APPENDIX 2
Memorandum submitted by Mr Martin Narey,
Director General of HM Prison Service
INTRODUCTION
In difficult circumstances the Service is performing
reasonably well. This year is likely to see us hit, or very nearly
hit, demanding targets on education—making many prisoners
employable for the first time; on drug treatment, offending behaviour
programmes and getting prisoners into jobs (where we have achieved
very significant increases since the 1990s). Resettlement is the
priority for the Service while, simultaneously we retain our best
ever performance on security.
The Service is continuing to shift culturally
with the decency agenda permeating deeply into every establishment.
It is accepted now that any member of staff who lays a hand on
a prisoner will be dismissed and we have become similarly intolerant
of racist behaviour. It is now much easier for prisoners to make
complaints (access to the Ombudsman typically takes six weeks
rather than six months three years ago). The diversity of the
workforce has increased with more women governors and more senior
black and asian staff. Overall the representation of minority
ethnic staff in the working population has increased from 3% to
5% in four years. Were it not for the inexplicable rise in the
population this would be a time of unparalleled optimism for all
those who strive for a decent, effective and humane prison system.
PROBLEM AREAS
FOR THE
SERVICE
— The rising population has overwhelmed
the available capacity and, from mid-July onwards, the Prison
Service has had to use police cells. The prison population on
Friday 22 November 2002 was 72,522, with a further 229 prisoners
being held in police cells under "Operation Safeguard".
Since the beginning of the year the population has increased by
6,841. The uncrowded capacity of the estate is 64,830 places and
the useable operational capacity (crowded capacity) is 72,882.
As the population approaches this latter figure there is an increased
likelihood of needing to use police cells. Despite a very significant
investment in new places and an unequivocal steer from the Home
Secretary on not using short sentences, growth looks likely to
outstrip total capacity.
— In order to minimise the use of police
cells and the distraction that that creates for police forces,
the Service has had to make maximum use of all available accommodation.
Whatever can be overcrowded with the minimum risk to control and
safety has been overcrowded. 20% of the population now share a
cell meant for one, meaning that strangers need to eat together
and defecate in front of one another in the same cell. Prisoners
have been moved long distances to take advantage of pockets of
unused accommodation. Because of the extreme pressure on some
local prisons, particularly in the West Midlands, prisoners have
been diverted straight from the courts to out of Area local prisons
with vacancies. As a consequence, prisoners are, not infrequently,
delivered to court late and prisoners are sometimes arriving at
prisons very late in the evening making risk assessment, not least
for suicide, very difficult. The use of open prison places has
been maximised. There has been some increase in the abscond rate.
— The continued pressure of accommodation
has required the Service to keep in use accommodation which was
due to close for refurbishment. As a consequence, maintenance
has become more difficult and there is an increased risk of accommodation
going out of use because of the failure of basic services.
— After a very encouraging fall in
the rate of self-inflicted deaths in prison from 140 per 100,000
prisoners in 1999 to 109 per 100,000 prisoners in 2001 the rate
has increased significantly as overcrowding has increased. There
have been 85 self-inflicted deaths in establishments so far this
year, compared to a total of 73 for 2001. Compared with this time
last year this is an increase in the rate of self-inflicted deaths
from 89.3 per 100,000 prisoners to 116.9 per 100,000. The increased
population and higher population turnover, particularly in local
prisons, is making it more difficult to identify the suicidal
and intervene and help them.
— The Service is experiencing some
recruitment and retention problems, mainly in the South East of
the country. In other areas, retention rates are good and there
is a ready supply of high quality recruits. In prisons affected
by staff shortages, there have been difficulties in maintaining
a full regime and the Service is relying on staff to contract
to work additional hours over and above the normal 39 hours. In
spite of the use of additional hours and a number of innovative
schemes developed to cope with the shortfalls, there has been
some impact in the most hard-pressed prisons on their ability
to deliver the higher quality work required to make prison a positive
experience for prisoners.
PRIORITIES FOR
2003-04
— Priorities for next year fall under
five broad headings. The immediate priority is to accommodate,
safely and with decency, the record number of prisoners which
the courts are committing to prison. Projections of the population
indicate that the population will continue to rise over the next
few years and we face a real challenge in ensuring that appropriate
accommodation is available.
— We are determined, despite the difficulties,
to maintain progression in providing constructive activity which
will reduce reoffending while maintaining security. The continued
drive on offending behaviour programmes, education, drug treatment
and detoxification and getting prisoners into jobs will, we are
sure, reduce reoffending.
— There is a widespread recognition
that joined up IT is a priority for the Criminal Justice System
as a whole, and the Prison Service will be playing a full part
in this. We will complete the roll-out of an integrated, modern
infrastructure (60% successfully completed) which will provide
the platform for improved information systems and business change.
Work will continue with OASys, a new case management system for
offenders which, crucially, we will share with the Probation Service.
— Finally we recognise that in exercising
our responsibilities we need to ensure the greatest efficiency
in the use of resources. We will continue to focus on driving
forward improvements in effectiveness. We will be embarking on
an ambitious benchmarking programme, building on the rigorous
performance testing system that we have operated successfully
in recent years. All prisons will now be subject to a form of
benchmarking over the next seven years and where it is felt there
can be improvements new, stretching targets will be set. But prisons
whose performance is unacceptable will face the prospect of privatisation.
November 2002
|
