§ Mr. GerrardTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how the work of the Sentencing Guidelines Council will contribute to the stabilisation of the prison population. [167365]
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§ Paul GogginsThe work of the Sentencing Guidelines will lead to a greater consistency in sentencing. It will in due course consider guidelines in respect of all criminal offences, which will apply to all courts. The Government have made it clear that prison should only be used for the most serious, dangerous and persistent offenders, and that others are better punished in the community.
§ Mrs. GillanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners were released on 10 March. [161629]
§ Paul Goggins[holding answer 15 March 2004]: Information on the number of prisoners who were released on 10 March 2004 is not yet available.
§ Sandra GidleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the prisoner rehabilitation programmes; and at whom each is aimed. [157377]
§ Paul GogginsThe Prison Service provide the following offending behaviour programmes which have been accredited by the Correctional Services Accreditation Panel and are aimed at assisting in the rehabilitation process
Enhanced Thinking Skills—A Cognitive Behavioural Programme for male and female, and can be sequenced with another programme.Reasoning and Rehabilitation—A Cognitive Behavioural Programme for male and female medium to medium-high risk offenders.Controlling Anger and Learning to Manage it—This programme is for medium-risk male offenders convicted of assault, public order or criminal damage.Cognitive Self-Change Programme—It is for adult men aged between 24 and 50. They will be high-risk offenders convicted of at least two violent offences.Cognitive Skills Booster Programme—A programme for male and female offenders who have already completed a general offending programme.Healthy Relationships—A programme for prisoners convicted of domestic violence offences or who have a pattern of relationship problems.Sex Offender Treatment Programmes
Core—The programme is for male medium and high-risk sex offenders.Extended—It is for male high and very high-risk sex offenders.Adapted—Designed to suit learning-disabled sex offenders across all risk levels.Rolling—Programme for male low and medium risk sex offenders, and sex offenders who have completed primary treatment programmes and who are serving long sentences can attend to reinforce learning.Booster—Programme for male sex offenders to reinforce learning.Drug Treatment Programmes
Prison Addressing Substance Related Offending (P-ASRO)—Cognitive Behavioural Programme for adult men and young male offenders with low/medium drug dependence and risk of re-offending.RAPt—Abstinence based 12 Step programme for adult men, women and young offenders with medium to high drug dependence and risk of re-offending.Prison 12 Step programme—For adult men, women and young offenders with medium to high drug dependence and risk of re-offending.Substance Treatment Offender Programme (STOP)—Cognitive Behavioural Programme for adult male offenders with medium/high drug dependence and risk of re-offending.763WAction on Drugs—Cognitive Behavioural Programme for adult men and young male offenders with medium/high drug dependence and risk of re-offending.FOCUS—Cognitive Behavioural Programme for adult male offenders with medium/high drug dependence and risk of re-offending.Ley Prison Programme—Cognitive Behavioural Programme set in a therapeutic milieu for adult male offenders with medium/high drug dependence and risk of re-offending.North West Therapeutic Community—Therapeutic community for adult male offenders with medium/high drug dependence and risk of re-offending.In addition the Prison Service provides a range of education programmes and other activities aimed at rehabilitation and increasing the opportunity for prisoners to find employment and accommodation on release.
§ Charles HendryTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 1 March,Official Report, column 721W, on prison education, if he will make a statement on increased partnership working to improve opportunities for learning and skills across the range of prison activities. [162355]
§ Paul GogginsThe Government is investigating the scope for a delivery partnership between the Learning and Skills Council and the Prison Service (and in time the National Offender Management Service)—together with other key players such as Jobcentre Plus-to provide a more flexible, individually focused learning and skills service. The Government is planning to try out new models of partnership and delivery, beginning in the autumn with a small number of pathfinders. Meanwhile, the Government is looking to newly appointed Heads of Learning and Skills to maintain a focus on learning at senior level within each establishment, to help overcome obstacles to communication and joint working across regimes, and to develop imaginative partnerships with organisations, including voluntary organisations, beyond the prison walls which can enhance prisoners' resettlement prospects.
§ Mrs. Curtis-ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on local strategies and initiatives developed by prisons for older prisoners. [164429]
§ Paul GogginsThe Prison Service does not have a separate national Strategy for older prisoners but seeks to meet the needs of older prisoners through individual circumstances.
Some local initiatives have been developed, including remedial fitness programmes for older prisoners, at a number of establishments. One establishment has set up an occupational therapy group, which provides prisoners of retirement age with the opportunity to work, do gardening, clean windows or tidy the prison grounds. At least one establishment has installed an activities day room for older prisoners and have developed links with the Salvation Army who run a club for the over 60's. An elderly life sentence prisoner unit designed to accommodate 15 elderly prisoners is scheduled to open in late June 2004 at HMP/YO1 Norwich.
764WFollowing concerns expressed about the care of elderly prisoners, I have commissioned the Chief Inspector of Prisons to undertake an independent thematic inspection of older prisoners. The report of this inspection is expected to be published in the Summer.
§ Mrs. Curtis-ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons the capital reductions costs for the private finance initiative prison contract became overstated; and what measures will be implemented to prevent a recurrence of overstated capital reduction costs for the contract. [165875]
§ Paul GogginsThere are no capital reductions costs for Private Finance Initiative prisons.
§ Mr. MaudeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what percentage of prisoners were sharing cells designed for single occupancy in each of the last 10 years. [166796]
§ Paul GogginsThe number of prisoners sharing cells designed for one person and the percentage, expressed as a proportion of the average prisoner population, is given in the table. Validated figures for 2003–04 are not yet available.
Percentage doubling Number doubled 2002–03 20.4 14,586 2001–02 17.0 11,440 2000–01 17.2 11,292 1999–2000 18.9 12,222 1998–99 18.4 12,024 1997–98 18.2 11,548 1996–97 16.8 9,498 1995–96 16.5 8,506 1994–95 17.1 8,426
§ Mrs. GillanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to transfer the Foundation training Company resettlement programme following the re-rolling of Edmunds Hill Prison. [166867]
§ Paul GogginsAn appraisal of Edmunds Hill is currently taking place following the decision to re-role this establishment. The future of the Foundation Training Company (FTC) resettlement programme at Edmunds Hill is one of the issues under consideration; it is envisaged that the FTC will remain at Edmunds Hill, subject to appropriate funding.
§ Mr. KilfoyleTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department What the annual average population of(a) HMP Liverpool and (b) HMP Altcourse was in each of the last six years; and what the present population is of each. [166987]
§ Paul GogginsThe population on 31 March 2004 and annual average population in each of the last six years of(a) HMP Liverpool and (b) HMP Altcourse is given in the table.
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Current and annual average population of Liverpool and Altcourse Liverpool Altcourse 31 March 2004 1,449 988 2003 1,434 995 2002 1,448 955 2001 1,297 800 2000 1,274 818 1999 1,432 751 1998 1,451 630