Asked by
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to
alleviate overcrowding in prisons in England and Wales,
particularly in HMP Swansea.
The Question was considered in a Virtual Proceeding via video
call.
The Advocate-General for Scotland () (Con)
My Lords, the prison estate is kept under review to ensure
sufficient capacity. We have committed to invest up to £2.5
billion to create 10,000 additional prison places. We have
recently opened 2,106 prison places at HM Prison Berwyn, and 206
at HM Prison Stocken. We are constructing new prisons at the
former HM Prison Wellingborough and HM Prison Glen Parva sites.
(LD)
At the end of March, Welsh prisons held 6% of the England and
Wales prison population. However, according to MoJ figures on 24
April, they had 25% of confirmed Covid-19 cases across the
estate. I understand that this figure is the result of a minor
reporting error and has been removed from the MoJ website, but we
need clarity on what is happening in Welsh prisons. Will the
noble and learned Lord outline now, or in a further letter to me,
the joint strategy of the MoJ and the Welsh Government with
regard to prisons in Wales?
The noble Baroness is right that some data has been removed to be
reviewed by NHS Wales. As regards the prisons and cells, we are
following a strategy in all prisons in England and Wales which
involves ensuring that we have separate isolation for any
prisoners displaying Covid symptoms, separate isolation for those
in a shielding unit—that is, for prisoners identified by
healthcare staff as particularly vulnerable should they come into
contact with the virus—and what is termed a reverse cohorting
unit, to ensure that those coming into the prison population are
isolated for 14 days to give an opportunity for any symptoms to
develop. As regards the statistics for prisons as between England
and Wales and Wales itself, as of Tuesday 12 May, 401 prisoners
had tested positive for Covid-19 across 74 prisons, and 501
prison staff had tested positive across 70 prisons. Of those, as
at 11 May, 81 prisoners had tested positive in Welsh prisons and
61 prison staff had tested positive in Welsh prisons.
My Lords, the World Health Organization has been clear that
testing will be a key part of tackling coronavirus. We just heard
some of those stats, but could the Government please give us the
number of prisoners who have been tested to date, and give an
assurance that testing will always be in place before moving
people between prisons?
My Lords, Gold Command has taken control of the movement of
prisoners, which is extremely limited between prisons. Where it
happens, that cohort is dealt with in the same way as new
prisoners, so they are isolated for a period to see whether they
become symptomatic. On testing, prison officers and attendant
staff are key workers in the present circumstances. We have
referred something like 3,000 prison officers and staff for
testing. For prisoners, some who have become symptomatic may be
subject to testing in prison, but otherwise there is no testing.
(Con)
My Lords, Swansea prison houses twice the number of prisoners it
was designed for in the mid-19th century. A Welsh Affairs Select
Committee inquiry into prison provision last year heard evidence
that between 2013 and 2018 there was a 475% increase in the
number of drug crimes in Welsh prisons compared with a 200%
increase in English prisons. One of the key challenges faced was
violent behaviour caused by the drug Spice, which is exacerbated
by overcrowding. Evidence was heard about the intention of the
then Prisons Minister to introduce scanners in some prisons by
August, which are expected to be running in all Welsh prisons by
December 2019. Can my noble and learned friend confirm that these
have now been installed and are operational in all Welsh prisons?
My Lords, my noble friend makes a very good point as regards
Swansea prison. It is one of our Victorian prisons and, as such,
has a large number of cells that are certified to hold two
prisoners, and indeed some which are certified to hold three. As
of 1 May this year, the operational capacity of HMP Swansea was
reduced from 479 to 396, with a prison population of about 379.
Nevertheless, that can still be regarded as crowded accommodation
because of the number of cells that are certified to hold two
prisoners. We recognise that this is a challenge not only in
Swansea but in many other local prisons from the Victorian era.
On drug testing, I cannot confirm that such equipment has been
rolled out in all prisons in England and Wales, but I will take
steps to confirm the position and will advise my noble friend.
(CB)
My Lords, to ease overcrowding, the Government have said that
they would release some prisoners early. Can the Minister tell
the House how many have actually been released?
First, we have made provision to ensure that we did not come up
to capacity in our prisons, but we did not commit to releasing a
set number of prisoners. In the event, given developments in jury
trials in Crown Courts and magistrates’ courts, since mid-March
we have seen a significant fall in the number of prisoners. As
regards the emergency release provisions that were announced and
to which the noble Lord referred, the position as at 12 May this
year is that 21 pregnant women or mothers have been removed from
mother and baby units, five extremely vulnerable prisoners have
been released, and 57 prisoners have been released under the end
of custody temporary release scheme, giving a total of 83
releases under the scheme.
(Lab)
Can the Minister confirm that the central plank of government
penal policy is rehabilitation because it makes economic sense,
while the cost of not successfully rehabilitating becomes very
heavy to society? In that context, will he explain how keeping
prisoners in humiliating and degrading conditions can possibly
assist in the process of rehabilitation? Is getting these things
right not urgent if we are sincere about saving the nation money
by not having a high rate of reoffending?
The noble Lord is quite right: rehabilitation is one of the
central pillars of our policy with regard to prisons. That has
been made extremely difficult by reason of the Covid pandemic. It
has been necessary to limit the movement of prisoners within
prisons in order to contain the Covid threat. It has been
necessary to curtail rehabilitation schemes and education
schemes. That is extremely unfortunate, but we hope that, as soon
we are beyond the Covid issue, we will be able to return to the
schemes we have in place for rehabilitation.
(LD)
My Lords, given the continued spread of coronavirus among prison
staff and prisoners, the lock-in of prisoners for months ahead
preventing training for rehabilitation, the number of prisons
which, like Wrexham, are designed for two to a cell, and the
increase of prisoners held on remand while jury trials are
stopped, can the Minister explain why the Government’s early
release scheme has ground to a trickle of just 57 out of the
4,000 announced by the Secretary of State in the other place, as
overcrowding is seeding this pandemic?
As I indicated, in all our prisons we have introduced a cohorting
strategy that ensures separation and isolation between prisoners
displaying Covid-19 symptoms and other prisoners; a shielding
unit for those who are vulnerable to contact with the virus; and
a reverse cohorting unit to ensure that new prisoners are
isolated for a suitable period until they are found not to be
exhibiting symptoms. That continues. With regard to the number of
cases within prisons, I think I indicated before that the present
position as of 12 May is that we have 401 prisoners who have
tested positive for Covid-19 across 74 prisons, and 501 prison
staff who have tested positive across 70 prisons. The noble Lord
will notice that there is a greater number of prison staff than
prisoners who have tested positive. We continue to maintain a
system of social separation and hand washing and, where
necessary, PPE is available to staff.
