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781198

registered interest
date	31/10/2017
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prisoners
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to take steps to reduce the adult prison population, using methods similar to those which have successfully reduced the number of youths in custody.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL2743
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/11/2017 answer text Prison numbers can fluctuate, which is why we have a robust set of plans in place to ensure we will always have enough places for offenders committed to custody by the courts. This includes modernising the estate and building new accommodation. We want to see the number of people imprisoned fall, but not by setting an arbitrary figure for reduction. To address the level of re-offending, which remains unacceptably high, we are committed to transforming all prisons into places of safety and reform and to ensuring that community penalties are tough, effective and command the confidence of sentencers. There are significant differences in the adult and youth justice systems. We will continue to assess, however, whether approaches adopted for youths have a broader application. answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 14/11/2017 15:23:20 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

773002

registered interest
date	18/10/2017
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Alternatives to Prison
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Vere of Norbiton on 17 October (HL1733), notwithstanding the sentencing discretion of the courts, whether they plan to create any additional types of non-custodial sentences, such as enhanced community service, in the interests of reducing prison overcrowding and re-offending; and what discussions they have had on this issue with relevant voluntary organisations.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL2203
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/11/2017 answer text <p>The courts already have the flexibility to select requirements which are both a robust alternative to custody and provide opportunities to address the specific issues which contribute to a risk of re-offending. Electronically monitored curfews can provide stability and structure in offenders’ lives while maintaining family ties, accommodation or employment. Treatment requirements enable access to specialist help with mental health or substance misuse problems. The Rehabilitation Activity Requirement can be customised to identify and tackle the specific needs of individuals. Unpaid work not only provides an opportunity to undertake work of benefit to the local community and develop new skills but can also include activity that supports education, training and employment.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 02/11/2017 17:09:16 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

769219

registered interest
date	12/10/2017
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prisoners
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many officials are responsible for allocating sentenced persons to individual prisons; and who is responsible for ensuring that those sentenced are held as near as possible to their next of kin.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL1953
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/10/2017 answer text <p>There are complex and wide-ranging issues involved in transferring prisoners, and allocation decisions must reflect both the specific needs and circumstances of the prisoner, as well as the operating environment and range of services at the receiving prison.</p><p> </p><p>Allocation decisions are taken by offender management units in each prison, with the number of staff in each unit dependent on the size and function of the prison. In taking allocation decisions, offender management units consult with a wide range of officials including healthcare staff, security staff, and the receiving establishment.</p><p> </p><p>Allocations decisions include consideration of closeness to home and family, alongside other factors such as time left to serve, categorisation, and the identified offending behaviour requirements set out in the prisoner’s sentence plan.</p> answering member printed Baroness Vere of Norbiton question first answered 19/10/2017 14:58:35 answering member 4580 label Biography information for Baroness Vere of Norbiton
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

767910

registered interest
date	10/10/2017
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prisons: Ministers of Religion
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure access for prisoners to chaplains, to support better links with prisoners' families.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL1829
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/10/2017 answer text <p>All prisons have multifaith chaplaincy teams and chaplains are readily available to meet with and support prisoners. They may liaise with families at a time of crisis including bereavement. Some chaplaincies are heavily involved in the facilitation of family days to foster contact between prisoners and their partners and families following a risk assessment.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 24/10/2017 16:13:26 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

767911

registered interest
date	10/10/2017
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prisoners
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what new initiatives they plan to pursue to support those prisoners with few or no family contacts.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL1830
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/10/2017 answer text <p>The government is committed to supporting prisoners establish or maintain relationships with their families and significant others. We recognise that we need also to support prisoners who do not have family links, or for whom family relationships are not appropriate, to develop alternative sources of support.</p><p>Prisons already collect and record the details of prisoners’ next of kin or nominated contact when they arrive at the prison as a requirement of the Early Days in Custody Prison Service Instruction 17/2015. Prisoners who do not identify contacts are flagged and prison staff or partner agencies encourage them through their sentence plan to establish and develop appropriate relationships.</p><p>In October governors were given control over family services in their prison, to strengthen their ability to support the specific needs of their prisoners including through commissioning services tomanage visits centres, deliver family learning programmes and provide family engagement workers, who can support prisoners who do not have contact with family.</p> answering member printed Baroness Vere of Norbiton question first answered 17/10/2017 11:57:43 answering member 4580 label Biography information for Baroness Vere of Norbiton
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

767912

registered interest
date	10/10/2017
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prisons: Safety
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will re-examine the report A Place of Redemption, published by the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales in 2004, in the light of the most recent safety in custody statistics.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL1831
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/10/2017 answer text <p>We are grateful to the Noble Lord for reminding us of this important publication. We believe that prisons should be places of safety that allow offenders the opportunity to take part in productive activity and to work towards rehabilitation. That is why we are recruiting 2,500 more prison officers, and implementing a comprehensive Safety Programme that addresses the key issues associated with self-harm and suicide in prisons. The programme includes improvements to the early days in custody and the prison environment, and better identification of and support for prisoners at risk of self-harm or suicide.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 24/10/2017 16:12:22 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

767315

registered interest
date	09/10/2017
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Alternatives to Prison
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of creating alternative penalties for offences that normally require custodial sentences in order to address overcrowding in prisons.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL1733
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/10/2017 answer text <p>Sentencing is a matter for the independent courts. The law already allows judges to impose a non-custodial sentence, even when the threshold for a custodial term is reached.</p><p>Sentencing Guidelines are clear that sentencers must consider all the available disposals in any given case and will impose the sentence most appropriate to the offence and offender.</p> answering member printed Baroness Vere of Norbiton question first answered 17/10/2017 11:58:00 answering member 4580 label Biography information for Baroness Vere of Norbiton
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

767316

registered interest
date	09/10/2017
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 steps they are taking to ensure that prisoners know about, and have effective access to, release on temporary licence.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL1734
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/10/2017 answer text <p>Instructions issued in 2015 require each prison governor to make available to prisoners information on the sort of release on temporary licence (ROTL) opportunities available locally and how prisoners can access them.</p><p>The evidence shows that temporary release from prison can help ensure offenders do not return to crime when they leave prison, and compliance rates stand at well over 99%. We want to maintain improvements made to ROTL recently while allowing governors greater discretion so that prisoners get the skills and training they need.</p> answering member printed Baroness Vere of Norbiton question first answered 17/10/2017 11:56:23 answering member 4580 label Biography information for Baroness Vere of Norbiton
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

751985

registered interest
date	13/07/2017
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Israel: Bedouin
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	Her Majesty's Government what action they will take, and what resources they will provide, to ensure that recommendations they accept from (1) HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, and (2) the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, are fully implemented.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL820
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/07/2017 answer text <p>We take recommendations from Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons and the Prison and Probation Ombudsman very seriously. We are strengthening performance management and assurance arrangements of prisons, particularly in responding to recommendations from Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons and the Prison and Probation Ombudsman reports. To ensure that recommendations are acted upon we are putting in place a robust system to track progress on implementation in prisons.</p><p> </p><p>We have already introduced functional and geographical Group Director roles with more manageable spans of control to provide greater support for governors and empowered governors to make decisions about their prisons so they will be subject to less rigid instructions and can determine how best to spend their allocated budget. Governors will have a greater level of personal responsibility to ensure that recommendations are implemented. [Where recommendations concern safer custody, Regional Safer Custody Leads provide assurance for Prison Group Directors that appropriate action has been taken.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 27/07/2017 09:15:39 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

751986

registered interest
date	13/07/2017
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Israel: Palestinians
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	Her Majesty's Government whether they are developing strategies in relation to (1) death from natural causes, (2) mental health issues, and (3) suicides for (a) prisoners in general, (b) older prisoners, and (c) prisoners on indeterminate sentences who are held beyond their initial tariff.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL821
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/07/2017 answer text <p>We are committed to improving the support that we offer to prisoners at risk of self-harm or suicide. We expect the most important and effective measures to be the investment of £100 million for recruitment of 2,500 new staff, and the introduction of new offender management arrangements in prisons under which each key worker will have particular responsibility for a small number of prisoners. These will greatly enhance the time and resources available to support prisoners who are at risk.</p><p> </p><p>New training is being rolled out across the estate to support our staff to identify the risks and triggers of suicide and self-harm and understand what they can do to support prisoners at risk. The new training package consists of six sections including awareness training for staff on supporting prisoners with mental health issues.</p><p> </p><p>We have put in place specialist roles (regional safer custody leads) in every region to provide advice to prisons and to spread good practice on identifying and supporting prisoners at risk. We are using experts – including providing extra funding for the Samaritans to provide targeted support for prison staff and to prisoners directly.</p><p> </p><p>Other measures are being developed as part of our safety programme, which includes specific strands of work on the early days in custody; the case management of prisoners at risk; improvements to the built environment of prisons; and building hopefulness amongst prisoners, including through family and peer support.</p><p> </p><p><em>Older Prisoners</em></p><p>Elderly and frail prisoners receive support from NHS clinical services and local authority social care, as well as from prison officers. All staff are trained to appropriate professional standards for their contribution to care. Supporting elderly prisoners is covered in entry-level prison officer training. Prison officers are provided with guidance on dementia and also receive advice and guidance from occupational therapists and social workers at a local level. We are working closely with clinical leaders and social care services to improve our understanding of the impacts of dementia across prisons.</p><p> </p><p>We are currently working to improve our knowledge about the particular health and social needs of older prisoners so we can determine how we might meet these requirements. We have set up a working group to explore this issue. This work will include taking expert advice on what changes we might need to make to the estate or to the regime.</p><p> </p><p><em>Indeterminate Sentence Prisoners beyond tariff</em></p><p>The release of prisoners serving indeterminate sentences of Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) who have completed their tariff is a matter for the independent Parole Board.</p><p> </p><p>HMPPS is focused on giving IPP prisoners the support, opportunities and motivation they need to progress more quickly when they are reviewed by the Parole Board so that they have the best possible prospect for securing release. HMPPS and the Parole Board have implemented a joint action plan, the purpose of which is to deliver further improvements and efficiencies in the effort to help IPP prisoners progress towards release.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 27/07/2017 09:44:19 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton