§ Sir John WheelerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what changes have been made to the role of the category A committee for high-risk prisoners in the light of the security audit undertaken by Mr. Hadfield and Mr. Lakes.
§ Mr. Peter LloydIn the light of the security audit undertaken last year by Mr. Hadfield and Mr. Lakes, it has been decided to change the procedures for reviewing the security status of category A prisoners. Security status will continue to be reviewed on conviction and at least annually there after, but referral to the category A committee will be limited to new cases and to those cases where recommendations have been made for a change to the security category either by the holding prison or by prison service headquarters.
The category A committee comprises senior officials of the prison service, including governors and staff of prisons normally holding category A prisoners; a senior medical officer; and a senior police adviser. Its role is:
- (i) to consider whether prisoners recently convicted of very serious offences should be retained in security category A, which is reserved for those whose escape from prison custody would be highly dangerous to the public or the police or the security of the State;
- (ii) to consider all cases of category A prisoners where recommendations have been made for a change in security status; and to review cases where no such recommendations have been made for five years; and
- (iii) to make recommendations to the director general of the prison service.
All other cases will be considered at least annually by officials of the directorate of custody.
The new procedures are designed to improve efficiency in the administration of category A prisoners while ensuring that changes in security status are well founded and that no prisoner remains in category A any longer than is necessary.