§ Mr. McNamaraasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the nature of the regime known as cellular confinement in Her Majesty's prison, Armagh.
§ Mr. John Patten[pursuant to his reply, 22 April 1983, c. 190]: Cellular confinement is awarded as a punishment and involves the loss of all privileges. The prisoner remains in her own cell, where she retains all her furniture and her Bible; however, her mattress is removed at breakfast-time and returned late in the afternoon. Her meals are brought to her cell and she is offered an hour's exercise in the open air each day. Weekly visits are not affected and any due during the period of the award will take place in the ordinary visits area. The prisoner may also write and receive letters in the usual way.
§ Mr. McNamaraasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will break down the information given in his answer of 4 March, Official Report, c. 241, concerning the number of prisoners awarded cellular confinement to indicate how many of the prisoners were young offenders, and how many were originally sentenced for (a) scheduled and (b) non-scheduled offences; and whether any other prisoners have been awarded cellular confinement since 4 March.
§ Mr. John Patten[pursuant to his reply, 22 April 1983, c. 190]: Of the 22 women awarded cellular confinement under prison rules, five were originally on remand charged with non-scheduled offences, one was on remand charged with scheduled offences, and the remaining 16 were serving sentences for scheduled offences. During the course of the year, three of the six remand prisoners were convicted and sentenced to be detained in the young offenders centre where they subsequently received awards of confinement to room under the young offenders centre rules. Since 4 March no other inmates have received awards of cellular confinement.