HC Deb 27 October 1960 vol 627 cc307-9W
Mr. Iremonger

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average weekly cost of young offenders in prison, under Borstal training in detention centres, and in approved schools, respectively.

Mr. R. A. Butler

The average total weekly cost of detaining a boy or girl in an approved school in 1958–59 was £9 10s. 6d.

Because of the different methods of financing capital expenditure, comparable figures for prisons, borstals and detention centres are not readily available. The average maintenance

Year of discharge Number discharged Numbers reconvicted in the three complete calendar years following discharge Failure rate as a percentage
(i) BORSTAL TRAINING
Boys:
1954 … … 1,741 916 (to 31.12.57) 52.61
1955 … … 1,667 872 (to 31.12.58) 52.30
1956 … … 1,484 891 (to 31.12.59) 60.04
Girls:
1954 … … 134 39 (to 31.12.57) 29.10
1955 … … 110 33 (to 31.12.58) 30.00
1956 … … 113 23 (to 31.12.59) 20.35
(ii) DETENTION CENTRES
Boys:
1954 … … 402 219 (to 31.12.57) 54.47
1955 … … 567 289 (to 31.12.58) 50.97
1956 … … 776 438 (to 31.12.59) 56.44
(iii) APPROVED SCHOOLS
Year placed out Number placed out Number found guilty of an offence during the three years after placing out Failure rate as a percentage
Boys:
1954 … … 3,159 1,246 39.44
1955 … … 2,814 1,221 43.59
1956 … … 2,368 1,178 49.75
Girls:
1954 … … 254 44 17.32
1955 … … 241 42 17.43
1956 … … 221 50 22.62

costs in these establishments in 1958–59 were:

£ s. d.
Prisons … 7 1 2
Borstals … 11 0 4
Detention centres … 10 15 9

The figure for prisons relates to offenders of all ages.

Mr. Iremonger

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the failure rate of young offenders from Borstal training, detention centres, and approved schools, respectively, for the last three years for which figures are available; and how many offenders these figures represent.

Mr. R. A. Butler

The last three-year period for which approximately comparable figures for young offenders discharged from these establishments are available is that ending on 31st December, 1956, the figures for which are as follows:

The information in table (iii) above relates to boys and girls committed to approved schools as offenders.

Further information as to young offenders discharged from borstals and detention centres since 1956 will be found in the Report of the Commissioners of Prisons for the year 1959 (Cmnd. 1117).

Mr. Iremonger

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average case load of probation officers in England and Wales; what proportion of these cases are young offenders from Borstals and approved schools on licence or under supervision; and what is the average annual cost to public funds of these offenders while on licence or under supervision.

Mr. R. A. Butler

On 31st December, 1959, the latest date for which figures are available, the average case loads of probation officers were: men, 64.9; women, 39.9. Cases from Borstals represented 6.8 per cent. and from approved schools 3.1 per cent. of the total case loads.

I regret that the information asked for in the third part of the Question is not available.