The Question session focused on prison reform, covering topics such as prison capacity, safety, mental health, security failures, personal protective equipment for officers, and innovative recruitment schemes. Sir Nicholas Dakin led the session, providing in-depth responses about the Highways England prison capacity strategy, including the goal of building 14,000 new prison places over a decade due to overcrowding. He emphasized a holistic approach to reform, stressing the importance of sentencing reviews and measures for prison safety.
Number of new prison places planned for a decade as part of capacity strategy.
In response to Jessica Morden, Sir Nicholas acknowledged the concerns regarding Parc Prison and described efforts underway to enhance safety and mental health support by engaging with families directly and conducting visits by various ministers. Security issues at prisons like HMP Frankland were addressed, with Sir Nicholas confirming an independent review and immediate response actions.
Current fullness rate of prisons indicating a crisis level of occupancy.
Pressure was applied by MPs like Jack Rankin regarding PPE for prison officers and potential ideological threats from inmates, pointing out inconsistencies in government actions. Sir Nicholas countered by emphasizing ongoing government reviews and highlighted the need for collaborative efforts with stakeholders such as Unlocked Graduates.
Outcome
The outcome of the session was a nuanced understanding of the government's ongoing and planned actions to combat the prison crisis, with commitments to reviews of security measures, sentencing, and collaboration with innovative programs like Unlocked Graduates. There was a clear recognition of the public concerns over prison safety and officer security.
Key Contributions
Raised concerns over prison safety and family welfare at Parc Prison, advocating for updates on mental health and drug interception measures.
Outlined crisis measures with focus on a new sentencing review and safety priorities in prisons like HMP Parc; acknowledged security review post-HMP Frankland incident.
Questioned about gang-related violence and independent review scope following a security failure at HMP Frankland.
Urged for immediate PPE provision for prison officers to prevent harm; probed potential ideological threats and existing government measures.
Inquired about Unlocked Graduates scheme setbacks and requested the Minister to discuss solutions regarding prison officer recruitment innovations.
All content derived from official parliamentary records