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HM Prison Chelmsford is a Category B men's prison and Young Offenders Institution, located in Chelmsford, Essex, England. The prison is operated by His Majesty's Prison Service.
Safety: 4.1 Reception and induction The Board noted that officers in reception generally had a positive attitude to their job and we received little feedback from prisoners regarding safety concerns. Although the incident described below was certainly not typical of working practices in reception, it is worth noting, as it shows how problems can arise through thoughtlessness or lack of care. On a weekday [...]
Respect: 5.1 Accommodation, clothing, food Overcrowding is always the most significant issue within HMP Chelmsford and we, again, report that nothing has changed in the last 12-months. A significant - and constantly changing - number of prisoners shared cells designed for one. Accommodation in E, F and G wings remained reasonable, but the old Victorian wings - A, B, C and D - continued to be a cause for [...]
Purposeful activity: In May 2025, the library manager was frustrated that staff shortages meant fewer prisoners were able to visit the library. She would usually expect 50-60 prisoners per day, but sometimes only 10 or 20 visited. An outreach service is offered, but she would prefer the prisoners to visit the library to benefit from her well-presented service. Inexperienced prison officers caused problems, in the [...]
Preparation for release: During the reporting year, external adjudications, conducted via video link in the presence of a judge, were frequently disrupted by administrative errors in paperwork and witness availability, resulting in unnecessary and frustrating adjournments. In one instance, a case was postponed because the prisoner had not received a copy of the restrictions order in advance, and the officer required to [...]
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4.1 Reception and induction The Board noted that officers in reception generally had a positive attitude to their job and we received little feedback from prisoners regarding safety concerns. Although the incident described below was certainly not typical of working practices in reception, it is worth noting, as it shows how problems can arise through thoughtlessness or lack of care. On a weekday in January 2025, IMB members visited reception at around 2pm and saw five prisoners in a holding cell. The prisoners complained about their treatment, as they had not had anything to eat since breakfast. The Board learned that a late-running bus (operated by Serco, the private company contracted to provide prisoner transport) - which was being used to transfer them out of HMP Chelmsford - was carrying their lunches as is the usual process. Reception officers confirmed the prisoners had not been fed. The Board was later able to confirm with the kitchen manager that he would have been able to provide food if reception officers had made a request on behalf of the five hungry prisoners. The Board was aware that, due to challenges of scheduling, some vulnerable prisoners (VPs) occasionally had to wait a couple of weeks for their prison induction. This resulted in those prisoners complaining that they were unable to attend education or other meaningful activity. We also received complaints from some prisoners about not being allowed to go to education or other meaningful activity. For [...]
5.1 Accommodation, clothing, food Overcrowding is always the most significant issue within HMP Chelmsford and we, again, report that nothing has changed in the last 12-months. A significant - and constantly changing - number of prisoners shared cells designed for one. Accommodation in E, F and G wings remained reasonable, but the old Victorian wings - A, B, C and D - continued to be a cause for concern. In February 2025, staff on D wing, which houses 63 prisoners, gradually began moving out prisoners in preparation for much-needed fire safety improvements throughout the prison. Over 10 weeks, the prisoners were gradually decanted to other wings. This process was well handled by the CM in charge and went off with only a few issues. The fire safety work was due to begin on 7 April 2025 but was delayed. Then management was instructed to re-open D wing for a minimum of eight weeks, due to continuing population pressures across the whole prison estate. Again, this was achieved with minimum disruption. D wing was again closed in July 2025 so that work could finally begin. The roll-out of the Launchpad platform (which provides secure laptops in prisoners' cells, enabling access to a range of digital services and content) made a real difference to the lives of many prisoners. Every prisoner we spoke to said the system made a positive impact on their lives. One said he liked the ability to sort out issues for himself. Another said he enjoyed not having to be reliant on officers. The [...]
In May 2025, the library manager was frustrated that staff shortages meant fewer prisoners were able to visit the library. She would usually expect 50-60 prisoners per day, but sometimes only 10 or 20 visited. An outreach service is offered, but she would prefer the prisoners to visit the library to benefit from her well-presented service. Inexperienced prison officers caused problems, in the Board’s view. In one case, an officer left a challenging prisoner alone in the library with the manager, who felt unsafe. The Board was impressed by some initiatives, which were of great benefit to the prisoners. These included: • Storybook Dads, where prisoners pre-record stories for their children. • Raising Readers, where prisoners and their children select a title and a copy is given to both, enabling them to share the same story. • Rhyme Time: a nursery rhyme session for fathers with young children. July 2025 was the prison’s reading celebration month, with activities and events around reading for both staff and prisoners, with prominent notices on walls around the prison. Also, there has been a children’s art competition, where drawings were submitted from children, grandchildren, nieces, and nephews, using different media, and linked to a poem or book. ‘Reducing reoffending’ was an initiative introduced in August 2025 for a month. On arriving in the establishment, prisoners were offered a book to read to help ease the transition into prison life. The education provider at HMP [...]
During the reporting year, external adjudications, conducted via video link in the presence of a judge, were frequently disrupted by administrative errors in paperwork and witness availability, resulting in unnecessary and frustrating adjournments. In one instance, a case was postponed because the prisoner had not received a copy of the restrictions order in advance, and the officer required to attend the hearing was unavailable. Additionally, poor sound quality on the laptop made it almost impossible for the prisoner to hear the judge; this issue was subsequently resolved by repairing the IT port and purchasing a new speaker, a step which, in the Board’s view, should have been taken much earlier. On 10 April 2025, HMP Chelmsford hosted Abdul Bangura as a guest speaker in the library. Abdul shared his story, describing how he rebuilt his life after serving five-and-a- half years in prison, initially by founding a meal preparation service before finding his niche in running an aviation services company. Abdul’s visit, entitled, ‘From the wing to wings’, was well attended. He spoke about the importance of self-belief, second chances, and building a positive future. A member of the IMB met Abdul during his visit and was impressed by his authenticity and dedication. The Board noted the positive impact Abdul’s story had on prisoners. The Board enjoyed a very good working relationship with offender management unit (OMU) across a broad range of subjects. The Board has been [...]
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