§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the staffing ratio of(a) privately managed prisons and (b) publicly operated prisons.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythResponsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 9 March 1995:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the staffing ratio in both privately managed prisons and publicly operated prisons.On 31 January 1995, the staff:inmate ratio for privately managed prisons was 1:2.43. The staff figure is based on the number of prisoner custody officers employed, which equate to the three officer grades in publicly operated prisons. The inmate figure is the number held in these prisons at the end of January.On 31 January 1995 the staff:inmate ratio for publicly managed prisons was 1:2.0. The staff figure is based on the officer, senior officer and principal officer grades and includes specialist staff. The inmate figure is the total inmate population as at 31 January 1995, excluding those held in police cells and privately managed prisons.The ratio for publicly managed prisons is affected by the inclusion of dispersal prisons and other prisons with specialist functions which have a relatively high staff:inmate ratio, as well as accommodation being out of use for refurbishment. The private sector does not include prisons in this category, and is not currently undergoing refurbishment.