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60619

registered interest
date	09/06/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Open Prisons
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners in an open prison have previously breached a licence condition while released on temporary licence.
tabling member constituency	Shipley
tabling member printed	Philip Davies
uin	199722
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2014 answer text <p>Keeping the public safe is our priority. That is why this Government has taken action on both releases on temporary licence (ROTL) and absconds from prison.</p><p> </p><p>We commissioned a fundamental review of ROTL policy and practice last year and, in March, announced a package of measures to ensure that the public was properly protected. We have brought forward some of those measures so that they take effect immediately; particularly with more serious offenders, where the review concluded that an enhanced risk assessment approach should be taken.</p><p> </p><p>Absconds have reached record lows under this Government but each incident is taken seriously. Immediate changes have already been ordered to tighten up the system as a matter of urgency. Prisoners will no longer be transferred to open conditions or allowed out on temporary release if they have previously absconded.</p><p><ins class="ministerial">My officials are currently working to provide the information requested. I will write to you in due course. </ins></p> answering member constituency Kenilworth and Southam answering member printed Jeremy Wright question first answered 16/06/2014 16:59:29 question first ministerially corrected 09/10/2014 13:55:00 answering member 1560 label Biography information for Sir Jeremy Wright previous answer version 1732 answering member constituency Kenilworth and Southam answering member printed Jeremy Wright answering member 1560 label Biography information for Sir Jeremy Wright
tabling member	1565 label Biography information for Sir Philip Davies

79430

registered interest
date	22/07/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Open Prisons
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many indeterminate sentenced prisoners were held in open prisons in the years ending 31 March (a) 2012, (b) 2013 and (c) 2014.
tabling member constituency	Shipley
tabling member printed	Philip Davies
uin	206954
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/09/2014 answer text <p>The number of indeterminate sentenced prisoners held in open prisons in England and Wales, for financial years 2012 - 2014, can be found in table 1.</p><p> </p><p>A life sentence is mandatory on conviction for murder. Under a life sentence, and an indeterminate sentence for public protection (IPP), the court determines the minimum period to be served in prison for the purposes of punishment and deterrence. Prisoners serving these indeterminate sentences have no automatic right to be released. If released they are subject to recall for the rest of their life or, in the case of an offender serving an IPP, for at least 10 years. Public protection is the priority and the release of indeterminate sentence prisoners once they have served their minimum term is entirely a matter for the Parole Board.</p><p>Progression to open conditions is never automatic and only follows a satisfactory assessment of risk, generally involving the independent Parole Board in the case of prisoners serving indeterminate sentences.</p><p>The Parole Board may recommend such prisoners for open conditions if, for example: they have successfully completed any offending behaviour programmes identified in their sentence plan as essential to the risk reduction process; their behaviour in custody is such that it is considered that a move is appropriate; and their risks are manageable in open conditions.</p><p>Once allocated to open prison, prisoners continue to be monitored and are returned to closed prison immediately if there are any concerns about their suitability for low security conditions.</p><p> </p><p>Open prisons have been used since 1936, because they are the most effective means of ensuring that prisoners are suitably risk-assessed before they are released into the community under appropriate licence conditions. When a prisoner moves to the less rigid structure of open conditions an assessment can be made in a relatively safe environment of how the prisoner will adapt to increasing responsibility. For many prisoners, in particular those such as life sentence prisoners, who have spent a considerable amount of time in custody; these are essential components for successful reintegration in the community and therefore an important factor in protecting the public.</p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 04/09/2014 16:35:02 question first ministerially corrected 04/12/2014 11:34:33 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous attachment 1 file name PQ 206954 - table.pdf title Indeterminate Sentenced Prisoners in open prisons previous answer version 18219 answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
tabling member	1565 label Biography information for Sir Philip Davies

60511

registered interest
date	06/06/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Open Prisons
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners serving custodial sentences for serious violent and sexual assaults were held in open prisons on 1 May (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012, (d) 2013 and (e) 2014.
tabling member constituency	Tooting
tabling member printed	Sadiq Khan
uin	199513
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2014 answer text <p>Open prisons have been used since 1936, because they are the most effective means of ensuring that prisoners are suitably risk-assessed before they are released into the community under appropriate licence conditions. These prisons also provide effective supervision for prisoners who do not require the security conditions of the closed estate, because they have been assessed as having a low risk of harm to the public and a low risk of absconding by the independent Parole Board and/or NOMS.</p><p> </p><p>Indeterminate sentence prisoners located in open conditions have been risk assessed and categorised as being of a low enough risk to the public to warrant their placement in an open prison. They will have previously spent time in prisons with higher levels of security, before being transferred to open conditions if recommended by the Parole Board - or directed through NOMS.</p><p> </p><p>The main purpose of open conditions is to test prisoners in conditions more similar to those that they will face in the community. Time spent in open prisons affords prisoners the opportunity to find work, re-establish family ties, reintegrate into the community and ensure housing needs are met. For many prisoners who have spent a considerable amount of time in custody; these can assist in their successful reintegration in the community and protecting the public. To release these prisoners directly from a closed prison without the resettlement benefits of the open estate could lead to higher levels of post-release re-offending. The re-offending rates of those released from open prisons are low when compared to all prisoners released from custody in England and Wales.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Kenilworth and Southam answering member printed Jeremy Wright question first answered 16/06/2014 16:51:24 answering member 1560 label Biography information for Sir Jeremy Wright
tabling member	1577 label Biography information for Sadiq Khan

60514

registered interest
date	06/06/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Open Prisons
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners were held in open prisons on 1 May (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012, (d) 2013 and (e) 2014.
tabling member constituency	Tooting
tabling member printed	Sadiq Khan
uin	199528
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2014 answer text <p>The table below identifies the total population of predominant function open prisons as at the last Friday in April in each year from 2010 to 2014.This includes open female prisons, open young offender institutions and the relevant open parts of multi-site establishments performing different functions; it does not include those held in non predominant function open prisons or in small open units at closed prisons.</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Year</p></td><td><p>Total Population in Predominant Function Open Prisons</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2010</p></td><td><p>4,655</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011</p></td><td><p>4,711</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012</p></td><td><p>4,911</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013</p></td><td><p>4,993</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2014</p></td><td><p>5,041</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p> </p><p>Open prisons have been used since 1936, because they are the most effective means of ensuring that prisoners are suitably risk-assessed before they are released into the community under appropriate licence conditions. These prisons also provide effective supervision for prisoners who do not require the security conditions of the closed estate, because they have been assessed as having a low risk of harm to the public and a low risk of absconding by NOMS and/or the independent Parole Board .</p><p> </p><p>Indeterminate sentence prisoners located in open conditions have been risk assessed and categorised as being of a low enough risk to the public to warrant their placement in an open prison. They will have previously spent time in prisons with higher levels of security, before being transferred to open conditions if recommended by the Parole Board - or directed through NOMS.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The main purpose of open conditions is to test prisoners in conditions more similar to those that they will face in the community. Time spent in open prisons affords prisoners the opportunity to find work, re-establish family ties, reintegrate into the community and ensure housing needs are met. For many prisoners who have spent a considerable amount of time in custody; these can assist in their successful reintegration in the community and protecting the public. To release these prisoners directly from a closed prison without the resettlement benefits of the open estate could lead to higher levels of post-release re-offending. The re-offending rates of those released from open prisons are low when compared to all prisoners released from custody in England and Wales.</p><p> </p><p>The public have understandable concerns in the light of recent high profile absconds. Keeping the public safe is our priority and we will not allow the actions of a small minority of offenders to undermine public confidence in the prison system. The number of prisoners absconding has reached record lows, down from 952 absconds in 1995-96 (the first year for which this data is available) to 204 in 2012-13, but we take each and every incident seriously. The Government has already ordered immediate changes to tighten up the system as a matter of urgency. With immediate effect, prisoners will no longer be transferred to open conditions if they have previously absconded from open prisons; or absconded or reoffended whilst released on temporary licence.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Kenilworth and Southam answering member printed Jeremy Wright question first answered 16/06/2014 10:07:42 answering member 1560 label Biography information for Sir Jeremy Wright
tabling member	1577 label Biography information for Sadiq Khan

60618

registered interest
date	09/06/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Open Prisons
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners in open prisons were returned to closed prisons in each of the last three years by (a) reason for their return and (b) type of offence originally committed.
tabling member constituency	Shipley
tabling member printed	Philip Davies
uin	199720
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/07/2014 answer text <p>We do not centrally hold data on the individual reasons for determinate sentence prisoner transfers, including transfers following re-categorisation and when prisoners have been returned to closed conditions from open prisons. Where this is available, the information could only be obtained at disproportionate cost as it would involve a manual trawl through the records of every prisoner to identify if they have ever been held in open conditions and subsequently returned to closed conditions.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>However, the information, in part, is centrally available in respect of indeterminate sentence prisoners.</p><p> </p><p>Table 1 provides the number of indeterminate sentence prisoners who have been returned from open conditions to closed conditions and where the transfer occurred between 1 April 2011 and 31 March 2014, grouped by year and by reason for transfer. The data has been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.</p><p> </p><p>We are unable to provide a breakdown of this information by index offence as this information is not held centrally; to obtain it would require a manual trawl through every case and this would incur disproportionate cost.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>REASON FOR RETURN TO CLOSED PRISON</p></td><td><p>2011-12</p></td><td><p>2012-13</p></td><td><p>2013-14</p></td><td><p>Grand Total</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Abscond</p></td><td><p>117</p></td><td><p>161</p></td><td><p>170</p></td><td><p>448</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Antisocial Behaviour</p></td><td><p>48</p></td><td><p>96</p></td><td><p>74</p></td><td><p>218</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Breach of Licence Conditions</p></td><td><p>30</p></td><td><p>33</p></td><td><p>56</p></td><td><p>120</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Drink/Drugs</p></td><td><p>139</p></td><td><p>171</p></td><td><p>256</p></td><td><p>568</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>FNP</p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p>3</p></td><td><p>3</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Healthcare issues</p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p>5</p></td><td><p>5</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>New charges/offences</p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p>2</p></td><td><p>2</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Non compliance</p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>28</p></td><td><p>29</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Other</p></td><td><p>135</p></td><td><p>235</p></td><td><p>298</p></td><td><p>668</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Prisoner request</p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p>2</p></td><td><p>2</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Psychology concerns/issues</p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p>6</p></td><td><p>6</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Serious breach of prison rules</p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>21</p></td><td><p>22</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Grand Total</p></td><td><p>469</p></td><td><p>698</p></td><td><p>921</p></td><td><p>2,087</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>The main purpose of open conditions is to test prisoners in conditions more similar to those that they will face in the community. Time spent in open prisons affords prisoners the opportunity to find work, re-establish family ties, reintegrate into the community and ensure housing needs are met. For many prisoners who have spent a considerable amount of time in custody; these can assist in their successful reintegration in the community and protecting the public.</p><p>We make no apologies for taking a firm approach in returning prisoners to closed conditions wherever we need to do so.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The number of temporary release failures remains very low; less that one failure in every 1,000 releases and about five in every 100,000 releases involving alleged offending, but we take each and every incident seriously. The Government has already ordered immediate changes to tighten up the system as a matter of urgency. With immediate effect, prisoners will no longer be transferred to open conditions if they have previously absconded from open prisons; or if they have failed to return or reoffended whilst released on temporary licence.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Kenilworth and Southam answering member printed Jeremy Wright question first answered 03/07/2014 16:19:03 answering member 1560 label Biography information for Sir Jeremy Wright
tabling member	1565 label Biography information for Sir Philip Davies

63517

registered interest
date	24/06/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Open Prisons
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many offenders convicted of murder were held in open prisons in each of the last 20 years.
tabling member constituency	Shipley
tabling member printed	Philip Davies
uin	202001
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/06/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p>It is not possible to provide the total number of offenders serving life sentences who were held in open prisons in each of the last 20 years, or the total number of offenders convicted of murder who were held in open prisons in each of the last 20 years, without incurring disproportionate cost.</p> answering member constituency Kenilworth and Southam answering member printed Jeremy Wright grouped question UIN 201999 question first answered 30/06/2014 14:06:11 answering member 1560 label Biography information for Sir Jeremy Wright
tabling member	1565 label Biography information for Sir Philip Davies

63523

registered interest
date	24/06/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Open Prisons
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many offenders serving life sentences were held in open prisons in each of the last 20 years.
tabling member constituency	Shipley
tabling member printed	Philip Davies
uin	201999
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/06/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p>It is not possible to provide the total number of offenders serving life sentences who were held in open prisons in each of the last 20 years, or the total number of offenders convicted of murder who were held in open prisons in each of the last 20 years, without incurring disproportionate cost.</p> answering member constituency Kenilworth and Southam answering member printed Jeremy Wright grouped question UIN 202001 question first answered 30/06/2014 14:06:10 answering member 1560 label Biography information for Sir Jeremy Wright
tabling member	1565 label Biography information for Sir Philip Davies

64211

registered interest
date	26/06/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Open Prisons
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 16 June 2014, Official Report, column 458W, on open prisons, what data his Department holds on the number of (a) prisoners in an open prison who previously breached a licence condition while released on temporary licence and (b) prisoners in open prisons who have previously absconded or escaped from prison on the latest date for which figures are available.
tabling member constituency	Shipley
tabling member printed	Philip Davies
uin	202556
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/07/2014 answer text <p>I refer my hon Friend to the reply I gave on 16 June 2014, Official Report, column 458W, on open prisons.</p><p> </p><p>My officials are currently working to provide the information requested. I will write to you in due course.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Kenilworth and Southam answering member printed Jeremy Wright question first answered 03/07/2014 16:24:57 answering member 1560 label Biography information for Sir Jeremy Wright
tabling member	1565 label Biography information for Sir Philip Davies

76885

registered interest
date	09/07/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Open Prisons
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of prisoners who were given a life sentence (a) applied for and (b) were refused Category D prison status in each of the last five years.
tabling member constituency	Shipley
tabling member printed	Philip Davies
uin	204727
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/07/2014 answer text <p>An indeterminate sentence prisoner (ISP) (that is, one serving either a life sentence or an indeterminate sentence for public protection (IPPs)) may be considered for transfer to open conditions as part of the prisoner’s parole review.</p><p>The decision whether to transfer an ISP to open conditions is taken by officials on behalf of, and under agreed delegated authority from, the Secretary of State. However, as a matter of policy, the Secretary of State usually invites the Parole Board to consider the prisoner’s suitability for such a transfer to and to advise him accordingly. Officials will either accept or reject any recommendation made by the Parole Board, in accordance with agreed policy.</p><p>ISPs may also apply to progress to open conditions without a positive recommendation from the Parole Board being sought, where they can show exceptional progress in reducing their risk. Each application is determined by officials on its merits, again under agreed delegated authority.</p><p>We hold centrally data on the number of ISPs whose cases were referred to the Parole Board to consider suitability for transfer or were considered for transfer to open conditions without a positive recommendation from the Parole Board. We also hold data on the number of cases considered suitable for transfer. However, we do not hold data on the number of ISPs who were considered by the Parole Board and were not considered suitable for transfer to open conditions.</p><p> </p><p>In order to provide this information we would need to undertake a manual trawl of ISP cases and such an exercise would incur disproportionate cost.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous grouped question UIN 204753 question first answered 22/07/2014 15:08:06 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
tabling member	1565 label Biography information for Sir Philip Davies

76892

registered interest
date	09/07/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Open Prisons
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of prisoners who were given an indeterminate sentence for public protection (a) applied for and (b) were refused Category D prison status in each of the last five years.
tabling member constituency	Shipley
tabling member printed	Philip Davies
uin	204753
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/07/2014 answer text <p>An indeterminate sentence prisoner (ISP) (that is, one serving either a life sentence or an indeterminate sentence for public protection (IPPs)) may be considered for transfer to open conditions as part of the prisoner’s parole review.</p><p>The decision whether to transfer an ISP to open conditions is taken by officials on behalf of, and under agreed delegated authority from, the Secretary of State. However, as a matter of policy, the Secretary of State usually invites the Parole Board to consider the prisoner’s suitability for such a transfer to and to advise him accordingly. Officials will either accept or reject any recommendation made by the Parole Board, in accordance with agreed policy.</p><p>ISPs may also apply to progress to open conditions without a positive recommendation from the Parole Board being sought, where they can show exceptional progress in reducing their risk. Each application is determined by officials on its merits, again under agreed delegated authority.</p><p>We hold centrally data on the number of ISPs whose cases were referred to the Parole Board to consider suitability for transfer or were considered for transfer to open conditions without a positive recommendation from the Parole Board. We also hold data on the number of cases considered suitable for transfer. However, we do not hold data on the number of ISPs who were considered by the Parole Board and were not considered suitable for transfer to open conditions.</p><p> </p><p>In order to provide this information we would need to undertake a manual trawl of ISP cases and such an exercise would incur disproportionate cost.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous grouped question UIN 204727 question first answered 22/07/2014 15:08:06 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
tabling member	1565 label Biography information for Sir Philip Davies