Prisons: Publications

(asked on 25th March 2022) - View Source

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether prisons prevent or restrict friends and family of prisoners sending them books and magazines from (a) Amazon and (b) other sellers.


Answered by
Victoria Atkins Portrait
Victoria Atkins
Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
This question was answered on 4th April 2022

We appreciate the essential role books play in prison and the value they hold for prisoners, particularly where restricted regimes are in place that may mean prisoners are spending more time in their cells. We also recognise how important they are for rehabilitation purposes.

The Incentives Policy Framework (IPF) outlines a list of 9 approved retailers from which family and friends can send books into prisoners; this list does not currently include Amazon. The approved retailers scheme is often a more efficient method of getting books to prisoners and helps to reduce demand on searching procedures. However, family and friends of prisoners are not restricted to using this route and are free to send books to prisoners directly or hand them in at social visits. The IPF directs Governors to ensure there are procedures in place to check books for illicit enclosures.

For magazines there is a different arrangement, separate to the approved retailer scheme. At the discretion of the establishment, they can only be purchased by prisoners through the use of local supplier agreements using their private cash or prison earnings.

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