Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what discussions his Department has had with Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Prisons on trends in the (a) weight of drugs, (b) number of mobile phones and (c) number of SIM cards found in HMP Parc in 2023.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
HMPPS takes the findings of every HMI Prisons inspection seriously and responds to each with a detailed action plan that seeks to address all concerns raised within the inspection report. For privately run prisons, HMPPS works closely with the Prison operator to ensure that the expected standards are met, through the local controller team and contractual escalation route, if required. HMPPS officials meet with HMIP regularly to discuss the general landscape across the prison estate and will continue to do so. HMP and YOI Parc assess all prisoners who transfer into the prison including reviewing all previous information held on the prisoners to inform intelligence.
HMPPS continues to work extensively with G4S and is closely overseeing the prison to improve safety and reduce harm. All establishments are required to have a safety strategy in place, which includes actions to address violence. HMPPS remains committed to providing a safe, decent and secure environment for all committed to our care.
As HMP and YOI Parc is a privately operated prison, HMPPS do not hold data relating to the G4S workforce, and recruitment of healthcare staff is the responsibility of the Local Health Board, therefore, HMPPS are not the data holder for healthcare staffing information.
The information requested on finds in prisons is published at HMPPS annual digest: HMPPS Annual Digest, April 2022 to March 2023 - GOV.UK, specifically in tables 8.2b, 8.3 and 8.4 of this link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/64c143b41e10bf000e17cf9e/8.__Finds.ods.
Data on assaults are found in tables 8a-8f: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/662a24fb690acb1c0ba7e57c/Safety-in-custody-summary-q4-2023_final_table.xlsx.
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what discussions his Department has had with G4S on trends in the (a) weight of drugs, (b) number of mobile phones and (c) number of SIM cards found in HMP Parc in 2023.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
HMPPS takes the findings of every HMI Prisons inspection seriously and responds to each with a detailed action plan that seeks to address all concerns raised within the inspection report. For privately run prisons, HMPPS works closely with the Prison operator to ensure that the expected standards are met, through the local controller team and contractual escalation route, if required. HMPPS officials meet with HMIP regularly to discuss the general landscape across the prison estate and will continue to do so. HMP and YOI Parc assess all prisoners who transfer into the prison including reviewing all previous information held on the prisoners to inform intelligence.
HMPPS continues to work extensively with G4S and is closely overseeing the prison to improve safety and reduce harm. All establishments are required to have a safety strategy in place, which includes actions to address violence. HMPPS remains committed to providing a safe, decent and secure environment for all committed to our care.
As HMP and YOI Parc is a privately operated prison, HMPPS do not hold data relating to the G4S workforce, and recruitment of healthcare staff is the responsibility of the Local Health Board, therefore, HMPPS are not the data holder for healthcare staffing information.
The information requested on finds in prisons is published at HMPPS annual digest: HMPPS Annual Digest, April 2022 to March 2023 - GOV.UK, specifically in tables 8.2b, 8.3 and 8.4 of this link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/64c143b41e10bf000e17cf9e/8.__Finds.ods.
Data on assaults are found in tables 8a-8f: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/662a24fb690acb1c0ba7e57c/Safety-in-custody-summary-q4-2023_final_table.xlsx.
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Action Plan: HMP Parc following the July 2022 HM Inspectorate of Prisons report, published on 11 October 2022, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the review of the current suite of available technology to detect drugs and mobile phones at HMP Parc.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Ministry of Justice continues to focus on the use technology to disrupt the supply of drugs, mobile phones and other illicit items into prisons, including through assessing the provision of equipment across the prison estate.
Following His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons report published on 11 October 2022, HMP/YOI Parc have worked towards implementing the recommendations identified in the action plan, with a successful bid submitted via G4S for an additional itemiser and X-Ray body scanner.
Across the wider estate our £100 million Security Investment Programme, aimed at reducing crime in prisons, completed in March 2022. It included funding to reduce smuggling of illicit items, including drugs, and our measures are producing results.
This investment delivered 75 additional X-ray body scanners, resulting in full coverage across the closed adult male estate. As of October 2023, we had recorded over 46,900 positive indications, helping tackle the supply of drugs into prisons.
Furthermore, in January of this year we introduced new 400 metre Restricted Fly Zones around all closed prisons and young offender institutions in England and Wales. This makes it easier for prison staff and the police to identify illicit drones and take action to disrupt them, intercept any contraband and pursue prosecution.
Since 2016, HMPPS has helped the police secure more than 75 convictions from criminal drone activity around prisons. Those convicted have been sentenced to a combined total of over 265 years behind bars.
HMPPS is working hard to conduct assessments all across the prison estate to implement a range of physical upgrades and countermeasures to prevent drones from reaching their target destinations.
May. 16 2024
Source Page: PACE Codes H and I 2024Found: .................................. 58 16 Testing persons for the presence of specified Class A drugs
May. 16 2024
Source Page: PACE Codes H and I 2024Found: ..................................... 730 15.Testing persons for the presence of specified Class A drugs
Mentions:
1: Constance, Angela (SNP - Almond Valley) the forefront of managing the situation, and I would like to thank all those who are working in our prisons - Speech Link
2: Dowey, Sharon (Con - South Scotland) The SNP’s failures to deliver new prisons on time and on budget have had a damaging impact on prison - Speech Link
3: Findlay, Russell (Con - West Scotland) This Government is entirely responsible for Scotland’s prisons and has been since 2007. - Speech Link
4: Constance, Angela (SNP - Almond Valley) My work in that regard started when I was Minister for Drugs Policy, working on access to recovery and - Speech Link
5: MacGregor, Fulton (SNP - Coatbridge and Chryston) I, too, welcome the statement and the measures to keep our prisons safe.What additional supports will - Speech Link
May. 16 2024
Source Page: Criminal Justice System statistics quarterly: December 2023Found: Estimation p rocess part 1 – matching with prisons remand receptions Magistrates’ court remands data
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the £100m Security Investment Programme in preventing drugs being smuggled into prisons since March 2022.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Government’s £100m Security Investment Programme, aimed at reducing the conveyance of illicit items such as drugs, was completed in March 2022.
This investment delivered 75 additional X-ray body scanners resulting in full coverage across the closed adult male estate. As of October 2023, we have recorded 46,925 positive indications, helping to tackle the smuggling of drugs and other illicit items into prisons.
The investment also funded Enhanced Gate Security at 42 high-risk sites, enhancing our routine searching of staff and visitors. Over 140 new staff were recruited into the Counter-Corruption Unit through the Security Investment Programme. This includes regional Prevent teams dedicated to building staff resilience through training, awareness raising and individual support, as well as 20 Police Investigators dedicated to investigating corruption within HMPPS.
As part of this investment, we are undertaking a full evaluation for the Security Investment Programme. The evaluation explores whether the programme has achieved its intended outcomes, how the programme has been delivered, whether it has been delivered as intended and to identify factors which further strengthen its effectiveness.
May. 15 2024
Source Page: Whatton Prison: Action PlanFound: Report on an unannounced inspection of HMP Whatton by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons 15–25 January
May. 15 2024
Source Page: Whatton Prison: Action PlanFound: Report on an unannounced inspection of HMP Whatton by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons 15–25 January