§ Mr. ButlerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will publish the report of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons on his inspection of her Majesty's remand centre, Risley; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. HurdThe report by Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons, His Honour Judge Stephen Tumim, on his inspection of Risley remand centre in February, is published today with a statement setting out the action being taken in response. Copies have been placed in the Library.
The chief inspector draws attention to three major areas of concern. First, certain parts of the establishment were in a poor physical state both with respect to structure and maintenance and cleanliness. Immediate steps have been taken to improve cleanliness and housekeeping, and a major programme of refurbishment costing £2.5 million has been put in hand for completion by the autumn of 1989. This will greatly improve the inmate accommodation and sanitation. In the longer term major redevelopment for completion by the mid-1990s will provide modern accommodation with integral sanitation.
Secondly, revised instructions on suicide prevention (circular instruction 3/1987) issued in January 1987 have not been implemented at Risley. This was a grave omission. Although the prison service cannot guarantee to prevent suicides, every suicide is a matter of profound regret and management and staff of establishments must do all they can to identify those at risk and seek to prevent suicide by supervision, care and involvement of the inmate in personal relationships. The directions in the circular instruction are now being given high priority at Risley, as at other prison service establishments.
Thirdly. although the chief inspector comments favourably on much good work by staff, on their efforts to give prisoners time out of cells and the use that is made of association, education and physical education facilities, he found that inmates were confined to their cells for far too long. Lack of management and staff continuity on wings detracted from staff-inmate relations. The former youth custody centre at Hindley has taken over Risley's remand role for males under 21, retaining its facilities for work, education, physical education and other training, modified to fit shorter periods of detention. The Fresh Start management structure and staffing systems introduced at Risley since the inspection provide the foundation for improvements in regime. Early plans will be developed for extending the facilities and opportunities for education and other useful occupation.
These measures will ensure an immediate and a continuing improvement in conditions at Risley.