§ Dr. Lynne JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many juveniles aged 15 and 16 years have been remanded(a) in adult prisons and (b) in total in each of the last five years; and what has been the average period of their detention. [2314]
§ Miss WiddecombeResponsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from A. J. Pearson to Dr. Lynne Jones, dated 7 November 1996:
The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about the number of juveniles aged 15 and 16 years who have been remanded (a) in adult prisons and (b) in total in each of the last five years; and what has been the average period of their detention.The information on the number of remand receptions for untried juvenile prisoners is given in the attached tables, along with the estimated average periods in custody for all juvenile untried prisoners.652WInformation on the average period spent by juveniles in adult prisons is not separately available.
Receptions of 15 and 16 year old untried prisoners into Prison Service establishments in England and Wales, 1991–95 Age Year 15 16 Adult prisons 1991 43 91 1992 7 16 1993 2 16 1994 36 53 1995 8O 136 All establishments 1991 384 684 1992 354 666 1993 429 840 1994 613 1,044 1995 604 1,182
Average time held in custody for untried prisoners aged under 17 in Prison Service establishments in England and Wales, 1991–1995 Year Untried 1991 16 1992 19 1993 25 1994 32 1995 28 The average days in custody are estimated from the population held on 30 June each year and the total number of initial receptions in the year. The estimate is subject to some uncertainty due to the small numbers held.