§ Mr. Watkinsonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has completed his review of the Wake-field Control Unit; and whether he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Roy JenkinsAs the House will remember, the establishment of the two control units was one of the special measures announced by my predecessor in response to disorders in prisons in 1972. The aim of the units was to isolate those prisoners who persistently set out to undermine prison life and who, in the confines of a prison regime, make conditions intolerable for staff and other prisoners alike. Only one unit, at Wakefield prison, has been opened, and only six prisoners have been allocated to it. I am satisfied that allegations, which have received considerable publicity, of sensory deprivation, cruelty and brutality in the unit are completely unfounded and that the Governor and staff have conducted themselves in a commendably professional manner. That there should have been so few inmates in the unit is a tribute to the professional skill of the staff managing the difficult dispersal prisons. It is probable that some of the other measures introduced since 1972 have also played a part. However, it is a fact that the unit has not been used to the expected extent, and is wasteful of staff resources and of scarce accommodation.
Accordingly, after thorough and wide-ranging consultations, I have directed that no further prisoners should be admitted to the unit. Immediate consideration will be given to using the accommodation for prisoners who themselves request removal from association under the provisions of Rule 43.
Because so few prisoners have been detained the efficacy of the control unit régime has not been fully tested. It can, however, be said that there is no evidence that any of the prisoners have suffered deterioration in mental or physical health from their detention in the unit. It is important to be able to continue to meet the need to provide temporary relief to the dispersal prisons from the activities 284W and influence of intractable troublemakers, and I therefore propose to retain the option, should the need arise, of using the accommodation for those who have to be segregated from the ordinary prison population under the same Rule 43 but in the interests of good order and discipline. In addition, I intend to increase the number of cells in local prisons available to governors of dispersal prisons for the temporary accommodation of serious troublemakers, and to increase the maximum period from 14 to 28 days for which they may be so removed.