Prison
Cat Category B local, YOI
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Chelmsford
IMB Annual Report 2020 · Published 4 December 2020
HMP/YOI Chelmsford experienced a challenging year, with the latter half dominated by a restrictive COVID-19 lockdown which successfully prevented prisoner infections but curtailed regime activities. The Board raised significant concerns including overcrowding, the poor condition of A-wing, insufficient post-release accommodation, and issues with equality and mental health provision. Despite these failings, often attributed to government policy, the Board commended staff dedication and professionalism.
Positive Findings
The Board commended the Governor and staff for their efforts during a difficult year, especially in preventing COVID-19 infection. Positive developments included reductions in violence and self-harm in the first half, improved staff training, the introduction of a youth council, continued efforts in education and work, and increased key worker allocation. Refurbishment work on several wings improved the environment, and food provision remained good. Healthcare response times improved for correctly submitted complaints, and the library was fully staffed. The prison also maintained good relationships with visitors and external agencies like Nacro, although lockdown impacted their services.
Key Concerns
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
the poor condition of A-wing – in particular, the segregation unit: this wing needs major refurbishment to make it fit for purpose.
Overcrowding
overcrowding: 288 of the 690 prisoners are in shared cells, which is in conflict with the requirements of decency and respect, and is in contravention of the United Nations standard minimum rules for the treatment of prisoners.
Resettlement/Release
Repeated
the lack of permanent accommodation for prisoners on release: towards the end of our reporting year, just 28% left with an offer of accommodation.
Estate/Conditions
maintenance: the government-owned facilities management company, Gov Facility Services Limited (GFSL), is not sufficiently proactive, with the result that want of servicing and maintenance too often leads to the failure of essential and costly equipment. This is of particular concern in the kitchen.
Equality/Diversity
equality: this area was not given a sufficiently high priority. It is acknowledged that ‘equalities’ is a regular agenda item at other meetings (for example, segregation monitoring and review group (SMARG), safer custody and mental health) but the overarching focus on equality was reduced when the head of equalities role was added to that of the head of safer prisons. In addition, the equalities sub-group of the senior management team, which is supposed to meet on a two-monthly basis, held its last meeting in April 2019.
Mental Health
the use of healthcare beds to house prisoners whose mental health problems are such that they would be better served in a different type of institution.
Safety
Repeated
There were three deaths in custody during the year. The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman’s finding on one of these was that, when assessing whether the prisoner should be under observation, staff were guided too much by the prisoner’s presentation on the day of admission and not enough by his known risk factors, a criticism made in relation to a death in custody in the previous year as well.
Board Commentary
Staffing
The Board noted improved staff experience and training contributed to safety outcomes. While the number of key workers increased, staff shortages, especially post-lockdown, hindered their effectiveness, leading to only 2% of prisoners receiving sessions. The chaplaincy was commended for maintaining support despite reduced numbers. A new agreement will see five full-time POM posts created to support offender management.
Healthcare
Healthcare, provided by CRG, was the most frequent complaint area for the majority of the year, though complaints reduced during lockdown. Communication with CRG was challenging due to email system incompatibility. A significant concern was the use of healthcare beds for long-term mental health patients who should be in other institutions, hindered by a lack of community investment. Psychiatry provision had been reduced. Positively, CRG improved complaint response times for correctly submitted forms and plans to introduce direct GP calls to prisoners to reduce waiting times.
Regime & Daily Life
The reporting year was significantly impacted by COVID-19 lockdown, leading to a highly restrictive regime. New prisoners endured 14-day quarantine, and most spent 23 hours a day in shared cells. Social visits were suspended, and education, work, and gym access ceased. The prison mitigated these effects by providing televisions, increased phone calls, and learning materials. Pre-lockdown, the regime offered structured work, education, and association, which was curtailed to ensure safety during the pandemic, successfully preventing any prisoner COVID-19 infections.
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 | 5 | 20 | |
| Canteen, facility list, catalogue(s) | 2 | 8 | |
| Discipline, including adjudications; incentives and earned privileges; sanctions | 2 | 1 | |
| Equality | 4 | 10 | |
| Finance, including pay, private monies, spends | 1 | 1 | — |
| Food and kitchens | 3 | 6 | |
| Health, including physical, mental, social care | 27 | 47 | |
| Letters, visits, telephones, public protection restrictions | 15 | 8 | |
| Miscellaneous | 11 | 39 | |
| Property during transfer or in another establishment or location | 9 | 13 | |
| Property within this establishment | 16 | 55 | |
| Purposeful activity, including education, work, training, library, regime, time out of cell | 1 | 8 | |
| Sentence management, including home detention curfew, release on temporary licence, parole, release dates, recategorisation | 9 | 15 | |
| Staff/prisoner concerns, including bullying | 13 | 29 | |
| Transfers | 10 | 6 |
Recommendations (11)
Other: 5
Governor / Director: 6
6 repeated
Recommendation 1
to make every effort to eliminate overcrowding, which is in conflict with the requirements of decency and respect and is in contravention of the United Nations standard minimum rules for the treatment of prisoners
Other
(minister)
Overcrowding
Recommendation 1
Repeated
to continue to take steps to reduce the levels of violence, self-harm, bullying, drug taking and drug smuggling
Governor / Director
Safety
Recommendation 2
Repeated
to ensure that the funding allocated for the refurbishment of A wing, including the segregation unit, is retained
Other
(minister)
Estate
Recommendation 2
to make purposeful activity full time, and to make it difficult for convicted prisoners not to attend, so that they get the maximum opportunity to make themselves employable upon release
Governor / Director
Purposeful Activity
Recommendation 3
Repeated
to work with other government agencies to ensure that IS91 prisoners (those detained by the immigration authorities) are informed of the intention to deport at the earliest possible moment, not at the end of their term, which inevitably means that they are detained beyond the end of their sentence
Other
(minister)
Resettlement
Recommendation 3
to ensure that the equalities committee is given sufficient resources, and that it meets two-monthly
Governor / Director
Equality
Recommendation 4
Repeated
to exert influence to ensure the provision of suitable permanent accommodation for prisoners upon release, so that no prisoner ends up on the street
Other
(minister)
Resettlement
Recommendation 4
Repeated
to ensure that offender supervisors and key workers are given the time to perform their vital role, rather than being allocated to other duties at a moment’s notice.
Governor / Director
Staffing
Recommendation 5
to exert influence to ensure that the prison is not used to house people whose mental health problems are such that other institutions are more appropriate.
Other
(minister)
Mental Health
Recommendation 5
to continue to make every effort to maintain a clean and decent environment, including the elimination of accumulated rubbish around the exterior of the wings
Governor / Director
Estate
Recommendation 6
Repeated
to ensure that when staff assess whether newly arrived prisoners should be put on an assessment, care in custody and teamwork (ACCT) document, they are guided not just by the prisoner’s presentation on the day, but also by an understanding of the prisoner’s known risk factors.
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.