Prisoners

(asked on 18th November 2014) - View Source

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many hours were spent in cells on average on Saturdays and Sundays by (a) male and (b) female prisoners for the latest period for which information is available.


Answered by
Andrew Selous Portrait
Andrew Selous
Second Church Estates Commissioner
This question was answered on 25th November 2014

Up until the end of 2011-12 information was collected on the average hours per weekday that prisoners were unlocked. By subtracting the average hours unlocked from the 24 hours in a day it is possible to estimate hours spent locked in cell.

For 2011-12, across male establishments the estimated average time in cell was 14.5 hours per weekday; in the female estate the estimated average was 13.6 hours per prisoner per week day.

Figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

It should be noted that time in cell includes hours when prisoners are asleep. Time unlocked includes time where a prisoner is either out of their cell or where the cell door is unlocked allowing them to move freely in and out of the cell.

Time unlocked was discontinued as a performance indicator for prisons at the end of 2011-12 because it was not used in the day-to-day management of prisons .

Figures for weekends and for subsequent periods could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Indicators introduced into prison SLAs in respect of rehabilitation, resettlement and work in prisons provide a better demonstration of efforts to prepare prisoners for release and reduce reoffending.

Too many prisoners have been passing their time in a state of idleness, and that is why under our reforms to the Incentives and Earned Privileges national policy framework, which came into effect in adult prisons on 1 November 2013, prisoners are now expected to engage in purposeful activity, as well as demonstrate a commitment towards their rehabilitation, reduce their risk of reoffending, behave well and help others if they are to earn privileges.

Work in prisons is a key priority to ensure prisoners are engaged in real work whilst they are in custody. It also gives them the opportunity to learn skills and a work ethic which can increase their chances of finding employment on release, a key element to reducing reoffending.

The number of prisoners working in industrial activity reported by public sector prisons increased from around 8,600 in 2010-11 (the first year for which figures are available) to around 9,900 in 2013-14. This delivered an increase in the total hours worked in industrial activities from 10.6 million hours to 14.2 million hours, as published in the National Offender Management Service Annual Report 2013-14: Management Information Addendum: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/prison-and-probation-trusts-performance-statistics-201314.

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