Asked by: Robert Jenrick (Conservative - Newark)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners have been released on Fridays since the suspension of standing rules against the release of prisoners on Friday.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
The Offenders (Day of Release from Detention) Act 2023 was introduced in June 2023, enabling offenders who are at risk of reoffending to be released up to two days earlier, where a release date falls on a Friday or before a bank holiday. The Friday Releases scheme was brought into force on the 30 November 2023, introducing a presumption against releasing offenders on a Friday, therefore reducing risks linked to limited weekend services and helping keep the public safer by lowering reoffending risk.
There has been no suspension of the 'Friday Releases' policy since its introduction; it has continued to apply to standard determinate sentence (SDS) releases since its introduction. Therefore, we are unable to provide your requested information.
By removing barriers that a Friday release can create, we are maintaining public protection by ensuring offenders can better access the support they need to reintegrate into the community effectively.
Asked by: Robert Jenrick (Conservative - Newark)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department intends to reinstate rules against the release of prisoners on Fridays.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
The Offenders (Day of Release from Detention) Act 2023 was introduced in June 2023, enabling offenders who are at risk of reoffending to be released up to two days earlier, where a release date falls on a Friday or before a bank holiday. The Friday Releases scheme was brought into force on the 30 November 2023, introducing a presumption against releasing offenders on a Friday, therefore reducing risks linked to limited weekend services and helping keep the public safer by lowering reoffending risk.
There has been no suspension of the 'Friday Releases' policy since its introduction; it has continued to apply to standard determinate sentence (SDS) releases since its introduction. Therefore, we are unable to provide your requested information.
By removing barriers that a Friday release can create, we are maintaining public protection by ensuring offenders can better access the support they need to reintegrate into the community effectively.
Asked by: Robert Jenrick (Conservative - Newark)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, under what powers his Department waived rules against the release of prisoners on Friday.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
The Offenders (Day of Release from Detention) Act 2023 was introduced in June 2023, enabling offenders who are at risk of reoffending to be released up to two days earlier, where a release date falls on a Friday or before a bank holiday. The Friday Releases scheme was brought into force on the 30 November 2023, introducing a presumption against releasing offenders on a Friday, therefore reducing risks linked to limited weekend services and helping keep the public safer by lowering reoffending risk.
There has been no suspension of the 'Friday Releases' policy since its introduction; it has continued to apply to standard determinate sentence (SDS) releases since its introduction. Therefore, we are unable to provide your requested information.
By removing barriers that a Friday release can create, we are maintaining public protection by ensuring offenders can better access the support they need to reintegrate into the community effectively.
Asked by: Robert Jenrick (Conservative - Newark)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when his Department waived rules against the release of prisoners on Fridays.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
The Offenders (Day of Release from Detention) Act 2023 was introduced in June 2023, enabling offenders who are at risk of reoffending to be released up to two days earlier, where a release date falls on a Friday or before a bank holiday. The Friday Releases scheme was brought into force on the 30 November 2023, introducing a presumption against releasing offenders on a Friday, therefore reducing risks linked to limited weekend services and helping keep the public safer by lowering reoffending risk.
There has been no suspension of the 'Friday Releases' policy since its introduction; it has continued to apply to standard determinate sentence (SDS) releases since its introduction. Therefore, we are unable to provide your requested information.
By removing barriers that a Friday release can create, we are maintaining public protection by ensuring offenders can better access the support they need to reintegrate into the community effectively.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department currently has an English proficiency requirement for prison officers.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
The prison officer recruitment process assesses English language proficiency at multiple stages, without requiring a separate English test or formal qualifications such as GCSEs at the point of application. The process for recruiting prison officers across all Public Sector Prisons is the same for all applicants, both UK and non-UK nationals, with candidates appointed based on merit, in line with the fair and open Civil Service recruitment principles.
Once candidates have passed the application and online test stages, they are assessed via His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service’s centralised Online Assessment Centre (OAC), which is conducted by trained human assessors who evaluate candidates in real time. Candidates undertake a written assessment, role-play exercises and a structured interview, all designed to assess whether they possess the written and spoken communication skills required for the prison officer role.
The centralised OAC process upholds consistent standards across all applicants and cannot be bypassed through automated or multiple-choice responses alone. This approach ensures that any difficulties in understanding instructions or in expressing responses clearly are identified and reflected in the assessment outcome. The assessment process also includes fitness and medical checks, which are applied to the same standard for all candidates, regardless of nationality.
We continuously evaluate our assessment process for all stages of prison officer recruitment to ensure best practice and integrate improvements appropriately as new tools and methodologies become available. Future changes to the assessment process will continue to assess a candidate’s English proficiency against the communication skills required for the prison officer role and will remain aligned with professional attainment levels used across comparable professions.
Asked by: Richard Tice (Reform UK - Boston and Skegness)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, for what reason HMP Dartmoor remains closed in the context of the shortage of prison spaces.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
Following the temporary closure of HMP Dartmoor in August 2024, after detection of elevated levels of radon gas, we have been working with specialist radon experts to investigate and assess options to allow us to reopen the prison safely.
The decision on reopening will be made based on the viability of the site, the effectiveness of works to reduce levels of radon, and value for money. We need to be satisfied that reopening the prison is justified in the light of a range of considerations, including compliance with legislative requirements, operational viability, and the cost of mitigation measures.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to his Statement in the House on 11 November 2025, how many personnel from his Department will form the digital rapid response unit.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
We plan to allocate up to 15 members of staff to the digital rapid response unit. We will keep this resource allocation under review.
Asked by: Jess Asato (Labour - Lowestoft)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department has (a) implemented a domestic abuse policy for staff and (b) trained line managers to effectively respond to staff who are experiencing domestic abuse.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
This Department is committed to supporting employees experiencing domestic abuse.
We provide comprehensive advice to these employees and their managers including how to identify abuse, actions which colleagues and managers can take, and links to organisations providing advice and support. Our guidance also covers the actions of perpetrators and how disciplinary action would be implemented.
In August 2025, the Ministry of Justice People and Capability Group launched refreshed pan-Ministry of Justice domestic abuse guidance and support for employees and their managers. This guidance recognises the employer’s duty of care to their employees, making clear what support is available with a clear commitment from the organisation and senior leaders to take the issue seriously.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will list the titles of all the events organised by Civil Service networks in his Department since 2017.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
The information requested is not held centrally.
The Department only holds details of events organised by Ministry of Justice staff networks.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of trends in the level of violence in women's prisons.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
Violence in prisons may be caused, or triggered, by a range of factors, including personal characteristics such as existing patterns of behaviour, substance misuse or traumatic life experiences. Factors particularly relevant to the women’s estate include trauma, relational complexities and separation from children.
Information on the rate of assaults in female establishments in the 12 months to June 2025 can be found at the following link: Safety in Custody Statistics, England and Wales: Deaths in Prison Custody to September 2025 Assaults and Self-harm to June 2025 - GOV.UK.
The Managing Women in Crisis Working Group in His Majesty’s Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS) was established to increase understanding of complex behaviour in this group of prisoners, and to consider how best to support them. This includes developing guidance and training for staff. In addition, HMPPS’s Women’s Estate Case Advice and Support Panel supports establishments in the management of women with complex needs. It aims to help reduce risk and to enable women to progress in their sentences.