Asked by: David Lammy (Labour - Tottenham)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, as of 12 February 2021, which (a) prisons and (b) Youth Offender Institutions have more than 10 suspected or confirmed cases of covid-19 among the prisoner population.
Answered by Lucy Frazer
We have well-developed policies and procedures in place to manage outbreaks and infectious diseases. This means prisons and probation services are well prepared to take immediate action whenever cases or suspected cases are identified. Our measures so far have included restricting regimes, minimising inter-prison transfers and compartmentalising our prisons into different units to isolate the sick, shield the vulnerable and quarantine new arrivals.
Recognising the unique environment in prisons, we routinely test staff and offenders to bolster our defences against the virus, and conduct mass testing in outbreak sites – meaning we can identify more cases, isolate them earlier and move quickly to contain outbreaks and protect the NHS.
The below table shows the establishments which had more than 10 and 50 open positive cases as of 15 February 2021. Open positive cases are individuals who have tested positive and are either still in their isolation period or are still showing symptoms. Establishments that had more than 50 cases are not listed in the more than ten group, and no prisons or YOIs have more than 100 such cases.
More than 10 open cases | Altcourse, Bedford, Berwyn, Birmingham, Brinsford, Buckley Hall, Cardiff, Chelmsford, Drake Hall, Erlestoke, Gartree, Guys Marsh, High Down, Hindley, Lewes, Manchester, Moorland, Pentonville, Peterborough (Male), Ranby, Risley, Rye Hill, Stafford, Stocken, Stoke Heath, Thorn Cross, Wakefield, Wandsworth, Whatton and Wormwood Scrubs. |
More than 50 open cases | Durham, Humber, Isle of Wight, Lindholme, New Hall, Oakwood, Verne, Wayland and Winchester |
It should be noted that although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system. Much of the data collected during the COVID-19 pandemic has been done at pace, with recording practices evolving as we understand more about the requirements and conditions we are facing. In order to present the timeliest information, the data presented in this table have not been subjected to the usual standard of quality assurance associated with official statistics.
Asked by: Baroness Brown of Silvertown (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to his Department’s announcement of 25 January 2021, which prisons each of the 24 additional x-ray scanners will be installed in; which prisons will have x-ray scanners installed by 25 January 2021; and how much of the £100 million spend on prison security will be spent on those 24 additional x-ray scanners.
Answered by Lucy Frazer
HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) is taking decisive action to stop mobile phones and illicit substances entering prison, and investing £100m to bolster prison security and tackle crime behind bars which fuels violence and self-harm. As part of this investment, 51 prisons across England and Wales will receive cutting edge X-ray body scanners which will assist in the detection of illicit articles secreted within prisoners entering establishments.
We have already installed a significant proportion of those planned within this financial year. As of 25 January 2021, we had installed X-ray body Scanners at 40 sites across England and Wales, which are listed below. This includes some not yet announced, which are indicated in bold. We will shortly be announcing which further sites are to be delivered by the end of March 2021.
Durham | Liverpool | Preston | Lincoln | Bedford | Pentonville |
Wandsworth | Norwich | Chelmsford | Birmingham | Hewell | Winchester |
Exeter | Elmley | Cardiff | Bristol | Belmarsh | Aylesbury |
Bullingdon | Lewes | Swaleside | Brixton | Highdown | Brinsford |
Swansea | Garth | Hindley | Gartree | Leicester | Highpoint |
Wayland | Erlestoke | Guys Marsh | Wymott | Deerbolt | Featherstone |
Risley | Channings Wood | Lowdham Grange | Lancaster Farms |
|
|
With regards to the final part of the question ‘how much of the £100 million spend on prison security will be spent on those 24 additional x-ray scanners,’ due to the commercially sensitive nature of this information, HMPPS is unable to provide this figure.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many London prison staff have died from covid-19.
Answered by Lucy Frazer
The safety of our staff and those under our supervision remains a top priority. We have taken quick and decisive action – backed by Public Health England and Wales – to limit the spread of the virus across all prison establishments.
Due to the current risk level posed by Covid-19, all adult prisons are currently operating a Stage Four regime, as outlined in our National Framework (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-national-framework-for-prison-regimes-and-services). This involves restrictions to reduce contact between people and therefore reduce the chance of transmission. We are keeping the level of restriction necessary under close review. We must continue to respond in a measured way in line with public health advice to ensure our approach is proportionate and legitimate, as we have done throughout.
Staff deaths in London prisons related to COVID-19 up until 31st October, includes deaths where HMPPS staff have died having tested positive for COVID-19 or where there was a clinical assessment that COVID-19 was a contributory factor in their death. These figures include both directly and non-directly employed staff. This information is published on a quarterly basis and the next publication is scheduled for 18 February 2021.
The prisons listed are those within the London Prison Group.
Belmarsh | - |
Brixton | - |
Feltham | - |
Highdown | - |
Isis | - |
Pentonville | 2 |
Thameside | 1 |
Wandsworth | - |
Wormwood Scrubs | - |
Total | 3 |
As of Friday 29 January, all establishments listed, with the exception of Feltham, currently have a declared Covid-19 outbreak. An outbreak is defined as two or more prisoners or detainees or staff in the prescribed place of detention who meet the case definition for COVID-19 or have a positive test result and among whom transmission was likely to have occurred within a 14-day period.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisons in London are experiencing a covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Lucy Frazer
The safety of our staff and those under our supervision remains a top priority. We have taken quick and decisive action – backed by Public Health England and Wales – to limit the spread of the virus across all prison establishments.
Due to the current risk level posed by Covid-19, all adult prisons are currently operating a Stage Four regime, as outlined in our National Framework (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-national-framework-for-prison-regimes-and-services). This involves restrictions to reduce contact between people and therefore reduce the chance of transmission. We are keeping the level of restriction necessary under close review. We must continue to respond in a measured way in line with public health advice to ensure our approach is proportionate and legitimate, as we have done throughout.
Staff deaths in London prisons related to COVID-19 up until 31st October, includes deaths where HMPPS staff have died having tested positive for COVID-19 or where there was a clinical assessment that COVID-19 was a contributory factor in their death. These figures include both directly and non-directly employed staff. This information is published on a quarterly basis and the next publication is scheduled for 18 February 2021.
The prisons listed are those within the London Prison Group.
Belmarsh | - |
Brixton | - |
Feltham | - |
Highdown | - |
Isis | - |
Pentonville | 2 |
Thameside | 1 |
Wandsworth | - |
Wormwood Scrubs | - |
Total | 3 |
As of Friday 29 January, all establishments listed, with the exception of Feltham, currently have a declared Covid-19 outbreak. An outbreak is defined as two or more prisoners or detainees or staff in the prescribed place of detention who meet the case definition for COVID-19 or have a positive test result and among whom transmission was likely to have occurred within a 14-day period.
Asked by: Baroness Brown of Silvertown (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prison leavers have been supported into accommodation through the Offender Accommodation pilot schemes set up through the Rough Sleeping Strategy to date.
Answered by Lucy Frazer
The Offender Accommodation Pilots have been running since August 2019, successfully enrolling 324 individuals from HMP Bristol, HMP Leeds, and HMP Pentonville by 31st July 2020 when the enrolment period ended.
The MoJ intends to publish an evaluation of the pilots after their completion, which will include figures on how many individuals enrolled onto the programme were supported into accommodation. We will use the lessons from the pilot to inform how we will provide accommodation for offenders in the future.
Asked by: Lord Bradley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 on the support available for people released from prison.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Shadow Minister (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Everyone leaving prison should have somewhere safe and secure to live; accommodation enables offenders to hold down a job and reduces the likelihood of them reoffending.
The Homeless Reduction Act (HRA) is helping more people to get help earlier, particularly single people who often would not have received help in the past and would have been at risk of sleeping on our streets, including individuals leaving prison. The most recent HRA Experimental Statutory Homelessness Statistics, published by MHCLG in October, show that the National Probation Services made the largest number of homelessness referrals which resulted in an assessment. This was 27% of the total and an increase of almost 118% from April to June 2019. 95% of these resulted in a homelessness duty, which shows the duty to refer is working better for this cohort in the last quarter. In preparation for the new unified probation model, we are developing a policy framework, which will mandate necessary actions to be taken by prisons and probation staff in supporting the duty to refer and strengthen the process.
As part of its response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Justice secured £8.5 million to support individuals at risk of homelessness on their release from prison and help them to move on to permanent accommodation. The scheme initially ran between 18th May and 31st August and provided up to 56 nights’ accommodation per individual. In light of the recent introduction of national restrictions across England from Thursday 5th November and the Welsh Government’s introduction of a ‘firebreak’, the Government has reinstated this accommodation support. This started from 22nd October 2020 and will be subject to monthly reviews. As part of its initial response, The Ministry of Justice, through Her Majesty's Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS), set up seven Homelessness Prevention Taskforces (HPTs) to work with local authorities and other partners to find accommodation for offenders released from prison; these taskforces continue to be active.
In addition, our accommodation pilots, in Leeds, Pentonville and Bristol, have been operating since August 2019. By the end of the enrolment period, the 31st July, we had enrolled 323 individuals onto the scheme. Subject to evaluation, we will use the lessons from the pilot to inform future provision of accommodation for all offenders, through the new Probation model.
Asked by: Lord Bradley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made in ensuring that all prisoners have a place to live on release from prison.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Shadow Minister (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Everyone leaving prison should have somewhere safe and secure to live; accommodation enables offenders to hold down a job and reduces the likelihood of them reoffending.
The Homeless Reduction Act (HRA) is helping more people to get help earlier, particularly single people who often would not have received help in the past and would have been at risk of sleeping on our streets, including individuals leaving prison. The most recent HRA Experimental Statutory Homelessness Statistics, published by MHCLG in October, show that the National Probation Services made the largest number of homelessness referrals which resulted in an assessment. This was 27% of the total and an increase of almost 118% from April to June 2019. 95% of these resulted in a homelessness duty, which shows the duty to refer is working better for this cohort in the last quarter. In preparation for the new unified probation model, we are developing a policy framework, which will mandate necessary actions to be taken by prisons and probation staff in supporting the duty to refer and strengthen the process.
As part of its response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Justice secured £8.5 million to support individuals at risk of homelessness on their release from prison and help them to move on to permanent accommodation. The scheme initially ran between 18th May and 31st August and provided up to 56 nights’ accommodation per individual. In light of the recent introduction of national restrictions across England from Thursday 5th November and the Welsh Government’s introduction of a ‘firebreak’, the Government has reinstated this accommodation support. This started from 22nd October 2020 and will be subject to monthly reviews. As part of its initial response, The Ministry of Justice, through Her Majesty's Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS), set up seven Homelessness Prevention Taskforces (HPTs) to work with local authorities and other partners to find accommodation for offenders released from prison; these taskforces continue to be active.
In addition, our accommodation pilots, in Leeds, Pentonville and Bristol, have been operating since August 2019. By the end of the enrolment period, the 31st July, we had enrolled 323 individuals onto the scheme. Subject to evaluation, we will use the lessons from the pilot to inform future provision of accommodation for all offenders, through the new Probation model.
Asked by: Jamie Stone (Liberal Democrat - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans his Department has to provide funding for social policies to (a) reduce crime and (b) improve rehabilitation of offenders.
Answered by Lucy Frazer
In the year ending September 2019, 80% of offenders receiving a caution or conviction had at least one previous caution or conviction. Therefore, if we want to reduce crime then we must tackle reoffending.
The drivers of reoffending are complex, which the Criminal Justice System cannot address alone. That is why we are taking a renewed cross-government approach to tackle the drivers of reoffending across both custody and community.
We have already invested in a number of initiatives to enhance rehabilitation and reduce crime. Our £6 million accommodation pilot scheme in Leeds, Pentonville and Bristol operating since August 2019, has enrolled 323 individuals. In July we announced the Prison Leavers Project confirming £20 million of funding, aiming to support local leadership, identify innovative new ways to address reoffending and improve the social inclusion of those leaving prison.
We have also increased the probation budget by 17% this year to over £1.1 billion and will ensure the probation service continues to have the resources it needs to protect the public and reduce reoffending. Under the probation reform programme, the private and voluntary sector can still bid for a range of contracts for rehabilitation and resettlement support through the Dynamic Framework. We anticipate eventually spending over £100 million a year on these services.
Last year, we announced a £2.5 billion programme to reform the prison estate and provide 10,000 additional prison places. We will deliver four new prisons that boost rehabilitation and cut reoffending, providing improved security and additional training facilities to help offenders find employment on release. This forms a major part of our plans to transform the prison estate and create environments where offenders can be more effectively rehabilitated and turn their backs on crime.
An experimental statistical report showed that among those who committed an offence in the two years prior to engaging with treatment, 44% did not go on to reoffend in the two years following treatment (MoJ, PHE, 2017). Therefore, we support delivery of NHS England’s care after custody service, RECONNECT, for prison leavers with vulnerabilities, who would otherwise struggle to engage with community health services.
It is our ambition to go further and build on work that is already underway, focusing on improving accommodation, employment and substance misuse treatment outcomes for individuals that come into contact with the Criminal Justice System.
Asked by: Jamie Stone (Liberal Democrat - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department makes of the effect of proposed social policies on the reduction of crime.
Answered by Lucy Frazer
In the year ending September 2019, 80% of offenders receiving a caution or conviction had at least one previous caution or conviction. Therefore, if we want to reduce crime then we must tackle reoffending.
The drivers of reoffending are complex, which the Criminal Justice System cannot address alone. That is why we are taking a renewed cross-government approach to tackle the drivers of reoffending across both custody and community.
We have already invested in a number of initiatives to enhance rehabilitation and reduce crime. Our £6 million accommodation pilot scheme in Leeds, Pentonville and Bristol operating since August 2019, has enrolled 323 individuals. In July we announced the Prison Leavers Project confirming £20 million of funding, aiming to support local leadership, identify innovative new ways to address reoffending and improve the social inclusion of those leaving prison.
We have also increased the probation budget by 17% this year to over £1.1 billion and will ensure the probation service continues to have the resources it needs to protect the public and reduce reoffending. Under the probation reform programme, the private and voluntary sector can still bid for a range of contracts for rehabilitation and resettlement support through the Dynamic Framework. We anticipate eventually spending over £100 million a year on these services.
Last year, we announced a £2.5 billion programme to reform the prison estate and provide 10,000 additional prison places. We will deliver four new prisons that boost rehabilitation and cut reoffending, providing improved security and additional training facilities to help offenders find employment on release. This forms a major part of our plans to transform the prison estate and create environments where offenders can be more effectively rehabilitated and turn their backs on crime.
An experimental statistical report showed that among those who committed an offence in the two years prior to engaging with treatment, 44% did not go on to reoffend in the two years following treatment (MoJ, PHE, 2017). Therefore, we support delivery of NHS England’s care after custody service, RECONNECT, for prison leavers with vulnerabilities, who would otherwise struggle to engage with community health services.
It is our ambition to go further and build on work that is already underway, focusing on improving accommodation, employment and substance misuse treatment outcomes for individuals that come into contact with the Criminal Justice System.
Asked by: Shabana Mahmood (Labour - Birmingham Ladywood)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners are serving sentences of imprisonment for public protection in each prison in (a) England and (b) Wales for the most recent period for which information is available.
Answered by Lucy Frazer
The number of prisoners serving a sentence of imprisonment for public protection (IPP) in each prison in (a) England and (b) Wales as at 30 June 2020 is set out in Table 1. The figures are a subset of those published in Offender Management Statistics Quarterly: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/offender-management-statistics-quarterly
A prisoner serving an IPP sentence will be released only when the independent Parole Board concludes that the risk s/he presents to the public is capable of being safely managed in the community on licence.
IPP prisoners continue to have a high chance of a positive outcome from Parole Board hearings. In 2019/20 72% of Parole Board hearings resulted in either a recommendation for a transfer to an open prison or release. As of 30 June 2020, the number of unreleased IPP prisoners who have completed their minimum tariff was 1,856. This is down from 2,136 on 30 June 2019.
Table 1: Prisoners serving Imprisonment for Public Protection sentences in England, as at 30 June 2020
Establishment | N |
Total | 1905 |
|
|
Altcourse | 7 |
Askham Grange | 4 |
Ashfield | 25 |
Belmarsh | 8 |
Buckley Hall | 26 |
Bedford | 5 |
Bristol | 6 |
Birmingham | 8 |
Bullingdon | 15 |
Bure | 29 |
Brixton | 12 |
Bronzefield | 4 |
Chelmsford | 6 |
Coldingley | * |
Channings Wood | 10 |
Dartmoor | 12 |
Dovegate | 33 |
Drake Hall | * |
Doncaster | 6 |
Downview | * |
Erlestoke | 20 |
Standford Hill (Sheppey cluster) | 18 |
East Sutton Park | * |
Eastwood Park | * |
Exeter | 3 |
Elmley (Sheppey cluster) | 17 |
Forest Bank | 7 |
Ford | 9 |
Foston Hall | 3 |
Frankland | 42 |
Full Sutton | 19 |
Featherstone | 11 |
Garth | 50 |
Guys Marsh | 6 |
Grendon/Spring Hill | 40 |
Gartree | 41 |
Hollesley Bay | 8 |
Hatfield | 5 |
Hewell | 9 |
Holme House | 23 |
Hull | 46 |
Humber | 18 |
High Down | 9 |
Highpoint (North and South) | 37 |
Haverigg | 34 |
Isle of Wight | 39 |
Kirkham | 10 |
Kirklevington Grange | 6 |
Leicester | 6 |
Leeds | 4 |
Lancaster Farms | 8 |
Lowdham Grange | 25 |
Lindholme | 20 |
Lincoln | 8 |
Long Lartin | 18 |
Low Newton | 4 |
Liverpool | 9 |
Littlehey | 75 |
Lewes | 3 |
Leyhill | 146 |
Moorland | 8 |
Manchester | 23 |
Mount | 20 |
New Hall | * |
Northumberland | 29 |
Nottingham | 10 |
North Sea Camp | 87 |
Norwich | 8 |
Onley | 13 |
Oakwood | 22 |
Peterborough (Male) | 5 |
Portland | * |
Peterborough (Female) | * |
Preston | 5 |
Pentonville | 10 |
Rochester | 3 |
Rye Hill | 25 |
Ranby | 9 |
Risley | 24 |
Send | 7 |
Stafford | 25 |
Stoke Heath | 11 |
Stocken | 16 |
Swaleside (Sheppey cluster) | 41 |
Swinfen Hall | 3 |
Sudbury | 9 |
Thorn Cross | 9 |
Thameside | * |
The Verne | 12 |
Winchester | 4 |
Wakefield | 46 |
Wealstun | 12 |
Woodhill | 17 |
Warren Hill | 51 |
Wayland | 43 |
Wymott | 65 |
Whitemoor | 26 |
Wormwood Scrubs | * |
Whatton | 117 |
Wandsworth | * |
|
|
|
|
Table 2: Prisoners serving Imprisonment for Public Protection sentences in Wales, as at 30 June 20 | |
|
|
Establishment | N |
Total | 64 |
|
|
Berwyn | 31 |
Cardiff | 3 |
Parc | 14 |
Swansea | * |
Usk | 12 |
Prescoed | * |
Data sources and quality |
|
The figures in these tables 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. | |
|
|
Note |
|
An asterisk (*) has been used to suppress values of two or less. This is to prevent the disclosure of individual information. Further disclosure control may be completed where this alone is not sufficient. | |