HC Deb 29 March 2000 vol 347 cc141-2W
Mr. Pike

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what privileges are granted to(a) convicted and (b) unconvicted remand prisoners; and if he will make it his policy that all remand prisoners should be treated for this purpose as unsentenced prisoners. [116286]

Mr. Boateng

Under the national policy framework for incentives and earned privileges, Prison Service establishments in England and Wales operate local schemes which allow all prisoners to earn a range of privileges through good behaviour and performance. They include enhanced access to private cash, visits, pay, in-cell television, association, and the right of prisoners to wear their own clothes.

All unconvicted prisoners have certain minimum entitlements in view of their status. For example, they are permitted to have extra visits, letters and reading materials, to conduct business activities and to wear their own clothes. Incentive and privilege schemes for these prisoners must respect these minimum entitlements and provide further enhancements for good behaviour. We have no plans to extend unconvicted prisoners' privileges to convicted, but unsentenced, prisoners.

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