§ Lord Graham of Edmontonasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many convicted young offenders were in Strangeways prison on 1st April 1990; and
What is the average length of time spent at Strangeways prison by young offenders before transfer to a young offenders institution: and how long those convicted young offenders in the prison on 1st April 1990 had spent there since conviction.
Earl FerrersInformation on the number of convicted young offenders held at HM Prison, Manchester, on 1st April 1990 and the length of time they had spent there following conviction is given in the table below.
Estimates of the average length of time spent in Prison Service establishments by all male prisoners (a) before conviction and (b) after conviction and before sentence are published in the Prison Statistics for England and Wales. In 1988, these estimates were 56 days and 36 days respectively. More detailed information in respect of individual establishments, young offenders, and average lengths of time awaiting allocation is not available.
Under the Criminal Justice Act 1988, juveniles aged under 17 and young offenders aged 17 to 20 sentenced to four months or less are committed to young offender institutions direct from court. In other cases, convicted young offenders are sent to allocation units in local prisons with the aim of allocating to a young offender.institution within 16 days of reception at the prison. Under the authority of the Secretary of State, allocation and transfer may be deferred to a later date if, for example, information relevant to allocation is awaited, or the inmate is required for further court appearance, needs medical attention, or is shortly due for release.
Table CONVICTED YOUNG OFFENDERS AT HM PRISON MANCHESTER* 1ST APRIL 1990 Time held since conviction Status 1 week or less 1–2 weeks 2–4 weeks 4–8 weeks 8–12 weeks over 12 weeks Total Convicted awaiting sentence 25 12 28 13 2 4 84 Convicted awaiting allocation 38 43 31 18 1 7 138 Totals 63 55 59 31 3 11 222 *Includes inmates held for reallocation or for the purpose of receiving visits.