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1126997

	registered interest
	date	15/05/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Secure Accommodation
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many criminal justice placements have been (1) available, and (2) filled, in secure children's homes in each month in each of the last three years.
	tabling member printed	Lord German
	uin	HL15758
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/05/2019 answer text <p>The information requested is published on gov.uk and is provided in the tables attached with this answer.</p><p> </p><p>Following remand or sentencing, the Youth Custody Service (YCS) decides where children should be placed and this will be either at a secure training centre, secure children’s home or under-18 young offender institution (for young males only).</p><p> </p><p>The placement decision is based on the information provided by youth offending teams (YOTs). The YCS’s Placement Team will contact YOTs to make sure the needs, risks and circumstances of each young person has been taken into account.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 30/05/2019 13:59:37 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie attachment 1 file name Table for HL15758.docx title Table for HL15758
	tabling member	4163 label Biography information for Lord German

1064216

	registered interest
	date	19/02/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Community Orders
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to use technology to create more effective community sentencing orders; and if so, how.
	tabling member printed	Lord German
	uin	HL13863
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/03/2019 answer text <p>Electronic monitoring technology to monitor a curfew requirement is now being augmented by satellite enabled tags that can also monitor compliance with other community requirements including exclusion zones and an offender’s attendance at a certain activity, for example, unpaid work or a rehabilitation programme. From April, it will also be possible to use the new tags to monitor an offender’s movements as a freestanding requirement of a community order.</p><p> </p><p>This new technology provides a tool to monitor restrictions imposed on an offender’s movements and lifestyle where it is appropriate and proportionate to do so.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 05/03/2019 17:37:10 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
	tabling member	4163 label Biography information for Lord German

1064218

	registered interest
	date	19/02/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Prisoners' Release
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to allow more prisoners to be released on temporary licence.
	tabling member printed	Lord German
	uin	HL13864
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/03/2019 answer text <p>Research published in 2018 shows that the more a prisoner is released on temporary licence (ROTL), the less chance there is of them reoffending and we want to see ROTL used more often, particularly to get prisoners into the workplace. We are currently consulting practitioners and key stakeholders on how to deliver a more effective approach to ROTL and three Prisons, HMPs Drake Hall, Kirkham and Ford, are currently testing out the new arrangements. We expect to publish a new Policy Framework in the Spring.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 05/03/2019 17:37:29 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
	tabling member	4163 label Biography information for Lord German

1064219

	registered interest
	date	19/02/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Prison Sentences
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the speech by the Secretary of State for Justice on 18 February Beyond prison, redefining punishment, when they intend to bring forward their plan to remove six month custodial sentences.
	tabling member printed	Lord German
	uin	HL13865
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/03/2019 answer text <p>There is a strong case to abolish sentences of six months or less, with some closely defined exceptions. We are therefore exploring options to restrict the use of short custodial sentences, but we have not at this stage reached any conclusions.</p><p> </p><p>There is persuasive evidence showing that short custodial sentences do not work in terms of rehabilitation and helping some offenders turn their backs on crime. Community sentences, in certain circumstances, are more effective in reducing reoffending, and therefore keeping the public safe.</p><p> </p><p>We do recognise that we must ensure the public and judiciary have confidence in non-custodial sentences which address offenders’ behaviour, answer their mental health and alcohol or drug misuse needs, or provide reparation for the benefit of the wider community.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 05/03/2019 17:05:48 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
	tabling member	4163 label Biography information for Lord German

1045441

	registered interest
	date	21/01/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Prison Sentences
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to stop the use of six month custodial sentences; and if so, when they plan to bring forward the proposals necessary to make such a change.
	tabling member printed	Lord German
	uin	HL12977
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/02/2019 answer text <p>We would like to see short custodial sentences imposed much less frequently and to have a stronger emphasis on community penalties, including those which address offenders’ behaviour, answer their mental health and alcohol or drug misuse needs, or provide reparation for the benefit of the wider community. There is persuasive evidence showing that short custodial sentences do not work in terms of rehabilitation and helping some offenders turn their backs on crime. Community sentences, in certain circumstances, are more effective in reducing reoffending, and therefore keeping the public safe.</p><p> </p><p>We are therefore exploring options to restrict the use of short custodial sentences, but we have not at this stage reached any conclusions.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie grouped question UIN HL12978 question first answered 04/02/2019 16:12:25 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
	tabling member	4163 label Biography information for Lord German

1045442

	registered interest
	date	21/01/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Community Orders
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether it is their policy to increase the number of community sentences rather than custodial sentences.
	tabling member printed	Lord German
	uin	HL12978
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/02/2019 answer text <p>We would like to see short custodial sentences imposed much less frequently and to have a stronger emphasis on community penalties, including those which address offenders’ behaviour, answer their mental health and alcohol or drug misuse needs, or provide reparation for the benefit of the wider community. There is persuasive evidence showing that short custodial sentences do not work in terms of rehabilitation and helping some offenders turn their backs on crime. Community sentences, in certain circumstances, are more effective in reducing reoffending, and therefore keeping the public safe.</p><p> </p><p>We are therefore exploring options to restrict the use of short custodial sentences, but we have not at this stage reached any conclusions.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie grouped question UIN HL12977 question first answered 04/02/2019 16:12:25 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
	tabling member	4163 label Biography information for Lord German

1045443

	registered interest
	date	21/01/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Prison Sentences: Scotland
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have made an assessment of the presumption against prison sentences of three months or less in Scotland; if so, what lessons they have learned from that policy; and what assessment they have made of the success of that policy on the rate of reoffending.
	tabling member printed	Lord German
	uin	HL12979
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/02/2019 answer text <p>The Scottish Government’s consultation in 2015 on Proposals to Strengthen the Presumption against Short Periods of Imprisonment refers to an evaluation, conducted in 2013-14, of the impact of the current presumption against sentences of 3 months or less (<a href="https://www2.gov.scot/Resource/0048/00485797.pdf" target="_blank">https://www2.gov.scot/Resource/0048/00485797.pdf</a>). It concludes that while the presumption, which has been in place since 2011, underlines the Scottish Government’s intention to move away from short sentences, the three month limit has had little practical impact.</p><p>We have noted this assessment and the pledge by the Scottish Government to extend the presumption to sentences of 12 months or less so that it has a more direct impact on reducing short custodial imprisonment.</p><p> </p><p>However, sentencing law in England and Wales is different from that in Scotland. The Criminal Justice Act 2003 already requires a court before imposing a custodial sentence of any length to be satisfied that the offence is so serious that only custody is merited. We therefore already have a requirement in law that custody should be a last resort, but we are looking at what more we can do to emphasise this and will continue to monitor developments in Scotland.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 04/02/2019 15:52:19 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
	tabling member	4163 label Biography information for Lord German

1045444

	registered interest
	date	21/01/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Offenders: Rehabilitation
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce residential centres for men as a means of reducing re-offending.
	tabling member printed	Lord German
	uin	HL12980
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/02/2019 answer text <p>At present, the Ministry of Justice is only proposing to pilot residential centres for women and not for men. However, we recognise the differing needs of male and female offenders and are committed to improving the way we meet the housing and rehabilitative needs of both women and men.</p><p> </p><p>There are many ways in which MoJ and its agencies provide housing and interventions for male and female offenders in the community. The Ministry of Justice invests approximately £63million per annum into offender accommodation. The Bail Accommodation Support Services provide 550 beds across England and Wales. In addition, there are 100 Approved premises that provide over 2,200 spaces for high risk offenders. These are short-term accommodation hostels, which provide a community based alternative to custody for specific cohorts of offenders. Probation Providers work with those individuals to provide them with the necessary support to enable them to move-on to settled accommodation.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, as part of the Government initiative to reduce and ultimately eliminate rough sleeping across England, the Ministry of Justice will invest up to £6.4 million in a pilot scheme to help ex-offenders into accommodation from three prisons, namely Bristol, Pentonville and Leeds. The pilots will specifically focus on male prisoners who have served under 12 months, who have been identified as having a risk of homelessness.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 04/02/2019 16:11:42 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
	tabling member	4163 label Biography information for Lord German

1045445

	registered interest
	date	21/01/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Prisons: Overcrowding
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to reduce the number of prisons operating at over 150 per cent of their capacity.
	tabling member printed	Lord German
	uin	HL12981
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/02/2019 answer text <p>There are no prisons operating over their operational capacity in England and Wales. The operational capacity of a prison is the total number of prisoners that an establishment can hold taking into account control, security and the proper operation of the planned regime. It is determined by the prison group directors on the basis of operational judgement and experience.</p><p>Certified Normal Accommodation (CNA), or uncrowded capacity, is the Prison Service’s own measure of accommodation. CNA represents the good, decent standard of accommodation that the Service aspires to provide all prisoners. CNA differs to the operational capacity of a prison which is the total number of prisoners that an establishment can hold taking into account control, security and the proper operation of the planned regime. It is determined by the Prison Group Directors on the basis of operational judgement and experience.</p><p>Where the operational capacity of a prison is higher than the CNA it will be classed as having the potential to be 'crowded', which can mean prisoners share cells. In the financial year 2017-18, 24.2% of the prison population was being held in crowded conditions, down from 24.5% in the previous year.</p><p>As part of prison reform, the long-term goal is to reduce crowding, while maintaining sufficient capacity in the prison estate to manage the demands of the courts and the sentenced population as efficiently as possible. This level is kept under constant review, considering fluctuations in the prison population and useable capacity across the estate.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 04/02/2019 16:03:39 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
	tabling member	4163 label Biography information for Lord German

1024846

	registered interest
	date	13/12/2018
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Prisons: Telephones
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many violent incidents occurred at shared phones in prison landings in each year from 2012 to 2018.
	tabling member printed	Lord German
	uin	HL12287
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/12/2018 answer text <p>This information is not recorded centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.</p><p> </p><p>We recognise that access to telephones can be one of the causes of violence in prisons. As part of our prison safety programme we have developed a violence diagnostic tool that allows prisons to analyse patterns of violent incidents and to identify any ‘hotspots’, such as telephone queues, where preventative action needs to be taken.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 31/12/2018 09:56:01 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
	tabling member	4163 label Biography information for Lord German