§ Mr. JamiesonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how often the Governor of HM prison Dartmoor authorised the use of(a) bodybelts, (b) ankle straps, (c) handcuffs and (d) special segregation unit cells between January 1990 and the present date; [2092]
(2) on how many occasions since January 1990 prisoners in HM prison Dartmoor were kept in bodybelts for more than 12 hours. [2093]
§ Miss WiddecombeResponsibility for these matters has been delegated to the temporary Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Richard Tilt to Mr. David Jamieson, dated 27 November 1995:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Questions about the use of restraints at Dartmoor prison.459WSince January 1990, the governor of Dartmoor has authorised the use of a bodybelt on three occasions, once for 4 hours 45 minutes, once for 19 hours 5 minutes and once for 24 hours. The use of ankle straps has not been authorised during the period concerned.Handcuffs are used routinely when escorting prisoners outside the secure perimeter of the prison to court or to another prison. They have only been used within the prison twice, on a prisoner who had staged a roof-top protest at another prison and had threatened to repeat the protest at Dartmoor. The governor decided that the prisoner would be handcuffed when moving from his cell to the visits area in order to reduce the possibility of him carrying out the threat.The segregation unit special cells have been used on 331 occasions from January 1990 to date.
§ Ms CorstonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) on how many occasions in the last five years from which figures are available inmates at Dartmoor prison have been(a) detained in a strip cell known as the box and (b) restrained by bodybelt for both medical and non-medical purposes; [2263]
(2) what is the (a) shortest, (b) longest and (c) average time during which inmates in Dartmoor prison are detained in a bodybelt or mechanical restraint. [2264]
§ Miss WiddecombeResponsibility for these matters has been delegated to the temporary Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Richard Tilt to Ms Jean Corston, dated 27 November 1995:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Questions about the use of restraints at Dartmoor prison.There are two special cells in the segregation unit at Dartmoor. They contain no furniture other than a low level plinth on which a prisoner may lie down and a small stool on which he may sit, both fastened to the floor of the cell. Since January 1991, the cells have been used on 281 occasions to locate prisoners who have exhibited behaviour which could result in them harming themselves or others. There have been two occasions since January 1991 when a prisoner at Dartmoor has been restrained in a bodybelt.Since January 1990, the governor of Dartmoor has authorised the use of a bodybelt on three occasions, once for 4 hours 45 minutes, once for 19 hours 5 minutes and once for 24 hours. The use of ankle straps has not been authorised during the period concerned.