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Written question asked by David Burrowes (Conservative) on Tuesday, 22 April 2008, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Friday, 25 April 2008. It was answered by Lord Hanson of Flint (Labour) on Monday, 28 April 2008 on behalf of the Ministry of Justice.

Young Offender Institutions

Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the staff to inmate ratio of each (a) young offender institution and (b) secure training centre was at the latest date for which figures are available.
Answer

The following table shows the overall staff to prisoner ratio and unified staff to prisoner ratio for each young offender and juvenile¹ institution at the end of March 2008. Young offenders held in adult categorised prisons are not included. Unified staff relates to those staff that are officer or governor grades.

Prison Prisoner population Total staff in post Total staff to prisoner ratio Total unified staff Unified staff to prisoner ratio
Aylesbury 442 327 1 : 1.35 193 1 : 2.29
Brinsford 442 431 1 : 1.03 257 1 : 1.72
Castington 375 383 1 : 0.98 235 1 : 1.60
Deerbolt 444 362 1 : 1.23 192 1 : 2.31
Feltham 587 779 1 : 0.75 421 1 : 1.39
Glen Parva 804 510 1 : 1.58 276 1 : 2.91
Hindley 497 429 1 : 1.16 244 1 : 2.04
Lancaster Farms 494 424 1 : 1.17 263 1 : 1.88
Northallerton 232 139 1 : 1.67 70 1 : 3.31
Portland 555 418 1 : 1.33 223 1 : 2.49
Reading 245 225 1 : 1.09 122 1 : 2.01
Rochester 389 328 1 : 1.19 197 1 : 1.97
Stoke Heath 644 473 1 : 1.36 264 1 : 2.44
Swinfen Hall 619 415 1 : 1.49 217 1 : 2.85
Thorn Cross 230 218 1 : 1.06 122 1 : 1.89
Huntercombe¹ 347 288 1 : 1.20 162 1 : 2.14
Warren Hill¹ 213 248 1 : 0.86 148 1 : 1.44
Werrington¹ 138 174 1 : 0.79 90 1 : 1.53
Wetherby¹ 321 336 1 : 0.96 185 1 : 1.74

Youth Justice Board do not set precise staff to prisoner ratios for secure training centres (STCs); instead, they agree with providers the minimum starting levels necessary to ensure effective supervision. Broadly speaking, the minimum staffing levels are three members of custody staff to young people living in a group of eight and two members of custody staff to young people living in a group of six.The figures for prison establishments and STCs are not directly comparable. The figures for prisons relate to all staff employed in the establishment, while the ratio for STCs relates only to staff engaging directly with offenders.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
475 c126-8W;475 c126W; 201648
Session
2007-08
Subjects
Secure training centres Young offender institutions
Link
View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk