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Written question asked by Emily Thornberry (Labour) on Friday, 30 October 2009, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 3 November 2009. It was answered by Jack Straw (Labour) on Monday, 9 November 2009 on behalf of the Ministry of Justice.

Prisons: Inspections

Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 20 October 2009, Official Report, columns 53-54WS, on temporary transfer of prisoners prior to inspection, whether the prisoners moved between HMP Pentonville and HMP Wandsworth were transferred by private contractors; and what record was kept of (a) the transfer of each prisoner and (b) the physical condition of each prisoner upon (i) departure and (ii) arrival.
Answer

All but two of the prisoners subject to temporary transfers between Wandsworth and Pentonville during May and June of this year were transferred by private contractors. Two prisoners were originally due to be transferred by private contractors from Wandsworth to Pentonville but, according to the investigation into these matters, were transferred by taxi, and escorted by prison officers.All prisoner movements, within and between prisons, are recorded on the local inmate database. Furthermore, policy requires that all prisoner movements should have a prisoner escort record (PER) which contains all relevant information about a prisoner in addition to a documented chain of custody. It has not been possible, in the time available, to obtain the PERs of all the prisoners.All the prisoners involved in these transfers were seen by a health care professional either on departure, arrival or both and had entries in their patient records to that effect. The substance of these records is covered by patient confidentiality.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
499 c140W; 297722
Session
2008-09
Related items
Subjects
Inspections Prisons
Link
View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk