Prison
Cat B, local, YOI
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Chelmsford
IMB Annual Report 2023 · Published 8 February 2024
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.
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.
Board Commentary
Staffing
The report frequently highlights that a high number of staff are inexperienced, leading to issues such as resorting to use of force sooner. Staffing or agency staff shortages and high turnover were prevalent in healthcare roles, impacting service delivery. Although key worker sessions significantly increased, there are concerns about the quality of engagement and resolution of prisoner issues. Additionally, a shortage of movement officers frequently resulted in missed healthcare appointments and adversely affected education attendance.
Healthcare
Healthcare-related issues constituted the highest proportion of IMB applications (20%), with the main complaint being a lack of general healthcare or welfare support. Appointments for various services were frequently missed due to a shortage of movement officers. Other concerns included the IMB's inability to contact the main provider (CRG) by email, and high staffing turnover impacting service delivery. Positively, nurses can now prescribe, relieving pressure on doctors, and prison staff in the healthcare in-patient wing show high levels of knowledge and care. However, transfers to appropriate mental health facilities remain difficult due to a lack of community beds.
Regime & Daily Life
Overcrowding is a significant concern, with 49% of prisoners sharing cells designed for single occupancy, conflicting with decency standards. "Kit" (clothing) delivery remained unreliable, causing frustration among prisoners. While food complaints were few, verbal grievances about quantity and quality were common, with the prison battling inflation under a tight £2.70 per man, per day budget. A shortage of movement officers adversely affected education attendance. Additionally, men in full-time work roles lose out on gym and domestics time, which the Board suggests needs a more formal solution. The social video call system changed, removing prisoners' ability to book calls themselves, which the IMB considered a backward step.
Applications to the IMB
Prisoners can apply to their IMB about any aspect of their treatment. This table shows application counts by category.
| Category | Current | Previous | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Recommendations (4)
Ministry of Justice: 1
HMPPS: 1
Governor / Director: 2
1 repeated
Recommendation 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
Mental Health
Recommendation 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
Overcrowding
Recommendation 3
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
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 ?
Governor / Director
Property
Recommendation 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
Safety
Other IMB Reports for Chelmsford
HMIP Inspections
Recent inspections by HM Inspectorate of Prisons for this establishment.
22 Jan 2024
Unannounced
Safety: 2
Respect: 2
Activity: 2
Release: 2
PPO Fatal Incidents
Prisons and Probation Ombudsman fatal incident investigations for this establishment.