§ Lord Hyltonasked Her Majesty's Government:
What steps they are taking to ensure that next of kin are notified when prisoners are moved to another prison so that visits will not be missed. [HL5066]
§ Lord Falconer of ThorotonFor confidentiality reasons, there are no plans to make it a requirement for the Prison Service to inform a prisoner's next of kin when a transfer takes place. Subject to security considerations, prisoners are normally notified of their transfer in advance.
It is a mandatory requirement for prisoners to be allowed to make telephone calls immediately on reception to a new establishment so that they can inform their next of kin of their new location if they wish to do so. They also have access to telephones on each association period and may also ask prison staff to contact their next of kin on their behalf. In addition, there is provision for prisoners to be issued with special letters, over and above any statutory entitlement, which may be sent at public expense, either before or immediately after the transfer takes place.