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Prisoners: Pay

Answer

The minimum rate of pay for employed prisoners is £4 per week. Only minimum rates of pay are set centrally, and responsibility for prisoner pay is devolved to governors and directors, who set the rates of pay for their particular establishments to reflect regime priorities. Eligibility to earn higher rates of pay is a key earnable privilege under the incentives and earned privileges scheme. The last survey of prisons of prisoner pay, completed in 2007, indicated that the average prisoner weekly pay was £9.60.

Prisoners are eligible for the standard rate of pay if they complete the full working week and demonstrate the required level of performance/effort required in any given activity in the establishment, or in any community work outside the establishment for which they are paid by the prison. The full working week in prison will normally be 10 morning, afternoon, or evening sessions, or five night shifts.

Prisoners who are employed in work, induction, education, training or offending behaviour programmes will receive at least the minimum weekly rate of pay for employed prisoners. The minimum rate of pay does not preclude deductions for poor attendance or performance.

Prisoners who incur deductions for poor attendance and/or performance may earn less than the minimum employed rate, provided that the deductions have been calculated according to the formula published by the governor/director.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

164791; 566 cc839-840W

Session

2013-14

Subjects

Pay Prisoners

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk