HC Deb 07 November 1991 vol 198 cc223-4W
Mr. Sheerman

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average length of time spent in custody by female life sentence prisoners released on licence in each of the last 10 years.

Mrs. Rumbold

The information requested is given in the table. The calculated averages exclude persons who have died in custody or have been discharged for other reasons. The information for all persons released on life licence is published annually in "Prison Statistics, England and Wales"—table 8.5 of the issue for 1989, Cm. 1221.

Death of prisoners under 21 in Her Majesty's Prison Service establishments 1978–19911
Name Age Sex Establishment Inquest Verdict 2Status
1978
Anderson M. J. 16 M Hindley Suicide
Evans D. C. 17 M Risley Unlawful killing
Clark C. L. 19 M Gaynes Hall Open
1979
Ramsey A. W. 18 M Liverpool Suicide
Forbes D. 20 M Lewes Killed himself while balance of mind disturbed
Ridehalgh S. 17 M Wetherby Natural causes
Redmond M. 20 M Haverigg Misadventure

Average time served1 under sentence in Prison Service establishments in England and Wales by females first released on life licence 1980–90
Year of release Average time served (years) Number of females released
1980 6.5 1
1981 8.1 3
1982 8.7 1
1983 8.6 2
1984 8.3 5
1985 9.2 5
1986 10.5 2
1987 10.1 3
1988 10.0 4
1989 8.0 4
21990 9.6 3
1 Excluding any time spent on remand in custody, in non-Prison Service establishments or following any subsequent recall.
2 Provisional figure.