§ Mr. BeithTo ask the Secretary o f State for the Home Department how many prisoners at Wakefield Prison have had their status reduced from enhanced to standard in the last 12 months; and how many prisoners are in each category. [101379]
§ Hilary Benn[holding answer 6 March 2003]: There have been 116 prisoners reduced from enhanced to standard level of the Incentives and Earned Privileges 214W (IEP) scheme at Wakefield prison in the past 12 months. The number of prisoners on each level is currently: Basic 11; Standard 357; and Enhanced 202.
There have been significantly higher numbers of prisoners downgraded from Enhanced to Standard IEP level across the prison estate this year. This is because of changes to the way in which incentive level reviews are now carried out. Under the revised procedures, prisoners who refuse to comply with their sentence plan and therefore to attend offending behaviour programmes, do not now progress as quickly towards enhanced status. In the case of Wakefield, prisoners not complying with their sentence would not gain as many points, under the local arrangements, towards progression to enhanced status. This has also resulted in larger numbers of this type of prisoner been downgraded from enhanced to standard.