The requested data is not held centrally and could not be obtained without incurring disproportionate cost.

In the last financial year (FY 23/24) Forward Trust has received £7,401,140 from the Department for prison contracts.

Forward Trust has received £0 for contracts relating to HMP Maidstone, HMPS Huntercombe and HMP Morton Hall in the last financial year.

Prisoners are not permitted to have mobile telephones, and stringent measures are in place to prevent the entry of mobile telephones into establishments.

To provide data on prisoners remaining in custody beyond their sentence date would require a search of individual records, which could not be done without incurring disproportionate cost.

Information on interpretation and translation costs covering the time period specified is not available. Expenditure interpretation and translation in the current financial year to date is shown in the table below. As both types of expenditure are accounted for under the same budget item, it is not possible to provide a further breakdown.

“Drug-related incident” is not a discrete category within the data collected. A variety of different types of incidents could potentially be drug related. It would therefore be necessary to make a detailed search of individual records to establish which incidents could be categorised in that way. This could not be done without incurring disproportionate cost.

The latest published breakdown of offences for which prisoners at the three establishments have been imprisoned can be found via the following link (under the ‘PT’ tab): Prison_Population_data_tool_2024-09-30.xlsx.

To provide data on prisoners remaining in custody beyond their sentence date would require a search of individual records, which could not be done without incurring disproportionate cost.

Information on interpretation and translation costs covering the time period specified is not available. Expenditure interpretation and translation in the current financial year to date is shown in the table below. As both types of expenditure are accounted for under the same budget item, it is not possible to provide a further breakdown.

“Drug-related incident” is not a discrete category within the data collected. A variety of different types of incidents could potentially be drug related. It would therefore be necessary to make a detailed search of individual records to establish which incidents could be categorised in that way. This could not be done without incurring disproportionate cost.

The latest published breakdown of offences for which prisoners at the three establishments have been imprisoned can be found via the following link (under the ‘PT’ tab): Prison_Population_data_tool_2024-09-30.xlsx.

To provide data on prisoners remaining in custody beyond their sentence date would require a search of individual records, which could not be done without incurring disproportionate cost.

Information on interpretation and translation costs covering the time period specified is not available. Expenditure interpretation and translation in the current financial year to date is shown in the table below. As both types of expenditure are accounted for under the same budget item, it is not possible to provide a further breakdown.

“Drug-related incident” is not a discrete category within the data collected. A variety of different types of incidents could potentially be drug related. It would therefore be necessary to make a detailed search of individual records to establish which incidents could be categorised in that way. This could not be done without incurring disproportionate cost.

The latest published breakdown of offences for which prisoners at the three establishments have been imprisoned can be found via the following link (under the ‘PT’ tab): Prison_Population_data_tool_2024-09-30.xlsx.

To provide data on prisoners remaining in custody beyond their sentence date would require a search of individual records, which could not be done without incurring disproportionate cost.

Information on interpretation and translation costs covering the time period specified is not available. Expenditure interpretation and translation in the current financial year to date is shown in the table below. As both types of expenditure are accounted for under the same budget item, it is not possible to provide a further breakdown.

“Drug-related incident” is not a discrete category within the data collected. A variety of different types of incidents could potentially be drug related. It would therefore be necessary to make a detailed search of individual records to establish which incidents could be categorised in that way. This could not be done without incurring disproportionate cost.

The latest published breakdown of offences for which prisoners at the three establishments have been imprisoned can be found via the following link (under the ‘PT’ tab): Prison_Population_data_tool_2024-09-30.xlsx.

Please see the below table showing the number and rate of assaults on staff in HMP (a) Maidstone, (b) Huntercombe and (c) Morton Hall in each of the last five years, together with the rate of assaults on staff across the estate as a whole.

Number and rate per 1,000 prisoners of assaults on staff¹ within prison custody, 2019 to 2023

These figures have been drawn from the HMPPS Incident Reporting System. Care is taken when processing and analysing returns but the detail is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system. Although shown to the last case, the figures may not be accurate to that level.

(1) Assaults on staff are a subset of all assault incidents. Some assault incidents may be recorded as both a prisoner-on-prisoner assault and an assault on staff.

(2) Rates express the number of incidents per 1,000 prisoners, and give a more reliable indicator of trends than numbers of incidents because they take account of changes in the prison population over time. The rates are calculated by dividing the number of incidents occurring within a twelve-month period by the average prison population at the end of each month within the same period, multiplied by 1,000. The prison population figures are published in Offender Management Statistics Quarterly.

In 2023-24, 23 education courses were provided at HMP Maidstone, 26 at HMP Huntercombe and 48 at HMP Morton Hall.

Data on the cost of providing these courses at HMP Huntercombe and HMP Morton Hall are in the process of validation. Information in relation to HMP Maidstone is not available, as the costs form part of a single budget item covering a number of prisons and cannot be disaggregated.

Courses, such as the ones offered at these sites, are one of many valuable ways in which we can improve rehabilitation and cut reoffending which costs society more than £18 billion per year.

Information on the number of Band 3 prison officers who were on duty in the prison on that day at HMP Huntercombe, HMP Maidstone and HMP Morton Hall on 1 September 2023, together with the reasons for absence, are set out in the table below:

It should be noted that 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.

The figures for those who were on duty in the prison on that day include all staff who attended for all or part of a shift, including any additional-payment shifts and night duties. Those recorded in the category of ‘Other Absences’ can include staff attending medical appointments, and those on restricted duties, phased return, secondment, maternity leave, jury service, official duty, parental leave, suspension or bed watch, as well as any working at a different grade, taking time off in lieu or working remotely.

We have taken a series of measures to increase the prison workforce. Despite a challenging labour market, the 12 months ending 30 June 2023 saw an increase of 701 Full-Time-Equivalent Band 3-5 prison officers. This means we now have 4,000 more prison officers than in March 2017. We are committed to recruiting up to 5,000 prison officers across public and private prisons by the mid-2020s.

We recently increased the pay of the vast majority of frontline officers by 7 per cent. Combined with other pay rises, this means starting pay for prison officers has increased since 2019 from £22,293 to £30,902 (on the basis of a national rate, 37-hour week with unsocial hours) or £23,529 to £32,851 (on the basis of a national rate, 39-hour week with unsocial hours).

There are no translators employed in prisons on a permanent basis. The Ministry of Justice Language Service Contract provides face-to-face and telephone interpretation services for prisons, on a case-by-case basis, on request.

We are delivering 40 Rapid Deployment Cells at HMP Huntercombe. Units were deployed at the site in September 2023 and essential works are ongoing to get the units ready for occupation. First prisoners are expected to occupy the units from early January 2024.

There is no current plan to deliver Rapid Deployment Cells at HMP Maidstone or HMP Morton Hall.

The Rapid Deployment Cells Project is a key element of the HMPPS Programme to create short-term prison places and this project has a clear strategic goal to deliver additional places at prisons across the country, whilst long-term capacity is built.

We will continue to explore where Rapid Deployment Cells could potentially be deployed at prisons across the estate.

The population, operational capacity and certified normal accommodation (CNA) level of every prison is published monthly: Prison population figures: 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

HMP Huntercombe, HMP Maidstone and HMP Morton Hall are the three foreign national offenders (FNO) only prisons within HMPPS. They hold only those of interest to the Home Office with between 3 and 36 months left to serve. They include embedded Home Office staff with better access to FNOs to facilitate effective deportations.

The table below provides the operational capacity and certified normal accommodation level at (a) HMP Huntercombe, (b) HMP Maidstone and (c) HMP Morton Hall on 16 October 2023.

The Operational Capacity of a prison is the total number of prisoners that an establishment can hold taking into account control, security and the proper operation of the planned regime. It is determined by the Prison Group Directors on the basis of operational judgement and experience.

We are committed to increasing the number of FNOs removed from our prisons, and all FNOs sentenced to custody are referred to us at the earliest opportunity to be considered for deportation.

The population, operational capacity and certified normal accommodation (CNA) level of every prison is published monthly: Prison population figures: 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

HMP Huntercombe, HMP Maidstone and HMP Morton Hall are the three foreign national offenders (FNO) only prisons within HMPPS. They hold only those of interest to the Home Office with between 3 and 36 months left to serve. They include embedded Home Office staff with better access to FNOs to facilitate effective deportations.

The table below provides the operational capacity and certified normal accommodation level at (a) HMP Huntercombe, (b) HMP Maidstone and (c) HMP Morton Hall on 16 October 2023.

The Operational Capacity of a prison is the total number of prisoners that an establishment can hold taking into account control, security and the proper operation of the planned regime. It is determined by the Prison Group Directors on the basis of operational judgement and experience.

We are committed to increasing the number of FNOs removed from our prisons, and all FNOs sentenced to custody are referred to us at the earliest opportunity to be considered for deportation.

The Ministry of Justice welcomes the findings of IMB’s report and takes the concerns raised seriously. The Board found positive practices during their visit, but we recognise that the establishment still has a way to go. Some of the issues raised have been exacerbated or delayed by the impact of Covid-19 and are expected to improve as regime restrictions are lifted.

33185

HMPPS and the Home Office hold regular bilateral meetings to support the management of FNOs. HMP Maidstone have an embedded Immigration Prison Team who run daily appointments for FNOs to seek advice on their case and better manage the expectations of FNOs prior to their removal. Covid-19 has hampered efforts to remove FNOs due to a significant decrease in available flights, however, efforts have continued to remove FNOs via removal schemes throughout the pandemic.

Individuals who are risk assessed as suitable for transfer to an Immigration Removal Centre (IRC) will be placed on a waiting list, operated by the Home Office, but will remain in prison accommodation pending that transfer. Transfers will take place as soon as reasonably and operationally practicable. When an individual is deemed unsuitable for a transfer to the immigration removal estate, their circumstances continue to be regularly reviewed. Changes in circumstance can impact this decision and individuals may, on re-assessment, be then considered suitable and accepted for transfer into an IRC.

During the pandemic, covid safe measures such as single occupancy and reverse cohorting (where new intake is separated from the general population) across the IRC estate has resulted in a slower flow of time served foreign national offenders suitable for the estate being transferred, however, where such moves can be operationally set up and space allows, the Home Office have continued to move such individuals and continue to do so.

33186 & 33187

As part of the Home Office’s response to the Stephen Shaw’s follow-up report in 2018, an internal review of the quality of interpreter services in IRCs was undertaken. The review findings have helped to inform the development of a new Detention Services Order (DSO) on interpretation services and translation devices, which includes guidance on the translation of documentation. The Home Office aims to publish this DSO by the Autumn. As part of this work HMPPS and the Home Office will review the provision of translated documents to individuals held under immigration powers in prison.

33188

In March 2020 HMPPS stood up COVID-19 Gold Command to stand alongside the normal incident Gold arrangements, as a direct response to the emerging global pandemic. The aim of the introduction of this function, was to help and support prison group directors and governors in manging COVID-19, offering guidance as to managing a new and complicated set of factors. COVID-19 Gold drew senior HMPPS leaders together with experts from other related fields such as Public Heath England/Wales. Our COVID-19 operational guidance team drafted and published a set of Exceptional Delivery Models, drawing on experience from experts, which were set as templates for establishments, upon which to base their safe delivery. Gold command have processed and authorised these delivery models, when establishments have evidenced it is safe for them to enhance their regime provision.

Whilst HMPPS have effectively been operating in ‘Command Mode’ since March 2020, governors and prison group directors have still maintained a degree of autonomy over the day-to-day running of their establishments, therefore governors have never had their control removed.

33189

The IMB receive an annual budget from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) to support all essential activities and any necessary transformation for the organisation. They are responsible for ensuring compliance with the financial controls in place across the Civil Service and the MoJ, including those mandated by HM Treasury and the Cabinet Office. The IMB Report for Maidstone was published on 13 July, and issues raised within it are currently being assessed by the Department.

The budget of HM Prison Maidstone for 2017-18 has not yet been set. Discussions on the prison’s Performance Agreement 2017-18 which will include its budget are due to conclude by 31 March 2017

The budget of HM Prison Maidstone does not presently include provision for prisoner education as this is made through the central Offender Learning & Skills Service. In future that funding will be devolved to the prison under the changes proposed in the White Paper Prison Safety & Reform. In its present 2016-17 budget the prison has provision of 0.32% of the total budget for prisoner recreation.

The budget of HM Prison Maidstone for 2017-18 has not yet been set. Discussions on the prison’s Performance Agreement 2017-18 which will include its budget are due to conclude by 31 March 2017

The budget of HM Prison Maidstone does not presently include provision for prisoner education as this is made through the central Offender Learning & Skills Service. In future that funding will be devolved to the prison under the changes proposed in the White Paper Prison Safety & Reform. In its present 2016-17 budget the prison has provision of 0.32% of the total budget for prisoner recreation.

The average length of time that prisoners spend at HMP Maidstone is 7 months. Prisoners may leave the prison for a range of reasons including because they are being deported are moving to detention ordered by the Home Office or are being released on licence.

All prisoners re-allocated from HM Prison Maidstone, as part of its change in function to a foreign national only prison, will be allocated to the appropriate prisons to meet their individual circumstances.

Staff at Maidstone have currently identified 21 prisoners from the remaining 183 who have particular requirements that need to be taken into consideration when making a decision about their transfer, following the change to the establishment’s function. This includes elderly as well as disabled prisoners and the staff have been proactive in identifying prisoners who fall into this group. Where such a need has been identified the staff have worked to identify prisons that can provide the appropriate facilities.

NOMS is committed to providing a safe and decent environment for all prisoners including those with disabilities.