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Home Office

Answer

Mr. Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total number of recorded criminal offences committed by people serving prison sentences in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [58456] Mr. George Howarth: The available information for persons who have been charged with a further offence whilst on temporary release from prison is given in table 1. Information relating to offences committed whilst in prison which are too serious for a prison governor to deal with under the prison disciplinary system and are referred to the police for prosecution is given in table 2. This information is also published in successive volumes of "Statistics of offences against prison discipline and punishments England and Wales" up to 1996, and thereafter in "Prison statistics England and Wales" (chapter 8 of the 1997 edition, Cm 4017). Copies are available in the Library. Table 1 Prisoners charged with a further offence whilst on temporary release from prison, 1 September 1995 to 31 December 1997 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Year Number September to December 1995 6 1996 9 1997 9 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Table 2 Estimated number of offences referred to the police for prosecution by prison governors _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Year Number 1992 250 1993 {1}-- 1994 300 to 350 1995 450 to 500 1996 1,650 1997 1,540 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. {1} not applicable

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

319 c41W; 58456

Session

1997-98

Subjects

Discipline Prosecutions Prisoners Prisons

Contains statistics

Yes