Asked by: Lord Bradley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many of the instances of the use of force by prison officers on prisoners aged 18–24 in the men’s estate have been recorded in each of the last 10 years; and what proportion this was of the total instances of the use of force.
Answered by Lord Wolfson of Tredegar
The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Every use of physical force is reviewed, and prison officers receive appropriate training to ensure that it is only used when necessary, reasonable and proportionate, and as a last resort.
Asked by: Lord Bradley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of prisoners with a home address in London are being held in prisons in (1) Wales, and (2) the North of England.
Answered by Lord Wolfson of Tredegar
As of Friday 25th March 2022, there were 14,711 individuals with an origin address in London who were in HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) custody.
Of these, 94 (0.2%) were housed in prisons in Wales. 2,734 (18.6%) were housed within the geographical area covered by the HMPPS North Region.
Asked by: Lord Bradley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the average tariff length in months imposed for murder in each year since 2000.
Answered by Lord Wolfson of Tredegar
The average length of the minimum term (sometimes known as a ‘tariff’) for life sentences for murder convictions since 2000 is as follows:
Year of Sentence | Mean Tariff (years) | Mean Tariff (months) |
2000 | 13 | 165 |
2001 | 13 | 161 |
2002 | 13 | 156 |
2003 | 13 | 163 |
2004 | 14 | 172 |
2005 | 15 | 190 |
2006 | 17 | 208 |
2007 | 15 | 190 |
2008 | 17 | 212 |
2009 | 17 | 209 |
2010 | 19 | 227 |
2011 | 18 | 227 |
2012 | 20 | 244 |
2013 | 20 | 246 |
2014 | 20 | 245 |
2015 | 20 | 248 |
2016 | 20 | 251 |
2017 | 20 | 248 |
2018 | 21 | 253 |
2019 | 21 | 255 |
2020 | 21 | 254 |
2021 | 21 | 252 |
Data sources and quality
Note that the minimum term is the time between date of sentence and tariff expiry date. The figures do not include whole-life orders. The numbers are subject to revision as more data become available; any changes in the numbers since the last publication of this information is as a result of more sentencing data becoming available.
The figures in these tables have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
Source: Public Protection Unit Database.
Asked by: Lord Bradley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many (1) males, and (2) females, who are currently serving prison sentences in England and Wales are over the age of 80.
Answered by Lord Wolfson of Tredegar
As of 31 December 2021, there were 329 sentenced male prisoners and 2 sentenced female prisoners aged 80 or over in England and Wales.
These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
Asked by: Lord Bradley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government (1) how many, and (2) what proportion, of women who were remanded into custody at (a) magistrates' courts, and (b) crown courts, did not subsequently receive an immediate custodial sentence, in each of the last five years.
Answered by Lord Wolfson of Tredegar
The Ministry of Justice publishes information on the remand status and outcome of defendants in England and Wales at magistrates’ courts in the Remands: Magistrates' Court data tool: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/987718/remands-magistrates-court-tool-2020.xlsx and at Crown Court in the Remands: Crown Court data tool here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/987720/remands-crown-court-tool-2020.xlsx.
The data requested is in the tables below:
Table 1: Number of female defendents with remand status of custody at magistrates' court and outcome of immediate custody, England and Wales, 2016-2020*
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
Total remanded in custody | 3756 | 3860 | 3460 | 3345 | 3022 |
Total outcome: not immediate custody | 2990 | 3164 | 2851 | 2769 | 2551 |
Total outcome: immediate custoday | 766 | 696 | 609 | 576 | 471 |
Proportion remanded in custody not receiving an immediate custodial sentence | 80% | 82% | 82% | 83% | 84% |
Source: Remands: Magistrates' Court data tool (Ministry of Justice: Data & Analysis)
Table 2: Number of female defendents with remand status of custody at Crown Court and outcome of immediate custody, England and Wales, 2016-2020*
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
Total remanded in custody | 2068 | 2045 | 1806 | 1912 | 1775 |
Total outcome: not immediate custody | 892 | 844 | 728 | 771 | 730 |
Total outcome: immediate custody | 1176 | 1201 | 1078 | 1141 | 1045 |
Proportion remanded in custody not receiving an immediate custodial sentence | 43% | 41% | 40% | 40% | 41% |
Source: Remands: Remands: Crown Court data tool (Ministry of Justice: Data & Analysis)
Notes
*Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.
Asked by: Lord Bradley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people in prison serving (1) a life sentence, (2) an extended determinate sentence, and (3) an imprisonment for public protection sentence, are aged (a) 15–17, (b) 18–20, (c) 21–24, (d) 25–29, (e) 30–39, (f) 40–49, (g) 50–59, (h) 60–69, and (i) 70 and over.
Answered by Lord Wolfson of Tredegar
Table 1: Prisoners serving an Extended Determinate Sentence (EDS) by custodial tariff, as at 30 September 2021, in England and Wales
30/09/2021 | EDS |
|
|
Less than 6 months | 4 |
6 months to less than 12 months | * |
12 months to less than 4 years | 143 |
4 years to less than 10 years | 3,184 |
10 years and longer | 2,940 |
Not Recorded | * |
|
|
PQ HL5531 (Ministry of Justice; Data and Analysis Directorate)
Disclosure control
Values of 1 or 2 have been suppressed (*) in the above table to protect the identity of individuals.
Table 2: Prisoners serving life sentences, extended determinate sentences, and imprisonment for public protection sentences, by age group, as at 30 September 2021, in England and Wales.
| Life Sentence | Imprisonment for Public Protection | Extended Determinate Sentence |
Total | 6,971 | 1,661 | 6,274 |
15 - 17 | 16 | 0 | 12 |
18 - 20 | 168 | 0 | 190 |
21 - 24 | 352 | 0 | 549 |
25 - 29 | 684 | 49 | 1,056 |
30 - 39 | 1,857 | 606 | 2,127 |
40 - 49 | 1,645 | 444 | 1,173 |
50 - 59 | 1,358 | 372 | 760 |
60 - 69 | 679 | 141 | 306 |
70 and over | 212 | 49 | 101 |
Source: Prison NOMIS. The figures in this table have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
Asked by: Lord Bradley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people in prison serving an extended determinate sentence have a custodial tariff of (1) six months or less, (2) six months to 12 months, (3) 12 months to four years, (4) four years to 10 years, and (5) 10 years or more.
Answered by Lord Wolfson of Tredegar
Table 1: Prisoners serving an Extended Determinate Sentence (EDS) by custodial tariff, as at 30 September 2021, in England and Wales
30/09/2021 | EDS |
|
|
Less than 6 months | 4 |
6 months to less than 12 months | * |
12 months to less than 4 years | 143 |
4 years to less than 10 years | 3,184 |
10 years and longer | 2,940 |
Not Recorded | * |
|
|
PQ HL5531 (Ministry of Justice; Data and Analysis Directorate)
Disclosure control
Values of 1 or 2 have been suppressed (*) in the above table to protect the identity of individuals.
Table 2: Prisoners serving life sentences, extended determinate sentences, and imprisonment for public protection sentences, by age group, as at 30 September 2021, in England and Wales.
| Life Sentence | Imprisonment for Public Protection | Extended Determinate Sentence |
Total | 6,971 | 1,661 | 6,274 |
15 - 17 | 16 | 0 | 12 |
18 - 20 | 168 | 0 | 190 |
21 - 24 | 352 | 0 | 549 |
25 - 29 | 684 | 49 | 1,056 |
30 - 39 | 1,857 | 606 | 2,127 |
40 - 49 | 1,645 | 444 | 1,173 |
50 - 59 | 1,358 | 372 | 760 |
60 - 69 | 679 | 141 | 306 |
70 and over | 212 | 49 | 101 |
Source: Prison NOMIS. The figures in this table have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
Asked by: Lord Bradley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many miles on average female prisoners have been held from their home address in each year since 2010.
Answered by Lord Wolfson of Tredegar
A year-by-year summary of distance from home for prisoners in female and male prisons is listed below.
| Female Prisons Average Distance (miles) | Male Prisons Average Distance (miles) |
01/09/2010 | 48.4 | 43.2 |
01/09/2011 | 46.5 | 42.7 |
01/09/2012 | 45.6 | 43 |
01/09/2013 | 44.6 | 43.5 |
01/09/2014 | 45.7 | 42.8 |
01/09/2015 | 44.7 | 42.6 |
01/09/2016 | 46.9 | 43.2 |
01/09/2017 | 47.3 | 44.5 |
01/09/2018 | 47.8 | 45.1 |
01/09/2019 | 49.2 | 46 |
01/09/2020 | 47.5 | 45.6 |
01/09/2021 | 45.8 | 45 |
There are complex and wide-ranging issues involved in transferring and locating prisoners, and allocation decisions must reflect both the specific needs and circumstances of the prisoner, including their security assessment, as well as the operating environment and range of services at the receiving prison.
HM Prisons and Probation Service is committed to ensuring, where practicable, that prisoners are accommodated as close as possible to their resettlement communities and families. Whilst this is a priority, it is not always possible due to a variety of factors, including wider population pressures, or where prisoners have specific sentence planning needs which can only be met at certain establishments.
Asked by: Lord Bradley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many prisoners in each prison tested positive for COVID-19 in each month of 2021.
Answered by Lord Wolfson of Tredegar
The attached table shows the numbers of prisoners in each prison who tested positive for COVID-19 in each month of 2021.
Asked by: Lord Bradley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people have died while under probation supervision where COVID-19 was considered a factor in their death; and how many of these individuals were recorded as having no stable accommodation at the time of death.
Answered by Lord Wolfson of Tredegar
From March 2020 to the end of December 2021 a total of 81 people died while under probation supervision having tested positive for COVID-19 within 60 days of death or where it was confirmed post-mortem as a contributing factor. This data was published in the December edition of the HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) COVID-19 statistics monthly series.
Data on the number of individuals who were recorded as having no stable accommodation at the time of death could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
We recognise how important it is that everyone leaving prison should have somewhere to live, as accommodation enables offenders to hold down a job and reduces the likelihood of them re-offending. Our Prisons White Paper sets out our vision that no-one subject to probation supervision is released from prison homeless. By 2024-25 we will spend £200 million a year to reduce reoffending, including improving prison leavers’ access to accommodation.
To ensure offenders are not homeless upon release, HMPPS has developed a Community Accommodation Service (CAS) so that people leaving prison can access suitable accommodation. CAS brings Approved Premises (AP), Bail Accommodation and Support Service (BASS), and a new provision of transitional accommodation together under the auspices of one accommodation system.