HC Deb 25 October 1984 vol 65 cc648-9W
Mr. Bermingham

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what figures are kept by the prison department of the number of mentally handicapped people in prison; how such people are defined for the purpose of keeping such figures; and if he will provide such figures for the last three years, broken down by age, sex and prison.

Mr. Mellor

Figures are kept for the number of prisoners assessed by prison medical officers as severely mentally impaired, and mentally impaired for the purposes of part III of the Mental Health Act 1983. Prior to the enactment of the Mental Health (Amendment) Act 1982 (consolidated in the 1983 Act) the equivalent classifications were severely subnormal and subnormal.

On 31 March 1984 there was one severely mentally impaired male prisoner aged 20 held in Swansea prison.

The number of subnormal mentally impaired prisoners on 31 March for the last three years, broken down by age, sex and establishment are as follows:

31 March 1982
Establishment Subnormal Age Sex
Ashford 1 20 Male
Blundeston 2 29 Male
25 Male
Cardiff 1 34 Male
Cookham Wood 1 37 Female
Dartmoor 1 38 Male
Gartree 2 27 Male
25 Male
Glen Parva 1 20 Male
Gloucester 1 34 Male
Holloway 1 35 Female
Leicester 1 28 Male
Lewes 2 25 Male
19 Male
Oxford 2 21 Male
21 Male
Reading 1 36 Male

Establishment Subnormal Age Sex
Stafford 2 42 Male
24 Male
Swansea 1 21 Male
Wandsworth 2 30 Male
31 Male
Winchester 1 36 Male
Wormwood Scrubs 1 23 Male
TOTAL 24

31 March 1983
Establishment Subnormal Age Sex
Ashford 1 18 Male
Bedford 1 18 Male
Brixton 1 24 Male
Bullwood Hall 1 19 Female
Dartmoor 1 39 Male
Gartree 1 26 Male
Glen Parva 1 19 Male
Holloway 6 26 Female
20 Female
38 Female
34 Female
21 Female
38 Female
Maidstone 1 45 Male
Manchester 2 20 Male
37 Male
Norwich 2 50 Male
35 Male
Onley 2 20 Male
20 Male
Pucklechurch 1 22 Female
Reading 1 47 Male
Styal 2 21 Female
30 Female
Wakefield 1 37 Male
Wandsworth 2 39 Male
23 Male
Winchester 1 17 Male
TOTAL 28

31 March 1984
Establishment Mentally Impaired Age Sex
Holloway 10 28 Female
19 Female
18 Female
24 Female
24 Female
20 Female
39 Female
25 Female
28 Female
23 Female
Lewes 1 27 Male
Lincoln 1 26 Male
Manchester 4 18 Male
26 Male
20 Male
47 Male
Pucklechurch 2 22 Female
33 Female
Risley 1 20 Male
Styal 1 31 Female
Wakefield 2 38 Male
21 Male
Wymott 2 36 Male
21 Male
TOTAL 24

Forward to