HC Deb 10 March 1986 vol 93 cc331-2W
Mr. Rooker

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases of (a) escapes, (b) attempted escapes, (c) assaults on staff, (d) disciplinary offences and (e) the use of rule 43 have occurred at Her Majesty's prison Featherstone during the last 12 months; and to what extent he attributes the incidence of such cases to overcrowding.

Mr. Mellor

The following figures relate to 1985:

  1. (a) five, involving a total of seven prisoners;
  2. (b) one;
  3. (c) none;
  4. (d) 320 prisoners for a total of 480 offences (these figures are provisional):
  5. (e) 29 prisoners on a total of 30 occasions.

The certified normal accomodation for Featherstone is 510 and the average population during 1985 was 546; this does not represent excessive overcrowding.