Prison
Cat C training
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Stafford
IMB Annual Report 2025 · Published 16 October 2025
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.
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.
Board Commentary
Staffing
Staff engagement and relationships with prisoners are generally positive. While keyworker session delivery has improved, it is still impacted by staffing levels, particularly due to escorts. Staff shortages also limited access to some vocational training schemes like bricklaying and led to occasional lockdowns impacting time out of cell. The library faced staffing issues, but this improved with new recruitment.
Healthcare
Healthcare standards are acceptable, particularly in managing a high number of elderly prisoners requiring complex care, medication, and escorts. However, the prison has a long-standing issue with legionella in the water supply, causing intermittent shower closures. A medication review led to temporary prisoner complaints but ultimately aimed for improved health. Mental health services faced leadership gaps, leading to significant waiting times (up to 34 weeks) for interventions.
Regime & Daily Life
HMP Stafford operates as a Category C training prison with mostly double cells, in-cell sanitation, and shower blocks. While the overall regime aims to maximise time out of cell safely, staffing levels sometimes led to lockdowns. A positive aspect is the provision of significant workshop space and well-maintained gardens for prisoner use. However, the relocation of the Senior Support Group (SSG) facility resulted in a loss of outdoor space and natural light, which is a concern.
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 | 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 |
Recommendations (9)
Ministry of Justice: 5
HMPPS: 2
Governor / Director: 2
1 repeated
Recommendation 1
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. Can the minister identify and authorise capital funding to address this long-standing issue?
Ministry of Justice
Healthcare
Recommendation 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
Estate
Recommendation 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
Regime
Recommendation 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
Estate
Recommendation 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
Regime
Recommendation 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
Resettlement
Recommendation 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
Resettlement
Recommendation 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
Resettlement
Recommendation 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
Resettlement
Other IMB Reports for Stafford
HMIP Inspections
Recent inspections by HM Inspectorate of Prisons for this establishment.
19 Nov 2024
Unannounced
Safety: 4
Respect: 4
Activity: 3
Release: 3
PPO Fatal Incidents
Prisons and Probation Ombudsman fatal incident investigations for this establishment.