HC Deb 06 December 1999 vol 340 cc544-5
5. Dr. Ian Gibson (Norwich, North)

What assessment he has made of the level of overcrowding in Norwich prison. [99680]

The Minister of State, Home Office (Mr. Paul Boateng)

The operational capacity for Norwich prison is 744. The highest population at Norwich over the last six months was on 19 September, when 725 prisoners were in custody. The average population at Norwich during the current financial year has been 698.

Dr. Gibson

I thank my right hon. Friend for that answer. Does he agree that a good general definition of overcrowding in prisons would be two prisoners in a cell designed for one? Would he further correlate the figures for overcrowding with the high suicide rates in prisons—for example, there have been 19 suicides in Norwich in the past few years? Finally, has he plans to emulate the judge in North Carolina who paraded prisoners down Main street with a placard round their necks stating what their indiscretions had been? We can think of some people in this country who might fall into that category.

Mr. Boateng

That is a very interesting suggestion and one that I should be only too happy to discuss with my hon. Friend if he wishes to introduce the North Carolina example in Norwich. It is important to recognise that prison governors have a responsibility to assess what is a safe number to hold in a particular jail and they do that by considering issues such as ventilation, light and space as well as design. In Norwich, that number has been assessed as 744 and the prison population is currently below that capacity.

It is important to ensure that we take steps within the prison population to detain prisoners in safe and decent environments, and that means giving the problems of suicide and self-harm a proper degree of priority. I do that and I know that the Attorney-General, when he was the Minister responsible for prisons, met my hon. Friend to discuss it. I continue to keep the position at Norwich under review and I pay particular tribute to the Samaritans in Norwich and to the prisoners who participate in the listeners scheme, which has shown itself able to produce positive results in reducing the impact of suicide and self-harm.