Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, on which religious occasions prisoners are eligible for release on temporary licence; and how many prisoners were released on each such occasion in the last year for which information is held.

Faith communities can play a significant part in supporting offenders to resettle into the community. Facilities for worship are available in each establishment but, as part of restoring links between the offender and wider community, suitable, risk-assessed offenders may attend worship outside the prison to help them adjust to the climate of non-prison worship and mixing with the community. In addition, temporary release for the purpose of maintaining family ties might be timed so as to coincide with religious occasions. There is no prescription as to the nature of the religious occasion; it is for the governor, on the advice of the temporary release board, to decide whether the activity is linked to the offender’s resettlement plan.

Records show that, in 2015, prisoners were released on temporary licence specifically in order to attend a religious service on 90 occasions.

Releases on temporary licence (ROTL) recorded as "attend religious service", 2011-2015, England & Wales

NB. This is number of occasions a prisoner was released, not number of prisoners released.