Written question asked by Dominic Grieve (Conservative) on Monday, 11 May 2009, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 13 May 2009. It was answered by Jack Straw (Labour) on Tuesday, 19 May 2009 on behalf of the Ministry of Justice.

Lindholme Prison

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners he expects to be released early from HM Prison Lindholme in the next six months.

Answer: The number discharged from prison are dependent on a variety of factors, including the profile of the prison population in each establishment, the specifics of legislation or policies pertaining at the time, those received into the prison, movements between prisons and in the case of Lindholme the practicalities of removing foreign national prisoners to their home countries. No assessment has therefore been made on the number of releases, early or otherwise, from any specific prison.Estimates of the prison population as a whole are generally published annually. This gives the projected monthly prison population in England and Wales for the next seven years. Sub-population (such as gender) estimates are presented alongside the effects of legislation, sentencing activity, and other factors relevant to the prison population. The relevant page on the Ministry of Justice website is:"http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/prisonpopulation.htm"

Secondary information