1-8 of 8 results for subject:"Open prisons"
Librarians' tools
- Search time
- 0.139 seconds
- Solr query time
- 0.004 seconds
- Search query
- subject:"Open prisons"
- We searched for
- subject_t:"Open prisons" OR subject_ses:92258
Session
X
2009-10
Type
House
Session
More
2009-10 (8)
Year
Department
Member
Primary member
Answering member
Legislative stage
Legislation
Subject
Publisher
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 12 January 2010, Official Report, column 933W, on open prisons, how many prisoners convicted of murder were held in open prison in each of the last five years.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 12 January 2010, Official Report, column 933W, on open prisons, how many prisoners convicted of murder were held in open prison in each of the last five years.
Asked by
Dominic Grieve
(Conservative)
Answered by
Jack Straw
(Labour)
Answering body
Ministry of Justice
Type
Written questions
Status
Answered
Tabled on
3 February 2010
For answer on
5 February 2010
Answered on
22 February 2010
The following table gives figures for the numbers of prisoners serving sentences for murder held in open prisons in the years between 2005 and 2009:
The total number of prisoners convicted of murder and in prison was around 4,900 at the end of June 2009. The figure in the open estate is therefore 5 per cent of. the total. There have been open prisons since 1936 and they are widely accepted as the most effective means of ensuring prisoners are tested in the community before they are released. To release prisoners directly from a closed prison without the resettlement benefits of the open estate would undoubtedly lead to higher levels of post-release reoffending.Prisoners are assessed objectively in a process looking at all aspects of their offending behaviour, actions they have taken to reduce their likelihood of reoffending and the risk they pose to the public. They are placed in the lowest security category consistent with their assessed risk. Only prisoners placed in the lowest security category (D) may be allocated to open conditions. If their behaviour becomes a cause for concern, they can be moved back to more secure conditions.Prisoners convicted of murder serving life sentences and other indeterminate sentence prisoners will be transferred from closed to open prison conditions only following the acceptance of a Parole Board recommendation to the Secretary of State. Before making such a recommendation, the Parole Board must be satisfied that the case meets the criteria set out in the Directions to the Parole Board under section 32(6) of the Criminal Justice Act 1991, of which the risk of abscond is a central factor.Transfer of any prisoner to open conditions will only take place if continued detention in closed conditions is no longer necessary for the protection of the public. Open conditions allow prisoners to find work, re-establish family ties and reintegrate into the community. All these are essential components for successful resettlement and an important factor in protecting the public.These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. Totals for each prison have been rounded to the nearest five and the grand total to the nearest 10; separately rounded sub-totals may not add to the rounded total.These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
| Prisoners held in open prisons serving sentences for murder 2005-09 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | |
| Total | 350 | 310 | 260 | 270 | 275 |
| Askham Grange | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 10 |
| Ford | 40 | 40 | 25 | 35 | 25 |
| Hewell¹ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 10 |
| Hollesley Bay | 20 | 10 | 15 | 15 | 20 |
| Kirkham | 25 | 25 | 25 | 30 | 30 |
| Leyhill | 85 | 75 | 60 | 55 | 50 |
| Moorland Open | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| North Sea Camp | 40 | 30 | 20 | 15 | 25 |
| Prescoed | 35 | 25 | 20 | 20 | 15 |
| Spring Hill | 20 | 20 | 15 | 15 | 15 |
| Standford Hill | 15 | 10 | 20 | 15 | 10 |
| Sudbury | 65 | 65 | 50 | 55 | 60 |
| East Sutton Park | 0 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| ¹ Hewell consists of three units; only the open unit has been counted. | |||||
| Note: | |||||
| Totals rounded to the nearest five; figures for June each year. |
Subjects
Open prisons
Date
22 February 2010
Reference
506 c258-9W; 316497
House
House of Commons
To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the (a) shortest, and (b) longest, periods for the Secretary of State for Justice to respond to a Parole Board recommendation that a convicted prisoner be transferred to open conditions prior to release.
To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the (a) shortest, and (b) longest, periods for the Secretary of State for Justice to respond to a Parole Board recommendation that a convicted prisoner be transferred to open conditions prior to release.
Asked by
Lord Corbett of Castle Vale
(Labour)
Answered by
Lord Bach
(Labour)
Type
Written questions
Status
Answered
Answered on
2 February 2010
The National Offender Management Service has a target of 42 days from the date of receipt of the recommendation for considering a Parole Board recommendation for transfer to open conditions and issuing a final decision. In a sample of 100 recent cases, this target was met in 86 per cent of cases. Based on the same sample, the average period of time spent considering whether to accept a recommendation was 29.6 days. In some complex cases, it will take longer to deal with a recommendation, due to aspects of the case that require closer scrutiny.
Since 1 January 2008, the shortest amount of time taken from receipt of the recommendation to issuing the response is the same day. The longest case recorded since 1 January 2008 is, exceptionally, 438 days. However, since that recommendation was first received and considered, new streamlined processes have been put in place which have significantly improved the timeliness of consideration and have prevented such delays from recurring.
The Secretary of State does not have a policy of giving higher priority to the handling of recommendations for transfer to open conditions in cases where the prisoner's Parole Board hearing has been delayed. The 42 day target is applied from the date of receipt, and recent sampling demonstrates that 86 per cent of cases are considered within that target.
Consideration is being given to whether there is scope to reduce the target. Furthermore, we are working closely with the board to introduce a raft of measures to reduce the scope for parole delays and ensure that all cases are dealt with in a timely way.
Subjects
Parole; Prisoners' transfers; Prisoners' release; Ministry of Justice; Parole Board; Open prisons
Date
2 February 2010
Reference
1393; 717 c29-30WA
House
House of Lords
To ask Her Majesty's Government what priority is given by the Secretary of State for Justice to a recommendation by the Parole Board that a prisoner who has waited for 12 months or more for a hearing be transferred to open conditions prior to release.
To ask Her Majesty's Government what priority is given by the Secretary of State for Justice to a recommendation by the Parole Board that a prisoner who has waited for 12 months or more for a hearing be transferred to open conditions prior to release.
Asked by
Lord Corbett of Castle Vale
(Labour)
Answered by
Lord Bach
(Labour)
Type
Written questions
Status
Answered
Answered on
2 February 2010
The National Offender Management Service has a target of 42 days from the date of receipt of the recommendation for considering a Parole Board recommendation for transfer to open conditions and issuing a final decision. In a sample of 100 recent cases, this target was met in 86 per cent of cases. Based on the same sample, the average period of time spent considering whether to accept a recommendation was 29.6 days. In some complex cases, it will take longer to deal with a recommendation, due to aspects of the case that require closer scrutiny.
Since 1 January 2008, the shortest amount of time taken from receipt of the recommendation to issuing the response is the same day. The longest case recorded since 1 January 2008 is, exceptionally, 438 days. However, since that recommendation was first received and considered, new streamlined processes have been put in place which have significantly improved the timeliness of consideration and have prevented such delays from recurring.
The Secretary of State does not have a policy of giving higher priority to the handling of recommendations for transfer to open conditions in cases where the prisoner's Parole Board hearing has been delayed. The 42 day target is applied from the date of receipt, and recent sampling demonstrates that 86 per cent of cases are considered within that target.
Consideration is being given to whether there is scope to reduce the target. Furthermore, we are working closely with the board to introduce a raft of measures to reduce the scope for parole delays and ensure that all cases are dealt with in a timely way.
Subjects
Parole; Prisoners' transfers; Prisoners' release; Ministry of Justice; Parole Board; Open prisons
Date
2 February 2010
Reference
1394; 717 c30WA
House
House of Lords
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many of those convicted of murder since 1997 have been placed in open prisons; and how many such offenders have escaped.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many of those convicted of murder since 1997 have been placed in open prisons; and how many such offenders have escaped.
Asked by
Andrew Rosindell
(Conservative)
Answered by
Maria Eagle
(Labour)
Answering body
Ministry of Justice
Type
Written questions
Status
Answered
Tabled on
25 November 2009
For answer on
30 November 2009
Answered on
12 January 2010
Figures on the number of prisoners convicted of murder since 1997 who have been placed in open conditions is not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost by accessing the individual record of each such prisoner.Transfer of any prisoner to open conditions will only take place if continued detention in closed conditions is no longer necessary for the protection of the public. Open conditions allow prisoners to find work, re-establish family ties and reintegrate into the community. All these are essential components for successful resettlement and an important factor in protecting the public.Data on absconds from open prison by index offence type have been recorded centrally since 1 April 2004. Between April 2004 and November 2009, 69 prisoners convicted of murder have absconded from open prisons. Three of these prisoners are recorded as still being at large.The rate of abscond from open prisons continues to fall and absconds are now at their lowest level since centralised reporting of this type of incident began in 1995.
Subjects
Homicide; Prisoner escapes; Open prisons
Date
12 January 2010
Reference
503 c927-8W; 302916
House
House of Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 2 December 2009, Official Report, column 800W, on open prisons, how many prisoners convicted of murder are being held at each open prison.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 2 December 2009, Official Report, column 800W, on open prisons, how many prisoners convicted of murder are being held at each open prison.
Asked by
Dominic Grieve
(Conservative)
Answered by
Jack Straw
(Labour)
Answering body
Ministry of Justice
Type
Written questions
Status
Answered
Tabled on
8 December 2009
For answer on
15 December 2009
Answered on
12 January 2010
The following table gives the numbers of prisoners detained for murder at each open prison in England and Wales, as at 30 June 2009 the last date at which data are available:
The total number of prisoners convicted of murder and in prison was around 4,900 at the end of June 2009. The figure in the open estate is therefore 5 per cent. of the total. There have been open prisons since 1936 and they are widely accepted as the most effective means of ensuring prisoners are tested in the community before they are released. To release prisoners directly from a closed prison without the resettlement benefits of the open estate would undoubtedly lead to higher levels of post-release reoffending.Prisoners are assessed objectively in a process looking at all aspects of their offending behaviour, actions they have taken to reduce their likelihood of reoffending and the risk they pose to the public. They are placed in the lowest security category consistent with their assessed risk. Only prisoners placed in the lowest security category (D) may be allocated to open conditions. If their behaviour becomes a cause for concern, they can be moved back to more secure conditions.Prisoners convicted of murderer serving life sentences and other indeterminate sentence prisoners will be transferred from closed to open prison conditions only following the acceptance of a Parole Board recommendation to the Secretary of State. Before making such a recommendation, the Parole Board must be satisfied that the case meets the criteria set out in the Directions to the Parole Board under section 32(6) of the Criminal Justice Act 1991, of which the risk of abscond is a central factor.Transfer of any prisoner to open conditions will only take place if continued detention in closed conditions is no longer necessary for the protection of the public. Open conditions allow prisoners to find work, re-establish family ties and reintegrate into the community. All these are essential components for successful resettlement and an important factor in protecting the public.These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. Totals for each prison have been rounded to the nearest five and the grand total to the nearest 10; separately rounded sub-totals may not add to the rounded total.
| Number | |
| Askham Grange | 10 |
| Ford | 25 |
| Hollesley Bay | 20 |
| Kirkham | 30 |
| Leyhill | 50 |
| North Sea Camp | 25 |
| Prescoed | 15 |
| Spring Hill | 15 |
| Standford Hill | 10 |
| Sudbury | 60 |
| Sutton Park | 5 |
| Total | 260 |
Subjects
Homicide; Open prisons
Date
12 January 2010
Reference
503 c931-3W; 306327
House
House of Commons
(2) how many prisoners serving life sentences are held in open prisons.
(2) how many prisoners serving life sentences are held in open prisons.
Asked by
Lord Deben
(Conservative)
Answered by
Maria Eagle
(Labour)
Answering body
Ministry of Justice
Type
Written questions
Status
Answered
Tabled on
24 November 2009
For answer on
26 November 2009
Answered on
2 December 2009
At the end of June 2009, the last date for which data is available, there were some 360 life prisoners, including 260 prisoners convicted of murder detained in exclusively open prisons in all the prison establishments in England and Wales.Prisoners are assessed objectively in a process looking at all aspects of their offending behaviour, actions they have taken to reduce their likelihood of reoffending, and the risk they pose to the public. They are placed in the lowest security category consistent with their assessed risk. Only prisoners placed in the lowest security category (D) may be allocated open conditions.Transfer of any prisoner to open conditions will only take place if continued detention in closed conditions is no longer necessary for the protection of the public. Open conditions allow prisoners to find work, re-establish family ties and reintegrate into the community. All these are essential components for successful resettlement and an important factor in protecting the public.These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing, and have been rounded to the nearest 10.
Subjects
Homicide; Open prisons
Date
2 December 2009
Reference
501 c800W; 302250
House
House of Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many prisoners convicted of murder are held in open prisons;
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many prisoners convicted of murder are held in open prisons;
Asked by
Lord Deben
(Conservative)
Answered by
Maria Eagle
(Labour)
Answering body
Ministry of Justice
Type
Written questions
Status
Answered
Tabled on
24 November 2009
For answer on
26 November 2009
Answered on
2 December 2009
At the end of June 2009, the last date for which data is available, there were some 360 life prisoners, including 260 prisoners convicted of murder detained in exclusively open prisons in all the prison establishments in England and Wales.Prisoners are assessed objectively in a process looking at all aspects of their offending behaviour, actions they have taken to reduce their likelihood of reoffending, and the risk they pose to the public. They are placed in the lowest security category consistent with their assessed risk. Only prisoners placed in the lowest security category (D) may be allocated open conditions.Transfer of any prisoner to open conditions will only take place if continued detention in closed conditions is no longer necessary for the protection of the public. Open conditions allow prisoners to find work, re-establish family ties and reintegrate into the community. All these are essential components for successful resettlement and an important factor in protecting the public.These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing, and have been rounded to the nearest 10.
Subjects
Homicide; Open prisons
Date
2 December 2009
Reference
501 c800W; 302249
House
House of Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what criteria are used to determine whether a prisoner is eligible to be held at open prison; and whether a conviction for premeditated murder is an automatic bar to being so held.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what criteria are used to determine whether a prisoner is eligible to be held at open prison; and whether a conviction for premeditated murder is an automatic bar to being so held.
Asked by
Lord Deben
(Conservative)
Answered by
Maria Eagle
(Labour)
Answering body
Ministry of Justice
Type
Written questions
Status
Answered
Tabled on
24 November 2009
For answer on
26 November 2009
Answered on
2 December 2009
There is a well established categorisation and allocation system which aims to ensure that all prisoners are allocated to a prison with a security category consistent with managing their needs in terms of security and control. The categorisation process assesses the risks posed by individual prisoners in terms of: likelihood of escape or abscond; the risk of harm to the public in the event of an escape or abscond and any control issues that impact on the security of the prison and those within it. The risk assessment will take account of issues including: the nature and circumstances of the index offence, any previous convictions, positive and successful efforts to reduce identified risk levels.Prisoners convicted of pre-meditated murder cannot be held in open prisons on their initial categorisation decision, but may be transferred to open prison conditions at a later stage as part of their sentence progression. Convicted murderers serving life sentences and other indeterminate sentence prisoners will be transferred from closed to open prison conditions only following the decisions of the independent Parole Board. Before making such a decision, the Parole Board must be satisfied that the case meets the criteria set out in the Directions to the Parole Board under Section 32(6) of the Criminal Justice Act 1991.
Subjects
Homicide; Open prisons
Date
2 December 2009
Reference
501 c800W; 302248
House
House of Commons