An inspector has called on the Government to take immediate action at Chelmsford prison due to its apparent failure to tackle concerns over safety and violence.

HM Chief Inspector of Prisons Charlie Taylor has issued a rare Urgent Notification (UN) which requires immediate action from the Secretary of State for Justice.

Inspectors visited the jail earlier this month and identified numerous ‘significant concerns’ about the treatment and conditions of prisoners.

Performance at Chelmsford has been assessed as ‘deteriorating’ since 2014.

After their latest visit, inspectors said they found “chronic and apparently intractable failings”.

Concerns were raised over safety, a negative staff culture, lack of management and prisoner’s daily regimes.

There has been eight self-inflicted deaths at the prison since 2018, with a further non-natural deaths in that period.

Mr Taylor said his findings were particularly disappointing as his predecessor, Peter Clarke, had decided against instigating the UN protocol at the last full inspection in 2018.

Mr. Clarke thought there may be grounds for some “cautious optimism”, but, Mr Taylor disagreed, stating: “We found that the optimism expressed three years ago was misplaced.

“The latest inspection has shown that these improvements have not materialised.”

In a letter outlining his findings, Mr Taylor added: "HMP & YOI Chelmsford is a violent, unsafe prison in which conditions for prisoners have declined disturbingly over recent years, despite attempts by HMPPS to support improvement.

"Many failings stem from a negative and demoralised staff culture which results in little apparent concern for (or attention to) the welfare and basic needs of a complex and, at times, vulnerable population.

“Chelmsford will not improve without a sustained drive to make sure that all staff members take responsibility for ensuring safety, decency and engagement with training and education in a meaningful regime.

"This will require strong, consistent leadership at all levels within the prison and much more effective support from HMPPS than the approach it has taken in recent years, which failed completely to arrest the drift and decline which must have been obvious to the service.”

A new governor was appointed at Chelmsford prison after it was placed in special measures in 2018. 

Inspectors said it was too early to tell if a proposed Prison Performance Support Plan (PPSP) has worked at the prison following this month's visit. 

The Chelmsford Urgent Notification is the ninth time the protocol has been used since it was introduced in 2017.

The Chief Inspector writes publicly to the Secretary of State for Justice who is required to respond within 28 days with plans to improve the prison.