Written question asked by Lorna Fitzsimons (Labour) on Thursday, 8 July 1999, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 14 July 1999. It was answered by George Howarth (Labour) on Wednesday, 14 July 1999 on behalf of the Home Office.

Home Office

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Prison Service takes to monitor prisoners who are transferred from private to public prisons, with particular reference to the honouring of risk assessments conducted in private prisons.

Answer: Lorna Fitzsimons: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Prison Service takes to monitor prisoners who are transferred from private to public prisons, with particular reference to the honouring of risk assessments conducted in private prisons. [90988] Mr. George Howarth: Risk assessments on prisoners are prepared at prisons for a variety of purposes, including categorisation, sentence planning, release on temporary licence and home detention curfew. Contracted out prisons are subject to the same rules, procedures, guidance and policy for risk assessments as public sector prisons. Assessment processes at contracted out and public sector prisons are monitored during standards audits. Where prisoners transfer, the assessment will be the responsibility of the prison with final accountability for the decision in question, but in doing so, it would normally be expected to take into account any previous assessment undertaken by other prisons. Prisoners dissatisfied with decisions at contracted out or public sector prisons can make use of the request and complaints procedures.

Secondary information