Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he has taken to reduce the level of sharing of prison bedrooms during the covid-19 outbreak.
We are implementing our compartmentalisation strategy (isolating the symptomatic; quarantining new arrivals; and shielding the vulnerable) in the prison estate. The latest PHE modelling indicates this strategy has shown early signs of success. We are increasing headroom in the prison estate to better enable prisons to implement compartmentalisation and reduce the number of prisoners sharing cells. This has been actioned through a combination of the early release of low-risk offenders, provision of temporary accommodation and expediting remand hearings to reduce the unsentenced population.
We are installing over 1,000 temporary cells to increase space and help reduce the spread of the virus. These units are being placed where there are the highest number of shared cells, a lack of in-cell sanitation and where there are high numbers of vulnerable prisoners. We have also opened an Annex at HMP/YOI Rochester to hold up to 70 men.
Upon arrival into custody, all prisoners’ suitability to share a cell is risk assessed. These assessments are based on numerous factors including health concerns.
The table below identifies the number of prisoners, broken down by establishment, sharing cells holding two or more people as at 27 March, 24 April and 29 May 2020. The detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system
Total number of prisoners sharing cells | |||
Prison | Mar-20 | Apr-20 | May-20 |
Altcourse | 731 | 688 | 684 |
Ashfield | 150 | 150 | 152 |
Askham Grange | 67 | 68 | 0 |
Aylesbury | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Bedford | 268 | 250 | 242 |
Belmarsh | 426 | 467 | 476 |
Berwyn | 1,164 | 1,098 | 1,056 |
Birmingham | 587 | 479 | 582 |
Brinsford | 254 | 256 | 290 |
Bristol | 230 | 221 | 217 |
Brixton | 610 | 536 | 532 |
Bronzefield | 138 | 120 | 104 |
Buckley Hall | 88 | 80 | 72 |
Bullingdon | 750 | 699 | 737 |
Bure | 38 | 14 | 10 |
Cardiff | 420 | 408 | 398 |
Channings Wood | 94 | 62 | 44 |
Chelmsford | 350 | 322 | 302 |
Coldingley | 40 | 24 | 0 |
Cookham Wood | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Dartmoor | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Deerbolt | 14 | 16 | 14 |
Doncaster | 775 | 755 | 760 |
Dovegate | 226 | 218 | 224 |
Downview | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Drake Hall | 97 | 65 | 41 |
Durham | 754 | 850 | 744 |
East Sutton Park | 93 | 95 | 86 |
Eastwood Park | 111 | 93 | 80 |
Elmley | 686 | 703 | 683 |
Erlestoke | 86 | 78 | 64 |
Exeter | 320 | 352 | 334 |
Featherstone | 130 | 110 | 110 |
Feltham | 196 | 178 | 130 |
Ford | 252 | 234 | 212 |
Forest Bank | 823 | 873 | 801 |
Foston Hall | 120 | 118 | 142 |
Frankland | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Full Sutton | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Garth | 28 | 22 | 22 |
Gartree | 22 | 24 | 22 |
Grendon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Guys Marsh | 136 | 120 | 98 |
Hatfield | 98 | 58 | 16 |
Haverigg | 0 | 0 | 0 |
High Down | 686 | 668 | 633 |
Highpoint | 286 | 248 | 236 |
Hindley | 240 | 254 | 248 |
Hewell | 612 | 606 | 508 |
Hollesley Bay | 78 | 73 | 44 |
Holme House | 776 | 730 | 724 |
Hull | 594 | 608 | 555 |
Humber | 358 | 296 | 260 |
Huntercombe | 234 | 230 | 208 |
Isis | 312 | 290 | 246 |
Isle Of Wight | 150 | 156 | 156 |
Kirkham | 86 | 24 | 16 |
Kirklevington Grange | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Lancaster Farms | 126 | 66 | 120 |
Leeds | 793 | 654 | 746 |
Leicester | 243 | 231 | 219 |
Lewes | 304 | 274 | 176 |
Leyhill | 17 | 2 | 0 |
Lincoln | 492 | 476 | 422 |
Lindholme | 344 | 332 | 336 |
Littlehey | 222 | 184 | 134 |
Liverpool | 384 | 430 | 412 |
Long Lartin | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Low Newton | 50 | 18 | 12 |
Lowdham Grange | 4 | 2 | 6 |
Maidstone | 64 | 64 | 52 |
Manchester | 354 | 326 | 284 |
Moorland | 434 | 388 | 258 |
New Hall | 61 | 45 | 32 |
North Sea Camp | 259 | 252 | 164 |
Northumberland | 4 | 0 | 0 |
Norwich | 308 | 275 | 250 |
Nottingham | 420 | 428 | 402 |
Oakwood | 962 | 862 | 810 |
Onley | 154 | 162 | 154 |
Parc | 800 | 706 | 736 |
Pentonville | 814 | 634 | 668 |
Peterborough | 358 | 362 | 398 |
Peterborough Female | 116 | 100 | 74 |
Portland | 146 | 142 | 128 |
Prescoed | 78 | 78 | 36 |
Preston | 517 | 535 | 441 |
Ranby | 396 | 336 | 322 |
Risley | 216 | 198 | 178 |
Rochester | 322 | 274 | 218 |
Rye Hill | 172 | 160 | 158 |
Send | 14 | 0 | 0 |
Springhill | 164 | 160 | 126 |
Stafford | 584 | 562 | 508 |
Standford Hill | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Stocken | 238 | 242 | 240 |
Stoke Heath | 322 | 318 | 302 |
Styal | 234 | 235 | 235 |
Sudbury | 372 | 298 | 232 |
Swaleside | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Swansea | 343 | 303 | 254 |
Swinfen Hall | 98 | 96 | 62 |
Thameside | 798 | 710 | 680 |
The Mount | 224 | 218 | 220 |
The Verne | 28 | 27 | 21 |
Thorn Cross | 84 | 58 | 36 |
Usk | 239 | 219 | 207 |
Wakefield | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Wandsworth | 1,176 | 1,146 | 1,120 |
Warren Hill | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Wayland | 344 | 304 | 286 |
Wealstun | 50 | 0 | 0 |
Werrington | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Wetherby | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Whatton | 190 | 136 | 112 |
Whitemoor | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Winchester | 236 | 222 | 238 |
Woodhill | 80 | 54 | 24 |
Wormwood Scrubs | 601 | 558 | 601 |
Wymott | 132 | 68 | 16 |
Total | 32,271 | 30,017 | 28,181 |