HC Deb 16 January 1997 vol 288 cc347-50W
Mr. George Howarth

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will list the average number of prisoners(a) taking part in and (b) completing offending behaviour programmes in each month of the financial year 1995–96 and each available month so far during 1996–97 (i) in each prison, (ii) by prison type and (iii) in the whole Prison Service; [9677]

(2) if he will list the average number of prisoners (a) taking part in and (b) completing sex offender treatment programmes in each month of the financial year 1995–96 and each available month so far during 1996–97 (i) in each prison, (ii) by prison type and (iii) in the whole Prison Service; [9679]

(3) if he will list the average amount of time prisoners on such programmes spent in sex offender treatment programmes in each month of the financial year 1995–96 and each available month so far during 1996–97 (a) in each prison, (b) by prison type and (c) in the whole Prison Service; [9678]

(4) if he will list the average amount of time prisoners on such programmes spent in offending behaviour programmes in each month of the financial year 1995–96 and each available month so far during 1996–97 (a) in each prison, (b) by prison type and (c) in the whole Prison Service. [9676]

Miss Widdecombe

Responsibility for these matters 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 A.J. Pearson to Mr. George Howarth, dated 16 January 1997: The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your Questions about how many prisoners have completed (a) offending behaviour programmes, (b) sex offender programmes for each month in 1995–96 and for this financial year so far and the average amount of time spent on these programmes. You asked for this information for each prison, by prison type and for the whole of the Prison Service. I am afraid this information is not available in the form requested and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. However for the year ending 31 March 1996, 406 prisoners completed the core module 3 of the sex offender treatment programme (SOTP). A further 33 completed the SOTP booster programme (designed for men about to be released from very long sentences). 746 prisoners completed cognitive skills programmes, 115 of these completed the reasoning and rehabilitation programme and 631 the in-house thinking skills. In order to meet the criteria set for programmes to be accredited the standards of existing programmes have had to be improved. The Sex Offender Core Programme was revised during 1995 from 70 to 180 hours and the length of the Thinking Skills programme was increased from 28 hours to 40 hours from April 1996. I attach two tables containing information received from establishments which indicate the number of prisoners completing each of the accredited programmes so far this financial year, the programme length and the type of establishments running these programmes. There are a number of courses in progress which are not included in these figures. There are other offending behaviour programmes run in prisons according to prisoners need and the skills of staff available to deliver them. These are not recorded centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Completions of the SOTP core programme from April to November 1996 by establishment and establishment type
Number
Young offenders institution
Castington 7
Feltham 16
Total 23
Category C
Acklington 15
Channings Wood 16
Littlehey 21
Risley 8
Rochester 5
Usk 21
Wayland 24
Whatton 36
Wymott 13
Total 159
Local
Wandsworth 21
Woodhill 7
Total 28

Completions of the SOTP core programme from April to November 1996 by establishment and establishment type
Number
Category B/dispersal
Albany 14
Dartmoor 20
Frankland 7
Maidstone 14
Wakefield 12
Whitemoor 11
Total 78
Grand total 288

The Core programme consists, on average, of 180 hours session time.

Completions of the SOTP booster (replapse prevention) programme from April to November 1996 by establishment and establishment type
Number
Category D
Leyhill 20
Total 20
Category C
Channings Wood 8
Wymott 7
Total 15
Grand total 35

The Booster programme consists, on average, of 60 hours session time.

Completions of the enhanced thinking skills programme from April to Novembr 1996 by establishment and establishment type
Number
Young offenders institution
Feltham 9
Lancaster Farms 43
Moorland 15
Thorn Cross 43
Total 110
Category C
Blantyre House 18
Total 18
Local
Bedford 7
Brixton 40
High Down 33
Pentonville 6
Wandsworth 20

Completions of the enhanced thinking skills programme from April to Novembr 1996 by establishment and establishment type
Number
Wormwood Scrubs 30
Total 136
Category B/dispersal
Albany 15
Dartmoor 17
Long Lartin 7
Wakefield 15
Whitemoor 25
Total 79
Grand total 343

The enhanced thinking skills programme consists, on average, of 40 hours session time.

Completions of the reasoning and reasoning and rehabilitation programme from April to November 1996 by establishmentand establishment type
Number
Young offenders institution
Aylesbury 16
Brinsford 9
Swinfen Hall 12
Total 37
Female
Holloway 12
Total 12
Category D
Spring Hill 7
Total 7
Category C
Featherstone 11
Wymott 10
Total 21
Local
Wolds 26
Total 26
Category B/Dispersal
Full Sutton 21
Total 21
Grand total 124

The Reasoning and Rehabilitation Programme consists, on average, of 70 hours session time.

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