Prison
Cat C
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Stafford
IMB Annual Report 2024 · Published 5 September 2024
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
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
Staffing
Constant change in Number One Governor, causing churn and potential impact on long-term strategy.
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
Persistent legionella presence in the water supply, leading to significant expenditure, inconvenience for prisoners and staff, and ongoing flushing/testing.
Staffing
Repeated
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.
Resettlement/Release
Repeated
Continued failure to address the release requirements of IPP prisoners, leading to frustration, lack of hope, and feelings of injustice.
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
Deteriorating condition of roadways within the prison, posing health and safety risks, with significant work remaining to be done despite some recent repairs.
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
Ongoing shower refurbishment and legionella outbreaks negatively impacting prisoners without in-cell showers, with only 63-75% of showers working at times.
Food/Catering
Impact of cost of living increases on food budgets, resulting in reduced menu choices and restricted availability of some items.
Segregation
Untimely notification from the prison regarding Rule 45 hearings, limiting the Board's ability to monitor these segregation placements.
Equality/Diversity
Insufficient budget allocation (£1500) for neurodiversity support, despite 40% of prisoners being neurodiverse and the importance of this area.
Resettlement/Release
Repeated
Persistently high number of property issues, particularly concerning items lost during prisoner transfers, a known national problem.
Healthcare
Repeated
Healthcare consulting rooms and facilities are not fully fit for purpose, with little improvement and some deterioration since previous inspections, impacting service delivery.
Resettlement/Release
Difficulty in securing work for prisoners convicted of sexual offences, and prisoners’ perception of very low pay for workshop activities compared to other prisons.
Resettlement/Release
HMP Stafford is not designated or resourced as a resettlement prison, potentially limiting the scope of resettlement services.
Other
Repeated
Recruitment and retention of IMB Board members remains a major issue, impacting the Board's capacity.
Board Commentary
Staffing
Despite some improvement in staff shortages, there was still an impact on the prison's normal running, leading to lost activities and wing closures due to staff illness, bed watches, emergency hospital visits, and detached duty directives. While HMP Stafford's staffing resources are better than many other prisons, explaining detached duty requirements, this causes frustration for prisoners. The total staff number had reduced by 13 compared to the previous year, yet management pressure successfully increased the number and quality of key worker sessions.
Healthcare
The management of medicines by Practice Plus Group has significantly improved since previous severe criticism, with automated dispensing lockers enhancing prisoner experience. Mental health support is strong, with invaluable services from the Samaritans and mental health specialists. However, healthcare consulting rooms and facilities remain suboptimal, and have shown little change or even worsened since previous inspections (e.g., dental suite issues), impacting the team's ability to deliver duties effectively. The prison also struggles to adapt to all social care needs due to its age and building design.
Regime & Daily Life
Staff shortages significantly impacted the daily regime, leading to cancellations of activities like social video calls and wing closures. Prisoners expressed little understanding or empathy when locked in cells due to issues at other prisons or staffing. Despite these challenges, staff managed prisoner frustration well, preventing significant disturbances. Overall, 94% of prisoners were purposefully engaged in education and activities, reflecting dedicated efforts in rehabilitative culture.
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 | 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 |
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.