§ Mr. CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what mechanisms exist to inform the community in the vicinity of an open prison of the presence of an inmate serving a life sentence for rape; and if he will make a statement. [18089]
§ 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. Tom Cox, dated 8 March 1996:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about informing the community in the vicinity of an open prison of the presence of an individual prisoner serving a life sentence for rape.
There are no mechanisms in existence to inform the community in the vicinity of an open prison of the presence of an inmate serving a life sentence for rape.
However the Board of Visitors, whose members are drawn from the local community, do have free access to the prisoners and their records.