Grant-funded activity across His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) is monitored, quality-assured and measured through the Grants Governance Board, which has oversight of all grants funded by HMPPS, both prior to award and throughout the lifetime of the grant.

HMPPS ensures all grants awarded to voluntary, community, and social enterprise organisations are effective in helping to reduce reoffending, delivered in accordance with the Government Grants Functional Standard.

Grant managers are responsible for monitoring delivery, and agreed outcomes and budgets are defined in quarterly and end of year Reports. A Senior Responsible Officer will have oversight of grants within their specific business area and will be required to provide assurance in relation each grant, including the governance, risk management, and financial aspects.

In April we introduced the End of Custody Temporary Release (ECTR) scheme. It allowed for the early release of stringently assessed low-risk prisoners who were within two months of their release date. It freed up space across the estate so that all prisons could effectively control the spread of the virus by quarantining new arrivals, isolating those with symptoms and shielding vulnerable offenders. This was based on advice from Public Health England and was necessary to protect life and avoid thousands of prisoners becoming infected, overwhelming local NHS services.

The ECTR scheme was paused in August, as it was no longer a necessary part of our overall response. Throughout the pandemic our response has been based on public health advice, and this decision will be kept under constant review over the coming weeks and months.

Separately from the ECTR process, some prisoners may meet the criteria for potential compassionate temporary release including pregnant women, prisoners with their babies in custody (in Mother and Baby Units), and those defined by the NHS guidelines as ‘medically extremely vulnerable’ to Covid-19. These types of prisoner continue to be considered for Compassionate ROTL based on a case-by-case assessment of whether it would be safe to do so and we will not release any woman without ensuring she has access to appropriate, safe accommodation, necessary support services in the community and an agreed health care pathway in place.

Prison Governors are working with Family Services, Through the Gate teams, and those Third Sector organisations that currently work within their prisons, to provide the many practical items that women will need, including those who are pregnant or who are leaving custody with their baby.

Under the National Framework for Prison Regimes and Services it is for Governors to set out how visits run in their prison in a Covid secure manner using available resources and public health guidance.

Governors are empowered to decide how long visits should last, recognising issues such as additional movement and cleaning times that may be needed to ensure visits remain Covid secure for the men, women and children in our care, their visitors and staff.

Current policy is visits should last for a minimum of 45 minutes in prisons, where it is safe to do so in an adapted Covid safe manner. All visitors are required to maintain social distancing if not part of the same household, in line with public health guidelines.

The remedial action taken for any breaking of contact rules on visits (which are set out on GOV.UK and at the time of booking for the purposes of protecting visitors, residents and staff) is a matter for local discretion and based upon the nature and seriousness of each case.

We have kept our policies under constant review to ensure that lessons learned are taken into account going forward. We will continue to make adaptions if required to ensure safe operating procedures, particularly when considering the regime we offer during the winter period.

Social visits to prisons were suspended on 24 March 2020 and because of the suspension and our wider actions to tackle COVID, lives have been saved and the NHS has been protected from the impact of widespread local outbreaks.

In line with the National Framework for Prison Regimes and Services published on 2 June 2020, prisons have gradually been re-commencing social visits since 8 July 2020 with many sites already holding visiting sessions. More are scheduled to resume in the coming days and weeks.

Establishments are progressing at their own speed, taking full account of their specific local circumstances. We continue to work with individual prisons to adjust restrictions in response to local conditions which may include an outbreak of infection in the prison or community.

Where social visits have resumed, there are necessary measures in place to protect visitors, prisoners and staff from the risk of infection. They include compulsory face coverings for visitors, social distancing and enhanced cleaning regimes.

A temporary video call service to support prisoners maintaining contact with family and friends has also been introduced. This is intended for use whilst contact is limited.

As a result of the strong but necessary measures we introduced in prisons, including suspending social visits, lives have been saved and the NHS is being protected from the impact of widespread local outbreaks.

Some prisons have already started to ease restrictions, including re-starting social visits with appropriate social distancing and hygiene arrangements, and enabling more time out of cell. More prisons will do so over the coming weeks, guided by public health advice and with safety remaining the absolute priority.

Individual prisons and the youth estate will progress at their own speed, taking full account of their specific local circumstances.

A temporary video call service to support prisoners maintaining contact with family and friends has also been introduced. This is intended for use whilst contact is limited and we are considering the benefits of maintaining these digital solutions in the longer term, in line with the recommendations of Lord Farmer’s reviews.

The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) recognises the importance and positive impact that can benefit children and families by visiting offenders in prison. The decision to stop visits was based on public health advice and mirrored the restrictions faced by the whole country, we know the difficult impact this has on mothers in prison and it was not taken lightly.

As a result of the success of these measures, we are now formulating plans for how these restrictions can be cautiously rolled back over the coming weeks and months. We have now reintroduced family visits at some establishments housing female offenders and plan to reintroduce them to the remainder of the female estate over the coming weeks. Currently a single adult visiting can be accompanied by up to two children, but if two adults visits only one child may accompany them. All visitors must live together in the same household except for parents of a prisoner who live apart. Guidance on visiting someone in prison during the pandemic is published on GOV.UK at the following link;

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/visit-someone-in-prison-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic

We are conscious of the impact that these restrictions have on prisoners’ wellbeing and rehabilitation. Taking into consideration the recommendations made in the 2017 Farmer Review and the 2019 Farmer Review for Women, we have invested in various measures to maintain family contact and improve wellbeing. We have provided additional pin credit for phone calls, distributed locked mobile phones for establishments without access to in-cell telephony and deployed new video call technology at all women’s prisons.

We have introduced a temporary emergency video calling service in recognition of the importance of maintaining family contact while social visits have been temporarily suspended in prisons in England and Wales. Due to the urgency of the situation and the complexity required in assessing and approving a solution to provide these services, a direct award under Regulation 32 (2) (c) was made. We have published information regarding the provision of video calls on GOV.UK and made clear we will continue to expand secure video calling to more establishments during this time.

The list of prisons providing video calling visits to prisoners on the 18 June 2020 was as follows; Berwyn, Bronzefiled, Buckley Hall, Chelmsford, Cookham Wood, Deerbolt, Downview, Durham, Eastwood Park, Feltham, Full Sutton, Gartree, Guys Marsh, High Down, Hull, Send, Stocken, Swinfen Hall, Wayland, Werrington, and Wetherby. We are currently engaged with further establishments to train and help prepare them to introduce this service, which means further establishments will go live at different times based on local preparedness. Some establishments have encountered local network and connectivity issues which have required bespoke technical solutions to be developed to allow them to commence live calls.

The Ministry of Justice does not hold a central list of offenders who are denied access, specific incidents that have led to issues, and the costs involved with the system broken down by prison. In principle, all prisoners will have access to video calls, however, Governors and Directors may withhold access from prisoners where, based on an assessment of risk, to do so is necessary, non-discriminatory and proportionate under Prison Rule 34 or YOI Rule 9. In these instances the reasons for withholding access must be recorded. As we are in the process of implementing provision more widely throughout the estate it is too early to make operational assessments, however, this will be conducted at a suitable time.

At the appropriate time, we will consider future options for video calling across the estate beyond Covid-19 restrictions, which may include a competition for such services.

We have introduced temporary emergency video calling in recognition of the
importance of maintaining family contact while social visits have been temporarily suspended in
prisons in England and Wales. We have published information regarding the provision of video
calls on GOV.UK and made clear we will continue to expand secure video calling to more establishments during this time. Details of which prisons are operating live services for families and friends can be accessed via the following link;

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/visit-a-prisoner-using-a-video-call

At the appropriate time, we will consider future options for video calling beyond
Covid-19 restrictions.

As of 24 March, social visits in prisons in England and Wales are temporarily suspended to enable us to ensure the safe and secure functioning of our prisons, while enforcing social distancing. These measures are part of the nationwide efforts to fight Covid-19 and we will review the restrictions in line with updates to public health advice.

In recognition of the importance of continued contact with family, we have moved quickly to keep prisoners in touch with their family members. This includes the provision of 900 locked mobile phones to establishments that do not yet have in-cell telephony.

Additionally, on 15 May, we announced that secure video calls will be introduced to some prisons and Young Offender Institutions (YOIs) across England and Wales to maintain vital family contact for prisoners and young offenders during the Covid-19 outbreak.

Following a successful trial at HMP Berwyn, HMPPS is installing the technology at 10 institutions with a wider rollout in the coming weeks.

In recognition of the importance of continued contact with family, we have moved quickly to keep prisoners in touch with their family members. This includes the provision of 900 locked mobile phones to establishments that do not yet have in-cell telephony. All prisoners, male and female, now have access to some form of telephony either in-cell, landing PIN phone or locked mobile

Additionally, on 15 May, we announced that secure video calls will be introduced to prisons and Young Offender Institutions (YOIs) across England and Wales to maintain vital family contact for prisoners and young offenders during the Covid-19 outbreak.

Following a successful trial at HMP Berwyn, Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service is installing the technology at 10 institutions with a wider rollout in the coming weeks.

The Government takes the health and wellbeing of prisoners very seriously. We work closely with health partners to provide a standard of healthcare in prisons equivalent to that available in the community. COVID-19, however, presents a unique set of challenges that we must address to keep prisoners safe. To mitigate these, we are operating a National Response Model in prisons, and working very closely with public health authorities to ensure our approach is based on the best scientific advice available.

This does, unfortunately, mean that visits have been suspended and people in prison are spending more time in their cells. They are, however, being given access to services including telephone contact with loved ones, access to health services and where possible time in the open air. Additionally, following a successful trial at HMP Berwyn, we are rolling out secure video calling to 10 prisons with a wider roll out in the coming weeks. We continue to make the Samaritans phone service available, and are working with the Samaritans to ensure that the Listener peer support scheme continues to function effectively. We are also providing distraction packs and in cell activities to support mental and physical wellbeing.

We are continuing to provide care and support to people at risk of self-harm or suicide through ACCT (Assessment, Care in Custody and Teamwork) case management. For those with severe mental health issues, we are doing everything we can to ensure that the process for transfer to hospital continues in as normal a way as possible.

Measures are also being taken to safeguard prisoners with particularly vulnerable physical health from COVID-19 and to satisfy requirements for social distancing. Since February, we have managed to move 4,000 people out of double cells, and work is being taken forward to create extra cells and increase the capacity of the prison estate. Meanwhile, prisoners identified in accordance with NHS guidance as being ‘extremely vulnerable’ to COVID-19 are being proactively considered for release from custody under existing Release on Temporary Licence (ROTL) provisions. Where a prisoner falling within this category is considered not suitable for release, they will continue to be appropriately shielded within custody.

As of 24 March, social visits in prisons in England and Wales are temporarily suspended to enable us to ensure the safe and secure functioning of our prisons, while enforcing social distancing. These measures are part of the nationwide efforts to fight coronavirus and we will review the restrictions in line with updates to public health advice.

In recognition of the importance of continued contact with family and to ensure stability in our jails, the Government has moved quickly to keep prisoners in touch with their family members. This includes the provision of 900 locked mobile phones to establishments that do not yet have in-cell telephony.

Additionally, on 15 May, the Government announced that secure video calls will be introduced to prisons and young offender institutions (YOIs) across England and Wales to maintain vital family contact for prisoners and young offenders during the coronavirus pandemic.

Following a successful trial at HMP Berwyn, Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) is installing the technology at 10 institutions with a wider rollout in the coming weeks.

In recognition of the importance of continued contact with family and to ensure stability in our jails the Government has moved quickly to keep prisoners in touch with their family members by the introduction of 900 secure mobile PIN phones for those prisons which do not already have in-cell telephony. These are in addition to, but operate in the same way, as wing PIN phones which remain in use.

Behaviour is not part of the formal risk assessment for the allocation of mobile telephones for prisoners’ use. Access to the locked mobile PIN phones is given following completion of a risk assessment, for those deemed to represent the greatest risk to the public and require additional safeguards approval must be given by the Governing Governor.

There has been no recent assessment of the impact of mobile PIN telephone use on families in the absence of visits. However, Lord Farmer’s Report in June 2019, “The Importance of Strengthening Female Offenders' Family and other Relationships to Prevent Reoffending and Reduce Intergenerational Crime” shows that facilitating regular family contact can reduce a prisoners’ likelihood of reoffending by 39%. Family members are also able to contact the National Prisoners’ Families helpline or the prison’s safer custody line if they have individual concerns.

The Foreign Secretary last raised Mr Foroughi's case when he met Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif in February. I raised our concerns regarding treatment of dual nationals detained in Iran with the Deputy Foreign Minister, Dr Ravanchi, on 21 June and in my meeting with the Iranian Ambassador on 6 July. The Government will continue to raise our concerns with the Iranian Government at every opportunity.

Official Prison Visitors (OPVs) help maintain important links between prisoners and the community by visiting and offering friendship. This is often, but not always, where prisoners have no other visitors.

OPVs are appointed locally by Governors, and Directors of contracted prisons, and their training is also a local matter. There are no plans to change this approach. It is open to OPVs to join the National Association of Official Prison Visitors, which is an independent organisation that promotes, maintains and supports Official Prison Visiting. It also helps to encourage and co-ordinate the work of OPVs both at local and national level.

Official Prison Visitors (OPVs) help maintain important links between prisoners and the community by visiting and offering friendship. This is often, but not always, where prisoners have no other visitors.

OPVs are appointed locally by Governors, and Directors of contracted prisons, and their training is also a local matter. There are no plans to change this approach. It is open to OPVs to join the National Association of Official Prison Visitors, which is an independent organisation that promotes, maintains and supports Official Prison Visiting. It also helps to encourage and co-ordinate the work of OPVs both at local and national level.