§ Mr. LlwydTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about the risk assessment of inmates who share cells. [140932]
§ Mr. BoatengThe Prison Service is committed to preventing loss of life or injury to prisoners who are required to share cells.
Improvements have been made to the way in which prisoners are risk assessed—a revised Prisoner Escort Record (PER) that accompanies individuals during court or prison moves and highlights specific risk factors, including violence, racist behaviour and sexual offences, now in use estate-wide. Accompanying guidance reinforces the importance of passing PER information to the staff involved in, for example, first-night risk assessment and accommodation issues.
Work has also been undertaken to develop a Safer Prisons initiative. The Prison Service will shortly be introducing a Safer Prisons Standard that will encourage a 'whole-prison' approach. As well as setting out actions to reduce violence and bullying in establishments, it also focuses on prisoner care and staff/prisoner relationships.