | 21 | 20 |
| Miscellaneous | 17 | 25 |
| Property during transfer or in another facility | 16 | 5 |
| Property within the establishment | 16 | 25 |
| Purposeful activity, including education, work, training, time out of cell | 8 | 20 |
| Sentence management, including HDC, ROTL, parole, release dates, re-categorisation | 7 | 12 |
| Staff/prisoner concerns, including bullying | 11 | 25 |
| Transfers | 5 | 3 |
Report details
- Establishment
- Stafford
- Type
- Prison, category C
- Report year
- 2024
- Published
- 5 September 2024
- Responsible body
- HMP Stafford
- MoJ rating (2025/26)
- 3, Good
Service providers
| Service | Provider |
|---|---|
| Canteen | DHL |
| Education services | Novus and Prospects Training |
| Escort contractor | GEOAmey |
| Facilities management | Amey plc |
| Library services | Staffordshire County Council |
| Mental health provider | PPG: subcontracted to Inclusion and MPFT (Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust) |
| Physical health and social care provider | Practice Plus Group (PPG) |
| Visits management | Prison Advice and Care Trust (PACT) |