Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the effect of the January 2021 covid-19 restrictions on the mental and emotional wellbeing of children with (a) mothers and (b) fathers in the prison system.

NHS England & Improvement and NHS Wales are responsible for the assessment of the mental health needs of those in prison. Whilst regime restrictions introduced to control the spread of COVID-19 have saved lives, we recognise that these measures may exacerbate the mental health needs of those in our care. It is therefore vital that these restrictions are proportionate.

Family contact provides a crucial lifeline for those in our care. It is important that those in prison are actively able to maintain outside contacts and meaningful family ties, especially with their children. Being able to communicate with those outside is part of providing a safe and decent environment for prisoners and contributes to a reduction in self-harm and suicide In response to the initial lockdown, we acted quickly to ensure that prisoners could stay in touch with their loved ones, providing 1,500 secure mobile handsets, every prisoner with at least £5 PIN credit per week and introduced secure video calls which are now available in all prisons at no cost to families.

Mother and Baby Units have operated in women’s prisons for a number of years, they enable mothers to have their children with them in prison during an important period of bonding. The units are often praised in HMIP reports. There are also many ad hoc provisions such as Storybook Dads which help to maintain contact with younger children.

HMPPS continues to balance the delivery of activities and time out of cell that is both decent and COVID-safe, striving for as generous as possible regime offer with necessary restrictions in place focusing on protecting the health and lives of staff and residents. The lifting of some restrictions within our establishments will be done carefully and gradually, and only when it is judged to be appropriate for each individual site, noting the risks that the prison estate continues to manage.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the regime restrictions introduced in response to it have brought new and different challenges, but maintaining safety, mental health and wellbeing of prisoners remains a priority. We have produced a range of products to support Governors in devising and implementing local safety and welfare plans designed to mitigate risks. This has included resources for staff assisting prison residents who might be struggling, such as guidance on understanding and supporting someone who is self-harming.

To support wellbeing and address anxiety and boredom, we have developed distraction packs, in cell activities and a range of self-help materials, including a Wellbeing Plan, created with input from mental health charity Mind. The Samaritans phone service has remained available and we are working with them to ensure their Listener scheme continues to facilitate peer support between prisoners.