§ Mr. SheermanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many women in open prisons requested home leave to visit their children during 1989 or during the most recent available period.
§ Mr. MellorThere were 212 recorded applications for home leave for this purpose during the period 1 April 1989 to 31 March 1990.
§ Mr. SheermanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many women in open prisons were granted home leave to visit their children during 1989 or during the most recent convenient period; and how many periods of home leave they were granted on average during this time.
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§ Mr. MellorDuring the period 1 April 1989 to 31 March 1990, 152 women from the three open establishments were granted at least one period of home leave to visit their children. Details of the average number of periods of home leave granted to individual prisoners are not readily available.
§ Mr. SheermanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the criteria for granting home leave to women in open prison; and at what level the decision was made.
§ Mr. MellorAll applications for home leave are considered by the establishment's home leave board and must be approved by the governor. The criteria for considering applications are laid down in circular instructions 9/1988 and 12/1988. For prisoners in open establishments, these will include the length of the prisoner's sentence, her behaviour in prison, whether the prisoner can be trusted not to commit any further offence during the leave and to return on time and the suitability of the accommodation where the home leave is to be spent.