§ Mr. Gordon PrenticeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were tagged in the latest 12-month period for which figures are available; and what number and percentage broke the terms of their tagging order. [107617]
§ Mr. BoatengIn the period from 28 January 1999 to 26 January 2000, a total of 19,164 persons were subject to a curfew with electronic monitoring. Of these, 16,242 were released from prison on Home Detention Curfew under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. The remaining 2,922 were monitored under a range of other provisions.
As of 26 January, of the 16,242 offenders placed on the Home Detention Curfew (HDC) scheme, 766 have had their licences revoked by the Secretary of State and a further 41 have been referred to the courts either by the Probation Service or the police for breach action (807 in total, amounting to 5 per cent. of all offenders placed on HDC).
Of the 766 offenders whose licences have been revoked, in 517 cases the offender had been in breach of the curfew conditions, in 226 cases it was no longer possible to monitor the offender's whereabouts electronically, in seven cases the offender was deemed to present a risk of serious harm and in 16 cases the licence was revoked under section 39 of the Criminal Justice Act 1991 following a breach of the non-curfew conditions of the licence.
Of the 2,922 persons monitored under the other provisions, a total of 353 (12 per cent.) have had their curfew order or curfew condition revoked by the courts. Information on the reason for the revocation is not centrally available.
596WThe table shows the number of persons prosecuted under the above legislation.
§ Miss WiddecombeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what offences were committed by prisoners released under the Home Detention Curfew scheme who re-offended while on the scheme; and if he will make a statement. [108098]
§ Mr. BoatengAs of 31 January 2000, the Prison Service had received notification of 174 curfewees who had been charged with an offence committed while subject to the Home Detention Curfew scheme. A breakdown of the offences committed by these curfewees is shown in the table.
This breakdown has been prepared from information supplied by police forces and drawn from the police national computer. Further analysis of re-offending by those subject to home detention curfew is currently underway as part of a long term evaluation of the scheme, including the procedures for notification of further charges to the Prison Service by the police.
Overall, the Home Detention Curfew scheme has been a success, with 95 per cent. of curfewees completing their period of curfew licence. However, we are not complacent about any re-offending on curfew and the scheme is strictly enforced. Where a prisoner does commit a further offence while subject to curfew, he or she is in breach of their licence conditions, and may be recalled to prison, in addition to the possibility of additional sentence for the new offence.
Offences curfewees charged with while on home detention curfew Offence type Number Burglary, theft and shoplifting (including Taking without consent and taking and driving away) 62 Assault 31 Driving and traffic offences 15 Breach of the peace (including drunk and disorderly) 14 Drug offences 13 Handling stolen goods/deception 10 Criminal damage 10 Threatening behaviour 8 Breach of a court injunction or restraining order 3 Possession of an offensive weapon 3 Harassment 1 Going equipped 1 False imprisonment 1 Arson 1 Indecent exposure 1 Total 174 Note:
Where a curfewee was charged with more than one offence, they appear in the table next to the most serious offence. The table excludes cases where, following initial notification, the Prison Service was informed that charges had been withdrawn.