Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners in open prisons as of 1 May 2018 have previously (a) absconded or failed to return to prison or (b) breached the conditions of their temporary licence.

On 31 March 2018 there were 5,092 prisoners recorded as being in open prisons. Three (0.06%) of those prisoners were recorded as having absconded between 1 April 2010 and 31 March 2017, and 75 (1.47%) were recorded as having breached the conditions of their temporary release licence (including failure to return) between 1 April 2010 and 31 December 2017.

Data on escapes and absconds, prior to 1 April 2010 could not be obtained except at disproportionate cost due to changes in recording practice.

Statistics on prison population, absconds and temporary release failures are published at different frequencies, and therefore data for each are available for different time periods. In answering this question, we have provided the latest published information in each area