Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make an assessment of the potential (a) impact of the prison officer retirement age on safety in prisons and (b) merits of aligning the retirement age of prison officers with police officers.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
We highly value our hardworking prison officers and take very seriously the safety of all staff working within prisons, whatever their age. The Ministry continues to review and roll out new safety equipment and provide new skills to prison officers to deal with challenging situations and reduce the risk of assault.
The pension age in all public sector pension schemes is set under legislation by HM Treasury and the merits of any review in pension age would be for them to consider. I am committed to listening to and working with officers, staff and trade unions on a range of issues.
Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of sex offending treatment programmes on reoffending rates.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
A number of studies have been published that relate to HMPPS Offending Behaviour Programmes. The following is a list of studies published within the last 6 months that are related to those programmes designed to address reoffending in those persons convicted of sexual offences:
Participation statistics detailing the total number of programme starts and completions in a given year can be found on the .gov website. The latest statistics for delivery in Prisons can be found at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1108451/Education_Publication_202122.xlsx. The latest statistics for Probation can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/annual-national-offender-management-service-digest-2016-to-2017.
Kaizen does not include or exclude potential participants based on offence categories. For people convicted of sexual offences, Kaizen includes those who are assessed as presenting with a high or very high risk of recidivism as assessed by the OASys Sexual Reoffending Predictor (OSP/C). The OSP tool predicts the likelihood of proven reoffending for a sexual and / or sexually motivated contact offence based on someone’s history of contact and noncontact sexual offending against adults and children.
Asked by: Janet Daby (Labour - Lewisham East)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of equipping prison staff with PAVA incapacitant spray on the (a) principle of explain or reform and (b) public sector equality duty.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
PAVA is intended to protect staff and prisoners in very serious assaults. Safe implementation of PAVA use is accompanied by clear and explicit guidance ensuring staff are confident as to when PAVA spray should be used. Staff can use the PAVA spray where there is serious violence or an imminent or perceived risk of it, and there is an immediate need to create a safe and protective environment.
During the pilot in 4 prisons in 2018 an Equality Impact Assessment was produced in line with HMPPS’s public sector equality duty. The national rollout of PAVA will be evaluated, the scope of which has been expanded to look at Use of Force as a whole to provide insight and learning and inform our practice. We are taking steps to better understand potential causes of disproportionality and identify appropriate actions to address them, applying the explain or reform principle where appropriate.
Asked by: Lord Patten (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the relationship, if any, of the rate of reoffending with the availability of a place for prisoners to stay upon release.
Answered by Lord Bellamy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The number of prison leavers housed upon release from prison in 2021-22 was 43,521 and this represents 86.8% of the total number of prison leavers for the period where the destination is known*. This is an improvement of approximately 6.6 percentage points on 2019-20.
*Cases are not included when the accommodation status is unknown (for a reason other than awaiting assessment) or provided by the Home Office Immigration Enforcement Service.
Prison leavers without settled accommodation are 50% more likely to reoffend than those who have stable accommodation. A settled place to live is key to reducing reoffending, cutting crime and protecting the public. Probation practitioners are better able to robustly supervise an offender and protect the public when they know where they are living. The government is committed to end rough sleeping and tackling offender homelessness. Our Prisons Strategy White Paper set out our plans to reduce reoffending, including improving prison leavers’ access to accommodation. This includes expanding nationally the transitional Community Accommodation Service Tier 3 (CAS3) to all probation regions, so that prison leavers who would otherwise be at risk of homelessness, can access temporary accommodation for up to 12 weeks.
Asked by: Lord Patten (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of prisoners who, on the day of their release, have a bed to go to that night; and what percentage of those released that represents.
Answered by Lord Bellamy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The number of prison leavers housed upon release from prison in 2021-22 was 43,521 and this represents 86.8% of the total number of prison leavers for the period where the destination is known*. This is an improvement of approximately 6.6 percentage points on 2019-20.
*Cases are not included when the accommodation status is unknown (for a reason other than awaiting assessment) or provided by the Home Office Immigration Enforcement Service.
Prison leavers without settled accommodation are 50% more likely to reoffend than those who have stable accommodation. A settled place to live is key to reducing reoffending, cutting crime and protecting the public. Probation practitioners are better able to robustly supervise an offender and protect the public when they know where they are living. The government is committed to end rough sleeping and tackling offender homelessness. Our Prisons Strategy White Paper set out our plans to reduce reoffending, including improving prison leavers’ access to accommodation. This includes expanding nationally the transitional Community Accommodation Service Tier 3 (CAS3) to all probation regions, so that prison leavers who would otherwise be at risk of homelessness, can access temporary accommodation for up to 12 weeks.
Asked by: David Warburton (Independent - Somerton and Frome)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department has taken to help ensure the safety of the general public when prisoners serving their sentence in open prisons are outside of the facility.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
Only those prisoners who have been assessed as presenting a low risk, including to victims, or have a suitable plan in place to manage identified risks, are allocated to an open prison. Once in open conditions prisoners may apply to be released on temporary licence (ROTL) for specified purposes, generally linked to resettlement.
Access to ROTL is not automatic but is subject to a further, rigorous risk assessment. Releases are monitored in line with the assessment and those who breach the strict conditions set may face a return to closed custody.
By providing opportunities to work, learn and build family ties, temporary release from prison reduces the chances of reoffending. Evidence shows the vast majority abide by their temporary release conditions, with a compliance rate of over 99%.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Durham (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve the governance and practice of the use of force at Derwentside Immigration Removal Centre, identified as an issue of concern in the Chief Inspector of Prisons' first inspection report of the centre.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
We remain focused on the specific needs for women in our care and Derwentside Immigration Removal Centre (IRC) is operated in line with the Detention Centre Rules 2001, published operating standards for IRCs and Detention Services Orders.
It is routine for best practice to be shared across the Detention Engagement Teams and we have robust mechanisms in place for staff to raise issues or concerns with senior leaders. Derwentside, as the sole female only IRC, presents both unique challenges and opportunities.
Published guidance, and the training received by detainee custody officers makes it clear that physical force, and the use of waist restraint belts or handcuffs, should only be used after a thorough assessment of risk, and in consideration of each individual’s personal circumstances. Restraints should be removed at the earliest opportunity.
The Home Office reviews all reports resulting from a use of force to ensure that techniques are used proportionately, that they are justified, and are used for the minimum period required. Since the inspection took place Control and Restraint instructors have attended the centre to provide additional coaching and incident management support to staff. A bespoke package of training commenced in November 2022 and monthly use of force review meetings commenced in September 2022. In addition, the supplier centre manager reviews all incidents involving use of force, following a review undertaken by the supplier duty director. All use of force incidents are additionally peer reviewed by the supplier’s use of force committees from two other IRCs (Heathrow and Dungavel) to provide an additional layer of governance and independent scrutiny.
All staff working with women receive appropriate gender specific training (such as the protocol for entry to bedrooms), in addition to any generic training they receive when they undergo initial training, and undertake appropriate refresher training, this includes equality and diversity, human trafficking and modern slavery. Detention Service Order 06/2016 Women in the Detention Estate sets out the minimum provision of services for women and can be found on gov.uk here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/women-in-detention.
Asked by: Rachel Maclean (Conservative - Redditch)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether HM Prisons and Probation Service’s Pride in Prison and Probation staff network has (a) full-time and (b) part-time staff employed to support it; and whether that staff network receives funding from the service to cover its (i) operating costs and (ii) activities.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
The Pride in Prison and Probation (PiPP) staff network has a full-time national lead, on loan from their usual business area in His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS). No HMPPS staff are employed in a part time capacity to support the network. Staff networks are not allocated a budget: if funding is requested to deliver specific activities, a business case would need to be submitted.
PiPP is represented on HMPPS’ Transgender Advisory Board, which reviews HMPPS policy on the care and management of individuals who are transgender.
HMPPS policy sets out that transgender individuals must be subject to a robust risk assessment when considering to which part of the estate they are allocated. This assessment considers a wide range of factors including offending history and anatomy. Currently, over 90% of transgender women are held in the men’s prison estate.
We are strengthening this policy so that transgender women who have birth genitalia and/or have committed sexual offences cannot be held in the general women’s estate, subject to an exemption policy for truly exceptional cases.
Asked by: Rachel Maclean (Conservative - Redditch)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether HM Prisons and Probation Service has had recent discussions with the Pride in Prison and Probation staff network on the care and management of transgender people within the Prison and Probation service.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
The Pride in Prison and Probation (PiPP) staff network has a full-time national lead, on loan from their usual business area in His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS). No HMPPS staff are employed in a part time capacity to support the network. Staff networks are not allocated a budget: if funding is requested to deliver specific activities, a business case would need to be submitted.
PiPP is represented on HMPPS’ Transgender Advisory Board, which reviews HMPPS policy on the care and management of individuals who are transgender.
HMPPS policy sets out that transgender individuals must be subject to a robust risk assessment when considering to which part of the estate they are allocated. This assessment considers a wide range of factors including offending history and anatomy. Currently, over 90% of transgender women are held in the men’s prison estate.
We are strengthening this policy so that transgender women who have birth genitalia and/or have committed sexual offences cannot be held in the general women’s estate, subject to an exemption policy for truly exceptional cases.
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what mental health support is available to prison staff.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
In full recognition of the challenging aspects of prison-based work, His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service is committed to providing a range of formal and peer led mental health support for prison staff. Modes of support offered include self-referral to counselling via a 24 hours and 365 days a year confidential telephone helpline and self-referral for online Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. Management led referrals are routed to the Occupational Health (OH) provider where assessments and feedback on fitness for work or work adjustments are relayed back to the manager with employee consent. OH assessments are conducted by qualified specialist nurses, doctors and mental health clinicians. For work related trauma management, face to face or virtual Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing therapy (EMDR) is offered if clinically appropriate. OH also offers a Post-Covid 19 syndrome service which provides structured mental health support as well as physical support.
Proactive mental health support, by the means of ‘Reflective Sessions’ is delivered by a third-party provider and mental health qualified practitioners. Reflective Sessions take the form of individual or group sessions at either HMPPS or supplier premises. The sessions aim to both reduce the likelihood that staff will experience adverse effects as a result of working on programmes with offenders or high-risk cases, and to increase the likelihood of the experience of positive effects as a result of this work. A wide range of mental health promotion proactive wellbeing workshops are also offered and delivered either via Teams or in person in prisons.
Peer support groups include Trauma Risk Management (TRiM) practitioners, Care Teams and Mental Health Allies. Chaplains are also well-established to provide mental health support to prison staff and prisoners alike.
Employee wellbeing apps are available to be downloaded on mobile phones and tablets which provide up to date guidance, support and signposting to a range of employee physical and mental health support services.
In September 2020, working in collaboration with the Samaritans and the Zero Suicide Alliance, HMPPS introduced a staff self-harm and suicide prevention campaign, Reach Out, Save Lives. Backed by the Lord Chancellor, the campaign drives a consistent message about reaching out to support one another and seeking assistance and aims to impact and challenge cultural norms around a publicly sensitive topic.
HMPPS Occupational Health and Employee Assistance policy and the Post Incident Care policy are in place to support staff.
A comprehensive section on Stress Risk Assessment is available on the employee intranet Health and Safety site. Guidance includes a stress toolkit designed for both employees and managers.