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Home Office

Answer

Mr. Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criteria the prison service uses in denying prisoners access to books which are publicly available. [60015] Mr. George Howarth: Prisoners are normally allowed to receive, or make arrangements to purchase, books while in prison; to have access to the prison library; and to have at least three books in their possession at any one time, subject to the volumetric limits that apply to prisoners' property. However, there are a number of grounds on which access to publications may be limited or denied. These are: (i) Governors have discretion to withhold or withdraw any publication if it constitutes a risk to security or good order or discipline, or where the medical officer considers that possession of the material is likely to have an adverse effect on the prisoner's physical or mental condition; (ii) prisoners may have access to publications/library facilities withdrawn for a limited period following an adjudication for an offence against discipline (although access to approved religious books would not be removed in such circumstances); (iii) under the national incentives and earned privileges policy the number of books prisoners may hold, and frequency of visits to the library, may increase or decrease depending upon the privilege level which the prisoner concerned has attained; and (iv) where a prisoner has requested a book which is not available in the prison library, attempts will be made to obtain it through the inter library loan system, or if necessary, the British Library. It is possible in such circumstances that there may be delays in obtaining the requested publication and a limit on its availability to the prisoner once obtained.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

319 c736-7W; 60015

Session

1997-98

Subjects

Libraries Prisoners Prisons Publications