Prisoners in Hospital

HL Deb 25 March 1996 vol 570 cc1463-5

Baroness Hayman asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they consider that the right balance between security and humanity, referred to by the Home Secretary in the Statement on prisoners in hospital made on 18th January (H.L. Deb. col. 724), was achieved in the case of a woman prisoner shackled at her baby's funeral in the chapel of Great Ormond Street Hospital.

The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Blatch)

My Lords, the Statement of 18th January of my right honourable friend the Home Secretary modified the arrangements for pregnant women prisoners visiting hospital. In the case to which this Question refers, the balance between security and humanity appears to have been struck. However, I understand from the Director General of the Prison Service that he has asked the area manager for Holloway to investigate the matter, and I shall write to the noble Baroness when that investigation has been completed.

Baroness Hayman

My Lords, I am grateful to the Minister for that reply. However, does she accept that the funeral of a child is so awful an occasion that it should not be made worse by handcuffing the parent unless there are overwhelming security reasons? As this mother was not adjudged to be such a security risk that she had to be handcuffed when visiting the child in intensive care, is it not clear that a misjudgment was made? Can the Minister assure us that in future common sense and common decency will prevail in such situations?

Baroness Blatch

My Lords, the noble Baroness is right in that this lady visited her baby each day, and that was because the room the baby was in was secure. Consideration was given to her application to attend the funeral of her baby but her attitude, her behaviour, her threats and an assault on a member of staff, coupled with her aggressive and emotional state, meant that she was too great a risk to attend without handcuffs. She assaulted staff while in hospital. The chapel at the hospital was not considered to be secure. The staff of the Prison Service have a difficult job in balancing security considerations against those of humanity and dignity.

Lord Williams of Mostyn

My Lords, was the child 10 days' old when it died? Did the minister of religion in the chapel ask for the shackles to be removed? Can there really be any justification for such barbaric conduct?

Baroness Blatch

My Lords, the baby was 10 days' old and I believe someone did ask for the shackles to be removed. The father was allowed temporary release from prison to attend the funeral of his child. He was considered not to be a risk. A proper risk assessment was carried out and the woman was considered to be a risk as her behaviour was abusive, she assaulted a member of the prison staff and she was in a highly emotional and aggressive state. It was not considered suitable to remove the shackles. A decision could have been taken not to allow her to attend her child's funeral, but it was considered that she should attend the funeral and be handcuffed.

Baroness Gardner of Parkes

My Lords, in reply to the previous supplementary question, did my noble friend say that the father was also a prisoner but was not shackled when he attended the funeral?

Baroness Blatch

Yes, my Lords, I did say that. He was considered suitable for temporary release, but the mother was considered unsuitable for temporary release.

Lord Allen of Abbeydale

My Lords, will a copy of the reply to the noble Baroness be put in the Library of the House as a number of us would be interested to see it?

Baroness Blatch

Yes, of course, my Lords.

Baroness Hayman

My Lords, is it not correct that at the time this incident occurred after the Parkhurst breakout last year, there was such overwhelming concern as regards blanket impositions of high security on prisoners that misjudgments were made across a range of cases involving women prisoners? That was admitted in the case of pregnant women prisoners and women prisoners who were in labour. Is it not true that four members of the staff at Great Ormond Street complained to the Prison Service after this incident? Those who know the chapel at Great Ormond Street know that it is easy to keep secure.

Baroness Blatch

My Lords, if a misjudgment has occurred in this case, that will be revealed as part of the investigation. However, I should add that since 1988 there have been 26 escapes from funeral escorts, 23 escapes from hospital visits while handcuffed, and 150 escapes from hospital visits while escorted but without being handcuffed. This is a difficult matter for the Prison Service staff. At the end of the day they have to consider the security of the public, the security of the staff, and sometimes even the security of the prisoners themselves. In the case of the lady we are discussing, she had a record of being abusive to, and assaulting, staff.

Lord Avebury

My Lords, were the allegations which have been made against the prisoner this afternoon the subject of adjudications? If so, could the record of those adjudications be placed in the Library with the letter?

Baroness Blatch

My Lords, what I have said is a matter of record. Those events are noted as part of the daily record in the prison.

There was an appeal against an extra sentence that the lady was given. I do not have the result of the appeal, but I shall ensure that it is part of the information that I give to the noble Baroness.