Asked by: Baroness Stern (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the October report of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons on HM Prison Liverpool, what action has been taken to ensure that when force is used in HM Prison Liverpool it is the minimum necessary to ensure safety.
Answered by Lord Faulks
HMP Liverpool is committed to implementing the recommendations of Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons report of 20 October 2015.
Restraint is only used as a last resort where no other form of intervention is appropriate. HM Prison Liverpool is committed to ensuring that the minimum force necessary in any situation is applied.
Asked by: Baroness Stern (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they have taken in response to the report of HM Inspectorate of Prisons on HMP Nottingham in respect of its conclusion that cells were routinely overcrowded and prisoners had inadequate access to clean bedding and clean clothes.
Answered by Lord Faulks
The National Offender Management Service has taken immediate action to improve the situation. An experienced temporary Governor was urgently appointed to bring stability and to implement rapid improvements. Subsequently, a new permanent Governor was appointed on 1 February 2015. A review of the staffing levels needed to complete the improvement work required has led to additional staff resources being deployed to the prison. There have been fewer incidents of serious assaults on prisoners and staff, concerted indiscipline and incidents at height since the inspection and there has been a marked improvement in the overall operational stability of the establishment. As with all inspection reports, NOMS will now produce an action plan in response to the recommendations.
Improvements in staffing levels have allowed an increase in the amount of time that prisoners can participate in recreational activities, such as using the gymnasium. It has also enabled prisoners to undertake more educational workshops to enhance employability skills. .
Since the Inspection, HMP Nottingham’s Violence Reduction (VR) Policy has been rewritten and implemented and, in line with the national NOMS VR Policy, requires staff to challenge all forms of violence and apply appropriate sanctions. Additional resources have been allocated to monitoring and managing violence reduction and safer custody. Use of the Independent Adjudicator and/or referral to the Police for consideration of prosecution for violent incidents has increased dramatically. HMP Nottingham continues to challenge all forms of violence and actively promotes a zero tolerance to it. The prison is forging stronger links with the local Police and Crown Prosecution Service to ensure that, where appropriate, prisoners involved in violence are prosecuted.
The operational capacity of HMP Nottingham was reduced, at the time of the inspection, from 1100 to 1060. There are now regular bedding and clothing checks. This helps to recover items that have been stockpiled by prisoners, to ensure fair allocation of clean clothing and bedding. Additional clothes and bedding have also been issued.
Asked by: Baroness Stern (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they have taken in response to the report of HM Inspectorate of Prisons on HMP Nottingham in respect of its conclusion that levels of violence, including assaults on prisoners and staff, were very high.
Answered by Lord Faulks
The National Offender Management Service has taken immediate action to improve the situation. An experienced temporary Governor was urgently appointed to bring stability and to implement rapid improvements. Subsequently, a new permanent Governor was appointed on 1 February 2015. A review of the staffing levels needed to complete the improvement work required has led to additional staff resources being deployed to the prison. There have been fewer incidents of serious assaults on prisoners and staff, concerted indiscipline and incidents at height since the inspection and there has been a marked improvement in the overall operational stability of the establishment. As with all inspection reports, NOMS will now produce an action plan in response to the recommendations.
Improvements in staffing levels have allowed an increase in the amount of time that prisoners can participate in recreational activities, such as using the gymnasium. It has also enabled prisoners to undertake more educational workshops to enhance employability skills. .
Since the Inspection, HMP Nottingham’s Violence Reduction (VR) Policy has been rewritten and implemented and, in line with the national NOMS VR Policy, requires staff to challenge all forms of violence and apply appropriate sanctions. Additional resources have been allocated to monitoring and managing violence reduction and safer custody. Use of the Independent Adjudicator and/or referral to the Police for consideration of prosecution for violent incidents has increased dramatically. HMP Nottingham continues to challenge all forms of violence and actively promotes a zero tolerance to it. The prison is forging stronger links with the local Police and Crown Prosecution Service to ensure that, where appropriate, prisoners involved in violence are prosecuted.
The operational capacity of HMP Nottingham was reduced, at the time of the inspection, from 1100 to 1060. There are now regular bedding and clothing checks. This helps to recover items that have been stockpiled by prisoners, to ensure fair allocation of clean clothing and bedding. Additional clothes and bedding have also been issued.
Asked by: Baroness Stern (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they have taken in response to the report of HM Inspectorate of Prisons on HMP Nottingham in respect of its conclusion that during the working day about half of the prisoners held there were locked in their cells with nothing to do.
Answered by Lord Faulks
The National Offender Management Service has taken immediate action to improve the situation. An experienced temporary Governor was urgently appointed to bring stability and to implement rapid improvements. Subsequently, a new permanent Governor was appointed on 1 February 2015. A review of the staffing levels needed to complete the improvement work required has led to additional staff resources being deployed to the prison. There have been fewer incidents of serious assaults on prisoners and staff, concerted indiscipline and incidents at height since the inspection and there has been a marked improvement in the overall operational stability of the establishment. As with all inspection reports, NOMS will now produce an action plan in response to the recommendations.
Improvements in staffing levels have allowed an increase in the amount of time that prisoners can participate in recreational activities, such as using the gymnasium. It has also enabled prisoners to undertake more educational workshops to enhance employability skills. .
Since the Inspection, HMP Nottingham’s Violence Reduction (VR) Policy has been rewritten and implemented and, in line with the national NOMS VR Policy, requires staff to challenge all forms of violence and apply appropriate sanctions. Additional resources have been allocated to monitoring and managing violence reduction and safer custody. Use of the Independent Adjudicator and/or referral to the Police for consideration of prosecution for violent incidents has increased dramatically. HMP Nottingham continues to challenge all forms of violence and actively promotes a zero tolerance to it. The prison is forging stronger links with the local Police and Crown Prosecution Service to ensure that, where appropriate, prisoners involved in violence are prosecuted.
The operational capacity of HMP Nottingham was reduced, at the time of the inspection, from 1100 to 1060. There are now regular bedding and clothing checks. This helps to recover items that have been stockpiled by prisoners, to ensure fair allocation of clean clothing and bedding. Additional clothes and bedding have also been issued.
Asked by: Baroness Stern (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they have taken in response to the report of HM Inspectorate of Prisons on HMP Nottingham in respect of its conclusion that HMP Nottingham was failing most of its core responsibilities.
Answered by Lord Faulks
The National Offender Management Service has taken immediate action to improve the situation. An experienced temporary Governor was urgently appointed to bring stability and to implement rapid improvements. Subsequently, a new permanent Governor was appointed on 1 February 2015. A review of the staffing levels needed to complete the improvement work required has led to additional staff resources being deployed to the prison. There have been fewer incidents of serious assaults on prisoners and staff, concerted indiscipline and incidents at height since the inspection and there has been a marked improvement in the overall operational stability of the establishment. As with all inspection reports, NOMS will now produce an action plan in response to the recommendations.
Improvements in staffing levels have allowed an increase in the amount of time that prisoners can participate in recreational activities, such as using the gymnasium. It has also enabled prisoners to undertake more educational workshops to enhance employability skills. .
Since the Inspection, HMP Nottingham’s Violence Reduction (VR) Policy has been rewritten and implemented and, in line with the national NOMS VR Policy, requires staff to challenge all forms of violence and apply appropriate sanctions. Additional resources have been allocated to monitoring and managing violence reduction and safer custody. Use of the Independent Adjudicator and/or referral to the Police for consideration of prosecution for violent incidents has increased dramatically. HMP Nottingham continues to challenge all forms of violence and actively promotes a zero tolerance to it. The prison is forging stronger links with the local Police and Crown Prosecution Service to ensure that, where appropriate, prisoners involved in violence are prosecuted.
The operational capacity of HMP Nottingham was reduced, at the time of the inspection, from 1100 to 1060. There are now regular bedding and clothing checks. This helps to recover items that have been stockpiled by prisoners, to ensure fair allocation of clean clothing and bedding. Additional clothes and bedding have also been issued.
Asked by: Baroness Stern (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they are having with G4S Custodial and Detention Services about the findings of the report of HM Chief Inspector of Prisons on HM Prison Altcourse, published on 15 October, in respect of cells designed for one or two people holding an additional prisoner.
Answered by Lord Faulks
All establishments within the prison estate are required to comply with the cell certification and occupancy requirements. This is reflected in the contract for the running of HMP Altcourse.
The prison operator is finalising an action plan in response to H M Inspectorate of Prisons’ recommendations. The plan will be discussed, and progress in implementing the actions monitored, at the regular meetings between the Controller (representing the Secretary of State), who is based at the prison, and the prison’s Director.
The action plan will also be discussed at the quarterly contract review meetings, which are attended by the Director and his team, the Controller and officials from the National Offender Management Service.
Asked by: Baroness Stern (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they are having with G4S Custodial and Detention Services about the findings of the report of HM Chief Inspector of Prisons on HM Prison Altcourse, published on 15 October, in respect of the prison’s response at strategic and operational levels to rising levels of violence.
Answered by Lord Faulks
Incidence of violence and associated trends are closely monitored by the Controller (the Secretary of State’s representative), who is based at the prison.
The prison operator is finalising an action plan in response to H M Inspectorate of Prisons’ recommendations. The plan will be discussed, and progress in implementing the actions monitored, at the regular meetings between the Controller and the prison’s Director.
The action plan will also be discussed at the quarterly contract review meetings, which are attended by the Director and his team, the Controller and officials from the National Offender Management Service.
Asked by: Baroness Stern (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have obtained legal advice about whether the use of pain induction techniques in the minimising and managing physical restraint system is compatible with the United Kingdom’s obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child; and, if so, when such advice was received.
Answered by Lord Faulks
The Government is clear that restraint should only ever be used as a last resort where it is absolutely necessary to do so and where no other form of intervention is possible or appropriate. Use of restraint is closely monitored in the youth secure estate.
Legal advice was obtained throughout the development of Minimising and Managing Physical Restraint. The requirements of the Convention on the Rights of the Child together with all other requirements of international, domestic and common law are taken into account by the Government in determining its policy and practice of the use of restraint in the under-18 secure estate.
Asked by: Baroness Stern (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of staff authorised to use the minimising and managing physical restraint system have been trained in managing medical emergencies which might arise during the restraint of children.
Answered by Lord Faulks
The Government is clear that restraint should only ever be used against young people as a last resort where it is absolutely necessary to do so and where no other form of intervention is possible or appropriate. Use of restraint is closely monitored in the youth secure estate.
Minimising and Managing Physical Restraint (MMPR) training provides staff with knowledge about recognising which health conditions are associated with an increased risk of harm to a young person during physical restraint, what symptoms and signs should be monitored during restraint, and actions to take should such symptoms occur. MMPR training also instructs staff on how to deal with a medical emergency should one arise during restraint.
In addition, all custody officers in Secure Training Centres receive first aid training as part of their initial training course. In Young Offender Institutions all custodial managers must be trained in first aid.
Asked by: Baroness Stern (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the techniques described in section 6 of volume 5 of the Minimising and Managing Physical Restraint training manual, dealing with the restraint of children under escort, have been subject to independent assessment by medical and childcare experts.
Answered by Lord Faulks
Section 6 (now section 14) of volume 5 of the Minimising and Managing Physical Restraint (MMPR) Manual about escorting a young person under restraint has been risk assessed and approved by the Restraint Advisory Board (RAB), a panel made up of leading independent medical and behaviour management experts. The risk assessment was also reviewed and informed by a separate Independent Medical Expert.