A rise in violence and the availability of drugs were among the challenges for HMP Chelmsford, but managers were competent and had strengths to build on, said Peter Clarke, Chief Inspector of Prisons. Today he published the report of an unannounced inspection of the local prison in Essex.

HMP Chelmsford holds up to 745 mainly adult men. It comprises older accommodation built in the 1830s together with a similar amount of modern accommodation. Perceptions among prisoners aligned closely with where they were located. Those in older wings were far more negative about their experiences than those in the newer buildings. Recent inspections have described HMP Chelmsford as a basically decent institution doing its best despite some significant challenges. This inspection suggested that progress had stalled and there had been some deterioration. There was evidence to suggest problems were beginning to be addressed by the management team, building on some of the prison’s strengths.

Inspectors were concerned to find that:

• violence and bullying had increased sharply and there was evidence that this was linked to drugs and debt;
• prisoners on the older wings felt the least safe and those wings experienced a greater number of violent incidents;
• use of force had nearly doubled since the last inspection in 2014 and arrangements to account for its use were not good enough;
• there had been four self-inflicted deaths since the last inspection and a considerable increase in incidents of self-harm, but the prison was working to implement recommendations made after the investigation of these deaths and care for those at risk was reasonable;
• the older accommodation was overcrowded, difficult to maintain and difficult to keep clean;
• work to promote the interests of the small population of young adults had lapsed and the quality of health care had deteriorated;
• operational management of learning and skills was not good enough and although there was sufficient work and education for all prisoners to have at least some part-time activity, it was poorly allocated, leaving many prisoners with nothing to do; and
• offender management work was poor and undermined by staff shortages, and poor quality casework.

However, inspectors were pleased to find that:

• the prison seemed to be reasonably settled and prisoners’ perceptions of safety had not change since the last inspection in 2014, with about a fifth of all prisoners feeling unsafe;
• reception and induction arrangements were basically sound;
• security was managed reasonably well and although the availability of drugs, in particular new psychoactive substances, was a big problem, the prison was taking this seriously;
• some very good relationships between staff and prisoners was an institutional strength;
• most prisoners had a reasonable amount of time out of cell; and
• there was a good range of resettlement provision but a lack of reliable data meant it was difficult to establish how effective some provision was.

Peter Clarke said:

“Chelmsford was a prison in transition. Overall it was competently run with obvious strengths to build on, despite some disappointing findings. Recent operational challenges, particularly around violence and drugs, had taken a toll and there were a number of strategic challenges such as health care, offender management and, most important of all, improving the treatment and conditions of those held in the older accommodation. The governor and his team seemed to be working hard to deal with these priorities and we are optimistic that they will get to grips with the issues we have highlighted.”

 

Notes to editors:    

1. Read the report.
2. HM Inspectorate of Prisons is an independent inspectorate, inspecting places of detention to report on conditions and treatment, and promote positive outcomes for those detained and the public.
3. HMP Chelmsford is a category B local and resettlement prison for adult and young adult males.
4. This unannounced inspection was carried out from 4-15 April 2016.
5. Please contact Jane Parsons in HM Inspectorate of Prisons press office on 020 3681 2775 or 07880 787452 if you would like more information.