§ Mr. Stephen Rossasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has in mind for dealing with the problems of those sentenced to life imprisonment in the true meaning of those words; and whether he will make a statement on prison sentencing generally.
§ Mr. JohnWithin available resources and in accordance with the degree of security necessary in each case, the treatment of individual prisoners attempts to take account of their situations and to maintain conditions of humane containment. In considering the release on licence of a prisoner sentenced to life imprisonment full account is always taken of the nature of his offence and the possible risk to the public. It is inevitable that some such prisoners will be detained for very long periods or even the remainder of their natural lives.
Determination of sentence within the limits set by law is a matter for the courts. The Advisory Council on the Penal System is currently examining the general structure of maximum sentences of imprisonment available to them.
Males Females Time in custody spent in Prison Department establishments Found not guilty or not proceeded with Given non-custodial sentences Found not guilty or not proceeded with Given non-custodial sentences Up to and including 2 weeks … 27 787 11 102 Over 2 weeks up to and including 1 month … 15 209 2 27 Over 1 month up to and including 2 months … — 56 — 7 Over 2 months up to and including 3 months … — 8 — 1 Over 3 months up to and including 4 months … 1 5 — — Over 4 months up to and including 5 months … — — — — Over 5 months up to and including 6 months … — 1 — — Total … 43 1,066 13 137