§ Mr. Alex CarlileTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many young offenders sentenced under section 53(1) of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 were in custody on the last date for which figures are available; and of those in custody, how many were(a) in local authority secure accommodation, (b) in prison department custody and (c) detained under mental health legislation. [9887]
§ Miss WiddecombeResponsibility 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 from Richard Tilt to Mr. Alex Carlile, dated 22 January 1996:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about young offenders sentenced under section 53(1) of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933.On 15 January 1996 there were 51 young offenders, including 9 juveniles, sentenced under section 53(1) of the 1933 Act in custody. 48 were held in Prison Service custody and 3, all juveniles, in local authority secure accommodation. There are currently no young offenders who have been sentenced under section 53(1) of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 detained under mental health legislation.
§ Mr. Alex CarlileTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of the convicted prison population aged over 21 years had also been convicted of an offence under the age of 21 years, for the latest year for which information is available; and if he will make a statement. [9875]
§ Miss Widdecombe[holding answer 18 January 1996]: 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 from Richard Tilt to Mr. Alex Carlile, dated 22 January 1996:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking what percentage of the convicted prison population aged over 21 years had also been convicted of an offence under the age of 21 years for the latest year for which information is available.The latest available information is contained in the attached table.
Adult prison population1 in Prison Service establishments under sentence on 30 June 1994: by whether an offence2 is recorded under the age of 21 England and Wales, Adults Percentage Population Previous history not found3 No conviction 2 aged under 21 Conviction 2 aged under 21 Males 28,896 5 26 69 Females 1,128 11 54 35 Total 30,024 5 28 67 1 Excludes fine defaulters and is based on samples of 4,606 males and 1,105 females. The adult population consists of those aged 21 and over apart from some young offenders aged 21 who have not been reclassified as adult.
2 Relates to convictions for "standard list" offences only. These offences include all indictable offences and some of the more serious summary offences.
3 Information on prisoners was matched to records on the Home Office Offenders Index. In some cases no set of matching records can be found. A prisoner may not be matched because he or she may not have been sentenced to a "standard list" offence and has 59W no previous record for such offences or alternatively there may be an inconsistency between personal details held on the Offenders Index and those held on prison records.
§ Mr. MichaelTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many persons aged 15 years were held in young offenders' institutions and remand centres in England and Wales on the last available date; in which establishments they were held; and if they were held on remand or under sentence; [10145]
(2) how many persons aged 16 years were held in each young offenders institution and remand centre in England and Wales (a) on remand and (b) under sentence, on the last available date. [10146]
60W
Population of 15 and 16-year-olds in Prison Service establishments in England and Wales on 31 December 19951 Remand 15-year-olds Sentence Total Remand 15-year-olds Sentence Total Remand centres Brinsford — — — 2 — 2 Exeter 1 — 1 2 — 2 Feltham 1 — 1 5 — 5 Glen Parva 8 — 8 26 — 26 Gloucester 1 — 1 4 1 5 Hindley 5 — 5 17 4 21 Low Newton 5 — 5 10 — 10 Northallerton — — — 11 — 11 Norwich — — — 1 — 1 Swansea — — — 3 5 8 Total remand centres (male) 21 — 21 81 10 91 Closed YOIs (male) Aylesbury — 1 1 — 1 1 Brinsford — 1 1 — — — Deerbolt — — — — 1 1 Feltham — 4 4 — 11 11 Glen Parva — 2 2 — 11 11 Moorland — 1 1 — 6 6 Onley — — — — 1 1 Portland — 1 1 — 1 1 Stoke Heath — 1 1 — 3 3 Swinfen Hal — — — — 2 2 Total closed YOIs (male) — 11 11 37 37 Juvenile YOIs (male) Brinsford 9 7 16 12 10 22 Deerbolt — 14 14 — 43 43 Feltham 5 22 27 29 43 72 Huntercombe — 2 2 — 16 16 Lancaster Fms — — — 4 1 5 Onley — 13 13 — 33 33 Portland — 9 9 — 46 46 Stoke Heath — 11 11 — 50 50 Thorn Cross — 4 4 — 4 4 Werrington — 13 13 — 31 31 Wetherby — 11 11 — 29 29 Total Juvenile YOIs (male) 14 106 120 45 306 351 Closed YOIs (female) Bullwood Hall — 1 1 — 1 1 New Hall — — — — 1 1 Styal — 3 3 — 1 1 Total closed YOIs (female) — 4 4 — 3 3 Open YOIs (female) Drake Hall — — — — 2 2 East Sutton Park — — — — 1 1 Total open YOIs (female) — — — — 3 3
§ Miss Widdecombe[holding answer 19 January 1996]: Responsibility 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. Alun Michael, dated 22 January 1996:
61WThe Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Questions asking, how many persons aged 15 and 16 years were being held in young offenders' institutions and remand centres in England and Wales on the last available date; in which establishments they were held; and if they were held on remand or under sentence.The latest available information is for 31 December 1995 and is given in the attached table.
Population of 15 and 16-year-olds in Prison Service establishments in England and Wales on 31 December 19951 Remand 15-year-olds Sentence Total Remand 16-year-olds Sentence Total Other establishments 8 5 13 24 16 40 Total all establishments 43 126 169 150 375 525 1 Provisional figures. Remand includes both untried and also convicted unsentenced prisoners.
§ Mr. Ieuan Wyn JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the significance of emotional disturbance among young people as a factor associated with inmates of detention centres; what estimate he has made of the proportion of the cost to detention centres accounted for by such young people; and if he will make a statement. [9018]
§ Miss Widdecombe[holding answer 19 January 1996]: Detention centres and youth custody centres were replaced by young offender institutions in 1988.
Two studies have been commissioned by the Home Office into the mental health of sentenced and unsentenced prisoners. Both include findings of young males in prison, although data on young females was not collated separately from data on adult females. The report of the first study was published in May 1991 under the title, "Mentally Disordered Prisoners". The report of the second study, "Mental Disorder in Remand Prisoners", was received by the Home Office in late September 1995.
The 1990 study showed that 33 per cent. of sentenced young male offenders in the sample group were diagnosed as suffering., from some form of psychiatric disorder, including harmful or dependent misuse of substances. The corresponding figure for unsentenced young male offenders in the 1995 study was 53 per cent. of the sample group.
No figures are available on the cost of maintaining inmates with emotional or mental health problems, as opposed to those without such problems.