Written question asked by Nick Timothy (Conservative) on Wednesday, 17 June 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 22 June 2026. It was answered by Jake Richards (Labour) on Monday, 29 June 2026 on behalf of the Ministry of Justice.

Prisoners: Offences against Children

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether convicted child sex offenders can be housed in open prisons.

Answer

Determinate sentence prisoners, including those convicted of sex offences, are eligible to be considered for a move to open prisons when within five years of their earliest release date. Before they can transfer, however, their risk must be assessed as low enough to be safely managed in open conditions. The assessment looks at a wide range of factors, including risk of harm to the public, risk of continued criminality, and risk of abscond.

To be eligible for re-categorisation to open conditions, prisoners serving an indeterminate sentence must have their suitability assessed by the Public Protection Casework Section of HM Prison & Probation Service, on behalf of the Secretary of State.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 11081
Session: 2026-27
Subjects: Prisoners Offences against children Open prisons
Link: View this Written question on www.parliament.uk

Prisoners: Offences against Children

Secondary information

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