Prisons: Remote Education

(asked on 14th January 2021) - View Source

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to ensure that prison teachers and other staff with desk-based roles within prisons are only undertaking essential duties and that they are working remotely wherever possible to help contain the spread of covid-19.


Answered by
Lucy Frazer Portrait
Lucy Frazer
Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
This question was answered on 19th January 2021

The safety of staff and prisoners is our top priority, which is why we have taken quick and decisive action – backed by Public Health England and Wales – to limit the spread of the virus. Due to the current risk level posed by Covid-19, all adult prisons are currently operating a Stage Four regime, as outlined in our National Framework (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-national-framework-for-prison-regimes-and-services).

These restrictions reduce contact between people and therefore reduce the chance of transmission. As part of these measures, staff who can work from home, including teachers, are doing so, and since September education staff have delivered in-cell distance learning. For staff who cannot work from home, we have established Covid-safe workspaces with robust risk assessments and safe systems to ensure safety.

We have also introduced a comprehensive testing regime of both staff and prisoners to help prevent the spread of the virus. We are also working closely with the NHS to support the roll-out of Covid-19 vaccinations for eligible groups in custody. Our experience and evidence gathering provides an indication that these measures have had a positive impact on limiting the transmission of the virus in prisons.

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