§ Mr. ClappisonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what advice has been issued to prison governors concerning the arrangements for probation supervision of persons released on home detention curfew. [72357]
§ Mr. George HowarthPrison governors have been advised that, where a prisoner is due to be subject to supervision by the Probation Service upon his or her discharge from custody, supervision will commence on the date that the prisoner is placed on home detention curfew. The duration of the supervision is unaffected by the home detention curfew, as the date that the supervision ends is set at the three quarter point of sentence less the period spent on home detention curfew, in accordance with the requirements of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998.390W inmates on 1 January (i) 1997, (ii) 1998 and (iii) 1999 and (d) the forecast number of inmates on 1 January (x) 2000 and (y) 2001. [72306]
§ Mr. George HowarthThe information requested for the female prison population and certified normal accommodation (CAN or uncrowded female prison capacity) is for the last day of the month and is given for the appropriate month ends in the table. The available information on the projected female prison population by alternative scenarios is given in table 1 of Home Office Statistical Bulletin 1/99 "Projections of long term trends in the prison population to 2006" published on 20 January 1999, a copy of which is in the Library, and on the Home Office Web Site: http://www. homeoffice. gov. uk/rds/index. htm.
The table listing average projected populations gives figures for the central scenario, higher and lower scenarios. No projections are available by individual Prison Service establishment.
§ Mr. ClappisonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what home circumstances reports have been requested in respect of potential release on home detention curfew where prisoners have convictions for(a) sexual offences, (b) arson and (c) offences of violence. [72369]
§ Mr. George HowarthNo prisoner can be placed on home detention curfew without a home circumstances report from the Probation Service, whatever the prisoner's convictions. The Prison Service may also ask the Probation Service to comment on other issues of concern as appropriate, for instance due to the nature of the offence. The only cases where it is not necessary to obtain a home circumstances report are where it is apparent at an early stage in the assessment process that the prisoner is clearly unsuitable for home detention curfew.
No offender required to register under Part I of the Sex Offenders Act 1997 will be assessed for home detention curfew other than in exceptional circumstances. If the offender is considered for home detention curfew, a rigorous enhanced risk assessment will be undertaken, including consideration of the proposed curfew address. 391W In addition, such an offender would be placed on home detention curfew only following authorisation by the Director General of the Prison Service.
§ Mr. ClappisonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of the prisoners released on home detention curfew on or after 28 January 1999 are subject to supervision. [72352]
§ Mr. George HowarthThe information requested is not yet available. I will write to the hon. Member when it has been collated.
§ Mr. ClappisonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what prison risk assessment on inmates eligible for release on home detention curfew is carried out prior to a request for a probation home circumstances report; and if any advice has been given to clarify procedures. [72358]
§ Mr. George HowarthAdvice on the risk assessment of inmates eligible for the home detention curfew scheme is given in Prison Service Order 6700, a copy of which is in the Library. Before comments from the home probation service are requested, (a) the prisoner will have been asked to provide details of his or her home address, (b) information on the prisoner's suitability will have been sought from a member of prison staff in daily contact with the prisoner, and (c) the member of staff conducting the initial risk assessment will have reviewed the documentation available to determine whether there are any particular issues on which the Probation Service should be invited to comment.
If it is decided from this review of the documentation that the prisoner is clearly unsuitable for home detention curfew and that information from the home probation service would add nothing to the assessment, the reviewing officer can forward the assessment to the governor for confirmation of this decision without the involvement of the home probation service. The decision not to seek input from the home probation service must be confirmed by the governor.