Select committee: Justice Committee
Conclusion 4
4th Report - Coronavirus (Covid-19): The impact on prisons
Published 27 Jul 2020
Paragraph 22
Addressed to Ministry of Justice
Justice Committee Coronavirus (COVID-19): The impact on prison, probation and court systems All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
The Committee recognise the severity of the current regime in prisons and commend both staff and prisoners for responding and adapting to current circumstances. We are pleased to hear reports that the prison population have been largely compliant with changes made, but we share concerns about the potential long-term impact current restrictions will have on the health and wellbeing of prisoners themselves. We are unclear what additional support is being provided to those struggling with their mental health. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, prisons already faced alarmingly increased levels of self-harm and the current situation in prisons may serve to make that situation worse.
From: Justice Committee, 4th Report - Coronavirus (Covid-19): The impact on prisons (HC 299), paragraph 22, 27 July 2020
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 18 December 2020 (deadline 27 September 2020).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government welcomes the Committee's report and responds by describing measures already taken, setting out its position on each recommendation, and noting where it has no plans to restart some measures.
- On regimes, it says it "will seek to maintain as many establishments at Stage 3 as is possible over the winter", while responding to outbreaks. It states the minimum regime currently ranges from "around 1–3 hours a day out of cell".
- On video calling, it says it is now available in "over 110 prisons" and it expects facilities "in all establishments by the end of the year". It is "exploring the longer-term sustainability" of the service, without committing to make it permanent.
- On early release, End of Custody Temporary Release has been paused since August 2020 and it remains "a contingency measure". The government says "at present, there are no plans to re-start releases".
- On capacity, it cites more than £4 billion capital funding to make "significant progress" towards 18,000 additional prison places by the mid-2020s. Its aim is 1,000 temporary Rapid Deployment Cells in the 2021/22 financial year.