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United Kingdom: England & Wales

Capital city — London

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The cost of phone calls is in line with market prices

no

A 30-minute call to a landline costs £2.75 on working days. A call to a mobile phone costs £6.12. A 30-minute call from a public payphone costs on the outside, 60 pence.1

  1. Inspectorate of Prisons, Life in prison: Earning and spending money, January 2016, p. 7. ↩

  • Telephones are provided by the private company BT, which takes on the cost of providing the phones and in return generates a profit from the calls.

    The cost of phone calls breaks down as follows:

    • 3.10 pence per minute to a landline (weekday)

    • 2.75 pence per minute to a landline (weekend)

    • 6.88 pence per minute to a mobile (weekday)

    • 4.50 pence per minute to a mobile (weekend)

    i
    12/01/2022
    / InsideTime

The phones are located

  • in the corridors
  • in the cell

Telephones are now present in the cells of some facilities. The cost is lower and it makes family ties easier.1 In 2018, the British government announces, a seven million pound plan to expand the installation of phones in cells. The plan also includes the installation of digital kiosks for making visit requests and other similar tasks.

The government indicates, in 2021, that all women’s prisons now have a telephone in each cell2.

  1. Prison Reform Trust, Bromley Briefings Prison Factfile, Autumn 2018, p. 54. ↩

  2. Inside Time, In-cell phones at all women’s prisons, october 2021. ↩

  • Of the closed facilities managed by the prison service, 86% have telephones in the cells.

    i
    01/12/2022
    / InsideTime

Vocational training is provided

yes

Prison administrations provide professional training and support for teachers.1 The training courses usually offered include plumbing, hairdressing, masonry, bicycle mechanics…

  1. Chief Inspector of Prisons, “Annual Report 2017-18”, July 2018, p. 42 . ↩

  • The law now allows prisoners in open facilities to participate in apprenticeship programmes. These programmes combine work and training so prisoners can gain professional experience. The first prisoners to participate in apprenticeships began in October 2022. A prisoner at the open prison Thorn Cross began works as a chef de partie while taking a Level 2 apprenticeship in hospitality. Another prisoner began working for the construction company Kier.

    i
    12/10/2022
    / InsideTime

  • Dominic Raab, Secretary of the Ministry of Justice, confirmed plans to expand The Clink Kitchens restaurant chain. The program would train inmates in hospitality and restaurant jobs. Six additional locations opened after 26 September 2021. The government confirmed that this number would reach 50 by 2023. Dominic Raab emphasised the importance of this type of program for the professional reintegration of prisoners.

    i
    08/06/2022
    / Inside Time

The prison service offers activities to prisoners

yes

All prisoners are assessed for their skills development needs upon arrival. These are recorded in an “Individual Learning Plan” (ILP)“. This plan is available to the prison service and external providers. Access to employment, training and skills development is subject to the prison service’s proposals, the providers’ offer and the prison regime.

The activities usually offered are as follows:

  • vocational training and skills development
  • sport activities
  • cultural and artistic activities
  • rehabilitation programmes
  • work1

  1. Department of Justice, PSI 03/2012 on activities assignment. ↩

  • Figures from the Ministry of Justice show that between January and March 2022, 2,297 prisoners (1 in 35) joined an accredited programme to decrease their risk of re-offending. The number of people who participate in programmes has been decreasing for a long time. Over 19,000 prisoners began courses between 2010 and 2011, but this number dropped 70% in the following decade, even before the Covid-19 pandemic began.

    520 prisoners began programmes against violence between 2021 and 2022 (vs 1,592 in 2019-2020); 1,000 against general offending (vs 2,593); 536 against sexual offending (vs 1,133); and 125 against domestic violence (vs 210).

    i
    24/10/2022
    / InsideTime

  • On 23 November 2022, the Ministry of Justice declared that only 18 of the country’s 122 prisons were offering a full regime of activities and services. This is seemingly due to staff shortages, as there are not enough prison officers to enable prisoners to move around safely and to escort them to workshops and classrooms. In total, 61 prisons are offering the majority of activities and services, 42 offer “reduced but sustainable” activities and services, and one prison is providing only basic activities and services, a decision considered unsustainable in the long term.

    i
    12/12/2022
    / InsideTime

  • The charity organisation Fine Cell Work teaches prisoners to sew and embroider. At the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, the organisation sent more than 2,000 products to prisons, giving prisoners who were locked up for over 23 hours per day the opportunity to practice needlework. The charity sells the pieces crafted by prisoners on its website and sends them part of the proceeds. The organisation has worked with prisoners since 2017, and the re-offending rate among the programme’s participants is 2%, compared with the national average of 46%.

    i
    02/07/2022
    / The Guardian

  • The Inspectorate of Prisons considered access to education and work at Forest Bank prison to be “inadequate”. It noted a lack of purposeful activity for inmates. Charlie Taylor, head of the HM Inspectorate of Prisons, however, saw progress and acknowledged the difficulties faced by the facility during the COVID-19 pandemic. He defined the facility as “a prison in transition” and hailed their actions as “encouraging”. The Inspectorate’s conclusions followed a surprise inspection in February 2022.

    i
    21/02/2022
    / HM Inspectorate of Prisons

  • HM Inspectorate of Prisons believed that the recovery of prisons from the COVID-19 pandemic had been long and uneven. The pandemic resulted in a sharp reduction in outside contact, activities, and training, and the resumption of these services had been slow for the majority of prisons. Their suspension had a substantial impact on the well-being, mental health and rehabilitation of prisoners. Charlie Taylor, HM chief inspector of prisons, stated that there would be a “price to pay” for the boredom, lack of activity and disruption of family ties caused by the pandemic.

    i
    01/05/2022
    / Criminal Justice Joint Inspection

The cells/dormitories are equipped with heating and/or air conditioning

in most cases

All cells must include a heating system (PSI 17/2012 on certified detention facilities). The prison inspectorate’s report of 2017 suggested that a number of prisoners did not have necessary heating or air conditioning in their cells, and that often those who did have these systems claimed that they didn’t work.1

  1. HM Inspectorate of Prisons, Life in prison: Living conditions, October 2017. ↩

  • Several prisons are experiencing heating and hot water problems. The Bristol prison, for example, had this problem in both 2021 and 2022. In Winchester, relatives said that prisoners padded their doors and windows with blankets and tape in order to stay warm.

    In Littlehey, the family of a prisoner reported that the heating was not working and the cells were cold. Complaints relating to the heating and hot water system of this prison have been recorded during several winters since 2017. These problems are reportedly due to significantly delayed maintenance work, which is itself due to budget cuts.

    i
    23/12/2022
    / InsideTime

Statistics from the Department of Justice demonstrate that the proportion of black prisoners declined over the last decade. There was an 11% decrease of black women in prisons during these years and a 2% decrease of black males. Whilst the proportion of white men did not change during this period, there was a 12% increase in the number of white women. [^Stat] The average length of sentences varies considerably among ethnic groups. 1 Sentences served by white prisoners are shorter (by 18 months) than that of other groups. Ethnic groups with the longest average length of detention are Asian (27 months), followed by Black (26 months) and Mixed Raced (22 months) offenders. Men, women and children of these groups tend to be given longer sentences. The proportion of Black minors awaiting trial in London rose from 60% in 2020 to 74% in 2021. Minors from Black or other minority ethnic backgrounds represent 57% of untried prisoners in England and Wales, in 2020 2.

  1. The ethnic groups mentioned above are listed in official UK government statistics. ↩

  2. LBC, “74% of London children held in prisons awaiting trial are black, LBC investigation finds”, June 2021. ↩

  • Numerous prisoners have come forward as victims of racial discrimination, according to a report from HM Inspectorate of Prisons. Most of them describe the discrimination as “predominantly subtle, unconscious and difficult to identify”. The report notes that a disproportionate use of force is used against Black prisoners compared to other ethnic groups. Black people are nearly twice as likely to report physical restraint, batons and incapacitant spray being used against them. Prison officers tend to consider Black people as a group rather than as individuals, notes the report. Of the Black prisoners surveyed, 38% felt that staff members do not treat them with respect. This figure is higher than for other ethnic groups.

    i
    14/12/2022
    / The Justice Gap

  • According to figures from the Ministry of Justice, Black prisoners are seven times more likely to have pepper spray used against them than White prisoners. The statistics also differentiate between the number of times pepper spray was drawn and the number of times it was used. When it was drawn against Black prisoners, it was used in 80% of cases, whereas it was used in only 68% of cases against White prisoners.

    i
    12/12/2022
    / InsideTime

A person sentenced to life imprisonment may be able to apply for parole. This is only possible after their minimum sentence is completed.

Once the prisoner is released, they become subject to an indefinite supervised release on licence. They can be returned to prison at any time.

The average minimum length of term for murder convictions increased in England and Wales from 12.5 years in 2003, to 21.3 years in 2016. The law, created in 2003, established minimum term requirements for a large number of punishable offences, which require life sentencing. A whole life order is “the harshest of sentences”. A minimum term is not served for a whole life order. Its aim is to detain the prisoners until their death. No review or release is possible. No prisoner with a life order has ever been released. 1

  1. Prison Reform Trust, Bromley Briefings Prison Factfile, 2018, p. 6. ↩

  • A reform to parole rules was introduced on 6 June 2022 by the Minister of Justice. This reform makes it harder for people serving indeterminate sentences to be placed in open prisons.

    In the six months preceding the reform, the success rate of requests for transfers to open prisons was 54%, compared with 12% in the four months following the change.

    For requests to be accepted, three criteria must be met:

    • The prisoner is deemed unlikely to attempt escape.

    • Spending time in an open facility is considered essential to prepare for a potential future release.

    • The transfer to an open prison will not undermine public confidence in the criminal justice system.

    Prior to the reform, only the first criterion was required.

    i
    17/11/2022
    / InsideTime

  • The Minister of Justice announced a reform of the parole system. The new, stricter conditions introduced by the reform will make it more difficult for prisoners serving indeterminate sentences (minimum sentences, Imprisonment for Public Protection, and life sentences) to access this sentencing reduction. HM Prison & Probation Service claimed that the reform will reduce the number of people serving indeterminate sentences deemed fit for transfer to an open regime. The Service addressed prisoners who might be worried about the consequences of these changes, suggesting they rely on their usual support network or call the Samaritans, a helpline for people with suicidal thoughts.

    i
    11/07/2022
    / Inside Time

Incarcerated minors

0.5 % (381)
i
2021
/ Council of Europe, SPACE I – Rapport 2021, p. 45.

  • The Youth Justice Board’s annual report highlighted the demographic differences among the population of incarcerated youth.

    White children represented 70% of the children cautioned or sentenced, and ethnic minority groups, 30%. Black children were three times as likely to be cautioned or sentenced than White children.

    Most children in detention were aged 15 to 17 (82%); the rest, aged 10 to 14. An overwhelming majority (87%) of children in detention were boys.

    i
    21/10/2022
    / Russel Webster

Mothers are allowed to keep their children with them

yes, until they are 18 months old.

  • Mothers who request a spot in the mother and baby unit (MBU) are not entitled to legal representation, and many only learn about the process through word of mouth. Some requests have been wrongly rejected. These decisions are taken by four independent boards appointed by HM Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS). The Chief Social Worker’s report, published in November 2022, included concerns about the inconsistency of the decisions taken by these boards. Of the 39 rejections examined, 14 were considered troubling and three unreasonable.

    Any woman can be considered for placement, regardless of her offence. However, in one case, a woman in remand custody was rejected because she was accused of murder. There were no concerns about her parenting abilities. In another case, a woman was refused placement because the length of her sentence meant that the child would be removed from her after ten months, but requests from women in similar situations were accepted.

    i
    05/12/2022
    / InsideTime

Number of visits made by the NPM during the year

41

i
2018
/ UK NPM, Ninth Annual Report: 1 April 2017 – 31 March 2018, January 2019.

  • HM Inspectorate of Prisons carried out 16 visits between early October and the end of 2022.

    i
    2022
    / HM Inspectorate of Prisons

Suicide prevention policies are implemented

yes

Suicide prevention is obligatory in all facilities. This takes the form of a procedure named Assessment, Care in Custody and Teamwork (ACCT).1 The Howard League, in its 2016 report on the prevention of suicide in prison, highlights that “these procedures depend on good relationships between staff and prisoners, and on the efficiency of communication between members of staff”. The report also emphasises that: “the prison administration must not rely on the ACCT to flag and support every prisoner presenting a risk of suicide. Of the 89 prisoners who took their own lives in 2015, less than half (35) were subject to ACCT monitoring at the time of death”.2

  1. Ministry of Justice, PSI publication 64/2011 on protection measures in detention, p. 26. ↩

  2. Howard League, Preventing prison suicide, 2016. ↩

  • Numerous prisons have been criticised for their inaction concerning suicide prevention.

    At the Exeter prison, ten prisoners died of suicide between 2018 and 2022. The monitoring for newly-arrived prisoners is inadequate, mental health care is poor, and the facility has trouble retaining senior staff. HM Inspectorate of Prisons invoked its Urgent Notification procedure, giving the government 28 days to respond.

    In Liverpool, two staff members were charged with gross negligence manslaughter following the death by suicide of a prisoner.

    At Belmarsh, an inquest jury noted “significant and multiple failings” by the facility following the suicide of an injured prisoner. He was meant to be in a “disabled cell” with a special mattress, but had been transferred into a standard cell, where he was forced to sleep on the floor.

    i
    01/12/2022
    / InsideTime

Variation in the number of prison guard positions

-

  • According to the Ministry of Justice, one in seven prison officers left their jobs in 2021. Recruiting and retaining staff has been particularly challenging in certain areas of southern England, where the labour market is buoyant, and in rural areas where the pool of potential recruits is limited. Mark Fairhurst, national chair of the Prison Officers’ Association, has warned that this problem is due in part to low wages.

    i
    03/10/2022
    / InsideTime

Number of prison guards (FTE)

22,722

i
31/12/2018
/ Ministry of Justice, "Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) Workforce Statistics Bulletin, as at 31 December 2018", p.1.

Workforce statistics from HMPPS cover staff who are employed by HMPPS. They are all civil servants. The official data provided by HMPPS does not include other workers within HMPPS who are employed by third parties (e.g. private sector, CRCs). This number also excludes voluntary workers, HMPPS staff on loan, on secondment out, and those on a career break.1

  1. Ministry of Justice, Guide to Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) Workforce Statistics, 2017, p. 7. ↩

  • The Operational Stability and Resourcing Panel (OSRP) is a group of experts made up of senior officials that meet once a week to analyse the impact of staff shortages in the prisons of England and Wales. According to authorities, the panel’s role is “to provide support to those prisons with the most acute resourcing pressures”. The Ministry of Justice stated that between November 2020 and November 2022, the panel was called on for help 647 times. The prisons of Woodhill and Wayland seem to be struggling the most: since mid-2021, they each received help on 20 occasions. The prisons of Long Lartin and Swaleside significantly restricted their regimes starting in August 2022 due to staff shortages.

    i
    05/12/2022
    / InsideTime

  • Independent Monitoring Boards for the prisons of Belmarsh, Birmingham and Preston report numerous problems resulting from staff shortages: loss of property (HMP Belmarsh and HMP Birmingham), long waiting times for dental appointments (HMP Belmarsh), limited access to showers (HMP Belmarsh), fewer visits (HMP Preston) and incomplete renovations to infrastructure that must be completed in the presence of surveillance staff (HMP Preston).

    i
    01/12/2022
    / InsideTime

  • Figures from the Ministry of Justice show that one in seven prison staff members left their jobs last year. The resulting staff shortage heavily impacts prison operations, as prisoners spend more time in their cells and exercise options are cut. The director of the Prison Reform Trust commented that although prison capacity is expected to increase by 20,000 by 2025, it is unclear who will guard these new prisoners.

    i
    01/07/2022
    / InsideTime

  • The charity Prison Reform Trust has raised the alarm about the leaving rate of prison staff. It also noted that half of the officers who left their posts during the year ended 31 March 2021 had served for less than three years, and more than a quarter had served for less than a year. The charity’s director warned of the necessity of curbing the increased number of departures. He stated, “We are going to run out of people to run the prisons we’ve got – never mind the ones ministers want to build.”

    HM Chief Inspector of Prisons remarked that one of the biggest challenges facing the prison service is recruiting staff to counteract the significant number of departures and absences.

    i
    19/05/2022
    / Prison Reform Trust

Variation in the prison density

-

Continuity of care is ensured during incarceration. All 118 prisons use the same SystmOne software1. Professionals are required to “maintain, through the hospital information system, an adequate and complete medical record for each prisoner. If necessary, health professionals may share information with services outside the institution: rehabilitation services, community service, probation services, social services…” 2

  1. The Guardian, Prisons linked to single health record IT, April 2011. ↩

  2. National Health Service, Standard Annex to Health and Justice Service Specifications: Adult Prison Estate, March 2018, p. 7. ↩

  • Eye appointments were suspended for prisoners at the Swansea facility in Wales in March 2020 and were not made available again until January 2022. Around 60 prisoners were waiting for a consultation. The same is true for dental care, with 80 prisoners on the waitlist. The demand for mental health care is increasing, and 60% of prisoners at the facility stated that it was not easy to access mental health care. A report from the Healthcare Inspectorate Wales issued 29 recommendations to improve medical care for prisoners.

    i
    30/06/2022
    / BBC

  • A report by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, released in May 2022, investigated the circumstances surrounding the death of an inmate who died of cardiac arrest at age 54 in Leeds prison. He was found in his cell on 25 September 2021. The inmate had high blood pressure, heart problems and was taking medication for high cholesterol. He also had a history of paranoid schizophrenia. According to health care staff, the inmate refused to take his medication on 13 occasions against medical advice and there was no formal action taken to address his mental health. The study pointed out that a Do Not Attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation (DNACPR) order was enacted while Mr. Alexis was in hospital in June 2021, which Mr. Alexis stated that he did not request upon his return to prison. The report stated that the DNACPR was not reviewed for ten days. At the time that Mr. Alexis went into cardiac arrest, a staff member waited one to two minutes for her colleagues to arrive before entering the inmate’s cell out of fear of his aggressive behavior, which was found to be an acceptable decision. The Ombudsman’s office deplored the poor treatment of the deceased during his incarceration. It recommended that a personalised care plan to address his heart disease and a mental capacity assessment should have taken place. The report concluded that the inmate did not receive care equivalent to that provided outside of prison.

    i
    01/05/2022
    / Prisons and Probation Ombudsman

Prisoners in solitary confinement have the same access to physical activities as other prisoners (PSI 75/2011).

HM Chief Inspector of Prisons found that in most of the institutions visited, there was a lack of daily access to telephones, showers, outdoor physical activities or any other form of activities.1

  1. HM Inspectorate of Prisons, “Annual Report 2017-2018”. ↩

  • A spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice stated that prisoners do not spend 23 hours per day in their cells. The Prison Reform Trust organisation questions this statement based on the conditions reported by prisoners and their lengthy correspondence with the Ministry on this topic.

    i
    08/08/2022
    / Prison Reform Trust

  • A study of over 1,400 prisoners in ten prisons was conducted by researchers who are former prisoners themselves. The study focused on the emergency lockdown conditions introduced during the Covid pandemic. Of the prisoners who responded to the survey, 85% said that they had been held in cells for over 23 hours per day, for several consecutive months. Their access to reintegration programmes, visits and regular exercise were suspended. Some restrictions are still in place even though they have been lifted outside of prisons. Half of the prisoners stated that they were still confined for 23 hours per day in February 2022.

    i
    20/07/2022
    / The Guardian

Solitary confinement can be used as

  • punishment
  • protection of person
  • security

The reasons for solitary confinement are :

  • to preserve order and discipline or prisoner protection (Prison Rule 45 / Rule 49 of Juvenile Facilities)
  • close supervision, in a dedicated unit (Close Supervision Centre of the prison/ Prison Rule 46) for those prisoners deemed to be the most disruptive.
  • the separation of prisoners awaiting disciplinary arbitration (Prison Rule 53(4) / Rule 58(4) of Juvenile Facilities)
  • to punish a disciplinary offence (Prison Rule 55(e) / Rule 60(f) of the Rules for Juvenile Facilities).
  • to remove a prisoner guilty of a disciplinary offence from their ward or unit (Prison Rule 55(h) / Rule 60(g) of juvenile facilities).
  • to separate prisoners on hygiene strike, to preserve order and discipline (Prison Rule 45 / Rule 49 of Juvenile Facilities). They shall be placed in a special cell in the solitary confinement unit or in a suitable room.1

Staff may place a prisoner in a protective cell when there is a risk of suicide or self-harm. These cells may be located in disciplinary or isolation wards. The administration, however, does not consider them to be isolation rooms.

Solitary confinement implies specific access to telephones, showers, activities, etc.

  1. Department of Justice, PSO 1700 on solitary confinement. ↩

  • Prisoners at a Manchester prison can no longer leave their cells. Visits are suspended. The prisoners also report being deprived of showers and exercise for several days now. One meal per day is brought to prisoners in their cells by prison staff. The Ministry of Justice stated that this confinement is the result of an “intelligence-led operation” aiming to crack down on a contraband network.

    i
    09/06/2022
    / Manchester Evening News

Life sentences are banned

no

The Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP governed by the Criminal Justice Act 2003) allowed indefinite imprisonment if the court deemed the convicted prisoner to be a continued threat to society. Its abolition in 2012 has not been implemented retrospectively. As of September 2018, 2,598 people were still sentenced to an IPP. This was 20% less than previous years. Experts Dirk van Zyl Smit and Catherine Appleton consider an IPP to be an unofficial life sentence. 1

IPP sentences have been replaced by an extended sentence of up to eight years. The court issues these to prisoners over the age of 18 who represent “a significant danger to the public”.

  1. Prison Reform Trust, Bromley Briefings Prison Fact file, 2018, p. 9. ↩

  • The Justice Committee has requested that the government re-sentence prisoners serving Imprisonment for Public Prosecution (IPP) sentences in order to adjust these sentences. The Committee published a report on the issue in which it claims that IPP sentences cause significant harm to the people who received them due to the lack of a sentence end date. It called for the creation of an action plan to manage prisoners with IPP sentences, in particular through a collaboration with the senior judiciary to put in place the new sentences.

    i
    28/09/2022
    / UK Parliament

  • Indefinite prison sentences (imprisonment for public protection and life sentences) affected 16% of the prison population. This was an increase of 9% from 1993.

    i
    23/01/2022
    / Prison Reform Trust

The sanctions provided by the law for minors are as follows:

  • A reparation order: usually issued for the “least serious offences”. The reparation must be completed within three months.
  • A referral order: issued to minors who plead guilty. The offender is brought before a Youth Offender Panel and is accompanied by a parent. A rehabilitative and restorative contract lasting between three to twelve months is agreed.
  • A rehabilitation order with intensive supervision: the offender is kept on probation for up to three years.
  • An intensive supervision and surveillance issue: an intensive program geared towards reintegration to society. Minors are kept under tight supervision. They are subject to a curfew, controlled by an electronic tag.
  • A detention and training order: a prison sentence applicable to minors aged between 12 to 17 years. It may last between 4 and 24 months. The first half of the sentence isserved in a secure environment. The body responsible for young offenders (Youth Offending Team, YOT) supervises the second half of the sentence.

These custodial sentences for minors (section 91) are issued by the Court of the Crown (Crown Court, higher court) for those accused of “serious offences” (violent and sexual offences listed in section 91 of the Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act of 2000). These sentences generally last over two years.

Courts can also rule:

  • A discharge from sentencing: the court finds the accused guilty but is discharged.
  • A conditional discharge): the offender is not sanctioned, but must abide a period of time in which no other offence must be committed
  • A fine
  • A compensatory fine: when a person is sentenced they may receive a compulsory surcharge. Ranging from £10 to £30, this surcharge is used to fund services for the victim.

  • The maximum possible sentence for children convicted of murder increased from 12 years to 27 years in prison. An article published in the journal Youth Justice examines whether deterrent sentencing is appropriate for minors from legal, criminological and neuroscientific perspectives.

    i
    05/07/2022
    / Russell Webster

Many gender-specific needs of women are not taken into account in the prison administration. However others are: such as gynaecological consultations and the provision of hygiene products.

Support given for women who are victims of domestic violence or sexual violence is not adequate.1

  1. Department of Justice, “Statistics on Women and the Criminal Justice System 2017 - 2017 Statistics on Women and Criminal Justice “, November 2018, p. 4. ↩

  • The rate of self-harm by women in remand detention is significantly higher than for the rest of the prison population, according to the latest figures published by Prison Reform Trust. In 2021, 467 incidents of self-harm were recorded for every 100 women in remand detention, while the overall self-harm rate among female prisoners is 370 incidents for 100 prisoners.

    i
    15/08/2022
    / Prison Reform Trust

The law provides for a sentence adjustment system

yes

  • The Ministry of Justice announced a reform of the parole system with the aim of putting “the emphasis firmly back on public protection”. A Ministerial check by the Ministry of Justice will be added for the release of the “most serious offenders”. Victims can now attend parole hearings and ask questions. Victims, the media and prisoners will be able to request that these hearings be held publicly. The criteria for release will change. Parole Boards will now include greater numbers of members with policing backgrounds and will no longer include professionals working with the prisoners requesting release. The National Association of Probation Officers (Napo) strongly disapproves of these changes. The head of the Parole Board stated that these new rules could lead to a “lack of clarity” in the evidence provided.

    Prison Reform Trust asserted that the changes in the reform give the Ministry of Justice veto power over prisoners’ access to parole. The charity further explained that these decisions are not without political influence. It published a letter it had sent to the Ministry of Justice to support its claims.

    i
    11/07/2022
    / InsideTime

Its reports are made public

yes

The reports from regular and ad hoc visits are available on the CPT’s website.

  • The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment carried out a visit from 8 to 21 June 2021. It published the report on its visit and included the response of the British authorities. It remarked on the prevalence of violence in the men’s prisons it visited. The CPT also noted that most of the staff members in contact with the prisoners have less than two years of experience.

    i
    07/07/2022
    / Council of Europe

All prisoners are entitled to spend at least one hour a day in the open air

no

The amount of time spent outdoors varies from one facility to another. It is often about 30 minutes, despite the rule being one hour (Prison Rule 30). The administration uses weather conditions and the need for order and discipline to limit time spent outdoors.1

The Inspectorate of Prisons observed this limited period and deplored the fact that inmates have to choose between this exercise and other necessities (shower, phone call, etc.). They noted that many outside excercise areas remained austere, dirty and uninviting.2

  1. Prison Reform Trust Regime and time out of cellule. ↩

  2. Chief Inspector of Prisons, “Annual Report 2017-18”, July 2018, p. 39. ↩

  • HM Inspectorate of Prisons published its annual report for the period from 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022. The Inspector was struck by the time spent by prisoners in their cells: Most of them are only allowed to leave their cells for 30 minutes per day. He noted that restrictions related to the Covid-19 pandemic remained in place in prisons even after they were lifted on the outside.

    i
    13/07/2022
    / HM Chief Inspector of Prisons for England and Wales

  • Inmates at Strangeways Category A men’s prison in Manchester were confined to their cells from 6-10 June. They told their families that they were not permitted to leave their cells, play sports or bathe. Food was left at their door. Visits were suspended. However, they were able to contact relatives by means of a telephone in the cell. Some inmates reported that the confinement lasted more than four days and that many cells were searched. The prison administration justified the lock-down as a result of work in the prison. The Ministry of Justice later claimed that the prison was closed due to an operation to dismantle a smuggling ring.

    i
    09/06/2022
    / Manchester Evening News

Variation in the capacity of the prison facilities

a decrease of 1.2 %

The total capacity of the prison system, as of 31 December 2017, is 75,545.

A catefory C ‘mega-prison’ at Full Sutton, with a capacity of 1 440, is in the final phase of construction. The future prison has been highly criticised by the local population. The opponents believe that the construction is incompatible with the local sewer system and is creating excessive visual and sound pollution. Residents are worried about the repercussions on the reputation of their town as well as their safety1.

  1. York Press, Mega-prison at Full Sutton is set for final go ahead, November 2021. ↩

  • The expansion project for the Ford Men’s Prison, submitted by the Ministry of Justice, was approved. Two additional wings would provide space for 120 inmates and 80 parking spaces. An existing prison building would be demolished to allow for the construction.

    i
    31/05/2022
    / Sussex Express

Variation in the number of prisoners

decreased by 2.56%

compared to the previous year

  • The Ministry of Justice estimated that the prison population would increase to 98 500 in 2026, an increase of about 22.5 percent. The increase could be explained by the use of longer sentences, the creation of 20 000 additional detention places and the recruitment of 20 000 police officers.

    i
    06/06/2022
    / The Guardian

  • The prison population had increased over the previous 30 years by 70%. England and Wales had the second highest incarceration rate in Western Europe. The use of short prison sentences for non-violent crimes was common, despite analyses that pointed to their ineffectiveness in reducing recidivism.

    i
    23/01/2022
    / Prison Reform Trust

Visitors may bring authorised objects or goods. The PSI 16/2011 defines the list. Objects that are “indecent or obscene, constituting a threat to the security of the prison or are written in coded language” are prohibited.

The visitor is prohibited from releasing anything written by a prisoner intended for publication and from being paid for it.1

In the visiting area, facilities display useful information and a list of the main prohibited objects in several languages and with images.2

  1. Department of Justice, Staying in touch with someone in prison. ↩

  2. Department of Justice, PSI 16/2011 on Visits and Visitor Services. ↩

  • Prisons Minister, Victoria Atkins, confirmed in the House of Commons on 25 May that “families and friends [could] send books to their imprisoned loved ones - either directly or via approved providers”. The announcement followed the banning of books not sent via approved providers by at least two prisons, in contravention of a rule introduced in 2015 permitting inmates to receive books by hand or by post from any sender. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, families were no longer allowed to hand books directly to their detained loved ones due to the risk of contamination, but were still entitled to post books. Victoria Atkins said that the prisons which acted in contravention of the rule had been reminded of it and their actions addressed.

    i
    08/06/2022
    / Inside Time

Prisoners are allowed to exchange mail

yes, under conditions

Correspondence with any person or body may, at the discretion of the prison governor, be prohibited (under Prison Rule 34). Such a prohibition is possible if there is “reason to believe that the person or body concerned is planning or carrying out activities posing a genuine threat to the safety or good order of the facility or other facilities”.1

The number of letters allowed depends on the type :

  • statutory letter: the weekly number of these letters is fixed and they cannot be banned as a punishment. The mailing costs are paid by the State.
  • priviledged letter: confidential correspondence between a prisoner and his lawyer, a magistrate or any other authorised person or body.
  • special letter: additional letters that are allowed to be sent in a number of circumstances

The number of letters also depends on the status of the prisoner, whether convicted or not. Refer to the PSI49/2011 for further details.

  1. Department of Justice, PSI 49/on the communications from prisoners, p. 8. ↩

  • The Mount, a category C men’s prison in Hertfordshire, had reportedly implemented a policy requiring families and friends of inmates to send cards and photographs via online providers approved by the administration. The decision was to take effect on 20 June and was reportedly introduced due to the prison having received a number of cards soaked in “Spice” (also known as the “zombie drug”). Prison Governor Paul Crossey published a letter on the institution’s official Twitter account informing families of instructions for sending their letters. He justified the measure by stating that there is a growing concern about “the threat presented by psychoactive substances.” The families denounced the cruel practice and called on the Mount prison to reconsider its decision. The Governor’s tweet was then removed and handwritten letters and cards would be photocopied and given to prisoners, the Ministry of Justice says.

    i
    07/06/2022
    / Daily Mail

Education is available for all prisoners

yes

The training offered usually includes courses in mathematics, reading, English, business and arts education.

  • The House of Commons Education Select Committee released a report that emphasised the importance of education in prison. The report lamented the reduction in educational participation rates, a 90% drop between 2010/11 and 2017/18. The report called the system “clunky, chaotic and disjointed” and said it did not value education as a key to rehabilitation. Among its recommendations, the Committee called for the use of laptops for inmates pursuing education. The goal of this measure was to find a solution to the digital divide between the general and prison populations, impacting inmates’ ability to rehabilitate. The report also pointed out that over 30% of inmates had learning disabilities. Only 25 qualified Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators(SENCo) were available to serve all public prisons, amounting to 1 educator for every 4 facilities. The Committee recommended the adoption of digital educational passports that would allow access to inmate records to better understand their needs thus allowing educators to tailor the educational strategy to the individual.

    i
    11/05/2022
    / UK Parliament

Variation in the number of untried prisoners

an increase

The number of remand prisoners goes from 9,145, in January 2020, to 12,780 in December 2021. This is an increase of 39 %.

i
01/2020
/ Council of Europe, "SPACE I – Rapport 2020", p. 51.

  • The number of inmates awaiting trial was at its highest since 2010. These inmates accounted for 16% of the total prison population.

    i
    10/01/2022
    / iNews

Childbirth takes place in

external care facilities

  • A 31-year-old female inmate gave birth in June 2020 to a stillborn child in the bathroom at Styal Prison, Cheshire. She alerted a supervisor of “excruciating” stomach cramps. The nurse on duty did not respond to the supervisor’s three calls. She considered it to be painful menstruation and did not suspect pregnancy when it was denied by the inmate. The young woman gave birth, assisted by staff. This example was included in a report on the neglect of pregnant women in prison. The report recommended better training for staff in pregnancy detection and support and pregnancy tests at various stages of incarceration.

    i
    11/01/2022
    / The Guardian

Prison facilities are subjected to other external review mechanisms. Every facility in England and Wales is monitored by an Independent Monitoring Board (IMB). Their members, drawn from civil society, are independent volunteers. They participate in at least three or four visits a month. They are selected by the Secretary of State. They can enter the institution in question without restriction, at any time. They can speak privately with prisoners of their choice. They regularly share their observations with management teams. They may also share their observations during regional meetings and in front of their National Assembly. The supervisory boards produce an annual report for the Minister.

Facilities are also under the supervision of authorised persons. Their visits do not require any special request from the prisoner and are not counted against the visits to which they are entitled. These persons are listed below:

  • English or Welsh MPs
  • Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
  • Representatives from the Equality and Human Rights Commission, EHRC, or from any other organisation, where the goal of their visit is to highlight, specifically and exclusively, any problems associated with equality.

Meetings are confidential.[^PSI 16/2011]

[^PSI 16/2011]: Ministry of Justice, PSI publication 16/2011 on visits and visitor services.

  • A report by the Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) noted an improvement in the condition of Hewell Prison. It was said to be “cleaner” and “more comfortable”. The IMB had called the facility “unfit for the 21st century” and had denounced the inhumane treatment of prisoners with disabilities as well as those with “indeterminate sentences”.

    i
    12/01/2022
    / BBC

Variation in the number of incarcerated minors

a decrease of 3 %

There were 866 minors incarcerated as of 31 December 2017.

  • The number of incarcerated minors declined after 2010 by more than 75%. Approximately one-third would be in pre-trial detention.

    i
    23/01/2022
    / Prison Reform Trust

Variation in the number of deaths in custody

an increase of 10%

compared to the previous year

  • The mortality rate for prisoners had been increasing since 2011, after a partial decrease in 2021. This increase primarily affected males.

    i
    27/01/2022
    / Ministry of Justice

The staff in charge of newcomers receive two types of training:

  • Assessment, Care in Custody & Teamwork (ACCT): procedure for identifying and monitoring an at-risk prisoner (suicide risk…). It concerns all officers in contact with prisoners. The Howard League reported, in a study published in 2017, that several officers “believe the ACCT training inadequate”. It voices concerns about its capacity to evaluate the vulnerability of a prisoner.1
  • Cell Sharing Risk Assessment (CSRA): see above. All officers and teams involved in the entry process are required to follow it.2

  1. Howard League for Penal Reform, Preventing prison suicide: Staff perspectives, 2017. ↩

  2. Ministry of Justice, PSI publication 20/2015 on the Cell Sharing Risk Assessment process, p. 7. ↩

  • The number of cases of self-harm and inter-prisoner violence at Foston Hall women’s prison was considered “worrying”. The Inspectorate of Prisons’ report stated that the treatment of vulnerable prisoners was inadequate. The findings were based on a visit in late 2021. They were accompanied by recommendations extended to five other women’s prisons in England.

    i
    09/02/2022
    / HM Inspectorate of Prisons

The men, women and children imprisoned in England and Wales are incarcerated in different units.

There are four main prison categories for men:

  • Trainer prisons: these house category B and C prisoners (the majority of prisoners). These prisons provide facilitated access to professional training and activities. There are 43 category C trainer prisons and 8 that are category B. The category C trainer prisons are at times resettlement prisons. These pool prisoners condemned to sentences of between one and four years. Prisoners are accompanied, during the final three months, by a member of staff in charge of preparations for leaving prison (resettlement providers).
  • Local prisons: these house remand prisoners, people sentenced to short jail terms, and those waiting to be transferred to a different facility. There are 29 local prisons.
  • Open institutions: these house category D prisoners (low risk). Some prisoners are at the end of their sentence. They have carried out the majority of their sentences in the highest security prisons. There are ten of these open institutions.
  • The eight high security prisons are split into two categories:
    • Core locals hold the same categories of prisoners as those in local prisons, under a stricter security regime.
    • Dispersals hold category A prisoners (high risk). Their aim is to spread the prisoners considered most dangerous throughout the entire territory.

There are 12 facilities for women in England and Wales. Two of them, Askham Grange and East Sutton Park, are open institutions.

Minors and young adults are gathered in three types of prisons:

  • Young Offender Institutions, YOI
  • Secure Training Centres, STC
  • Secure Children’s Homes, SCH.1

Please refer to the Minors section for more information.

  1. House of Commons Library,“Briefing paper : The prison estate“, December 2018. ↩

  • The new Five Wells Prison opened its doors. It had approximately 1700 places for Category C inmates (see Overview, Organisation section). The facility was designed with ultra-secure windows without bars and with so-called “smart” technology. Inmates would have access to tablets to support their learning. The cells were called “rooms” and the inmates, “residents”. The facility was in partnership with local employers to promote the professional integration of people leaving prison. Two special wings were dedicated to people living with substance dependence. The British Deputy Prime Minister, Dominic Raab, said that the main aim of Five Wells was “to reduce re-offending and make our streets safer”.

    i
    05/03/2022
    / TechTribune

Number of deaths in custody

325

i
2018
/ Her Majesty's Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS)

  • Eight inmates of Littlehey Prison had died of COVID-19 as of 1st January. This made it the prison most affected by the pandemic. It was closely followed by Wakefield and Whatton prisons. All three of these prisons had a significant proportion of elderly inmates. Prisons in England and Wales recorded 177 deaths among inmates from the beginning of the year.

    i
    08/03/2022
    / Inside Time