§ Lord Windleshamasked Her Majesty's Government:
What is the availability of texts on criminal law and procedure in prison libraries to assist inmates in preparing petitions to the Home Secretary and appeals to the Courts.
§ The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Blatch)Responsibility for this matter 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 to Lord Windlesham from the temporary Director General of the Prison Service, Mr. Richard Tilt, dated 30/10/95.
Lady Blatch has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the availability of texts on criminal law and procedure in prison libraries to assist inmates in preparing petitions to the Home Secretary and appeals to the Courts.
Circular Instruction 20/1992, a copy of which is attached, defines all the texts on criminal law and procedure which must be held in the prison library and be available to all prisoners.
Prison libraries are provided by the local Public Library Authority (PLA). They are regarded as branches of the public library service. Every Prison Service establishment now has a chartered librarian, employed by the PLA, working in the prison library. Prisoners can make special requests to the Librarian for the loan of stock which is not held in the prison library. The requests will be met from a stock held elsewhere in the PLA or beyond. This service is used extensively. The chartered librarian is available to all prisoners to offer advice and guidance on book selection.
CI 20/1992 is currently being revised. We will be consulting other criminal justice agencies on its revision.