Population 741 (as of May 2009) Governor P J Butler Phone +44 1785 773000 | Managed by HM Prison Services Opened 1793 | |
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Address 54 Gaol Rd, Stafford ST16 3AW, UK Security class Prisoner security categories in the United Kingdom Similar HM Prison Hewell, HM Prison Huntercombe, HM Prison Stocken, HM Prison Buckley Hall, Southwark Crown Court | ||
HM Prison Stafford is a Category C men's prison, located in Stafford, Staffordshire, England. The prison is operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service. In 2014 it became a sex offender-only jail.
Contents
History
Her Majesty's Prison at Stafford was originally constructed and opened in 1793. It was substantially enlarged by a building development programme of works in the 19th Century.
Early history
Among its early prisoners was George Smith, who served several sentences for theft in the facility and began his later work as a hangman while still a prisoner, assisting William Calcraft. He officiated at several executions in the prison later in his life, including that of the convicted poisoner William Palmer in 1866.
Prisoner of War facility 1916
H.M.P. Stafford was used to incarcerate prisoners of war from the defeated Fenian revolution in April 1916.
A number of the Republican prisoners later left accounts of their time in Stafford, James Kavanagh, "I forgot to mention that in Stafford prison, besides the two buildings I've mentioned there was another building, I forget its name, in which British conscientious objectors were placed. The term conscientious objector may not now be understood. It was applied to those who for religious or other reasons had an objection to fighting or the taking of human life. Compulsory military service or conscription had been introduced into Great Britain, and when these people were called up they refused to come. They were then arrested, charged and sentenced. They were subjected to all sorts of cruelties and indignities."
Closure
The facility was closed in late 1916 and mothballed for two decades, re-opening on the commencement of World War 2 in 1939.
Security concerns in the 1990s
In November 1998, an inspection report from Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons heavily criticised security at H.M.P. Stafford after it emerged that prisoners were smuggling in illegal drugs for consumption within the facility. Inmates were fashioning strips of paper into planes, then attaching lines to them and flying them over the 19-foot (5.8-metre) perimeter wall. The lines were then used to pull packages containing prohibited substances back over the wall. The facility was also criticised for being overcrowded, under-resourced, and failing to adequately prepare prisoners for release.
2003 reports
In March 2003, the Prison Reform Trust singled out Stafford Prison for concern over the high turnover rate in its Governor's Post. The Trust noted that H.M.P. Stafford had employed four different Governors in only five years, and that such unstable leadership would not be tolerated in schools or hospitals. The Trust also highlighted prison officers' absenteeism through sickness leave being an issue of concern.
In October 2003 a further report from the Chief Inspector praised improvements at Stafford Prison. H.M.P. Stafford was labelled as becoming an effective training prison specialising in helping vulnerable prisoners and sex offenders. Considerable advance had also been made in reducing the supply of narcotics into the prison, and in addressing drug addiction treatment. However the report also highlighted concerns over poor exercise facilities for prisoners, and whether foreign prisoners had enough access to specialised help.
Security enhancement works
In October 2003 a new entrance gateway system came into operation at Stafford to upgrade the facility's security.
The prison today
H.M.P. Stafford is a classed as a Category 'C' Prison facility for male adults. In addition the prison also incarcerates a number of vulnerable prisoners (mainly sex offenders). It is divided into two separate Regimes, half for standard prisoners, and half for vulnerable prisoners. Those classed as 'Vulnerable' prisoners are housed in E and F Wings. The 'Standard' prisoners are housed in A, B, C, and D Wings, with G Wing having a mixed population. Accommodation at the prison consists mainly of double-occupancy cells, excepting G Wing which is single occupancy.