4th Report - Coronavirus (Covid-19): The impact on prisons

The government thanked the committee for its support and affirmed its continued efforts to address the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic in custody and the community.

The government acknowledges concerns about the long-term sustainability and impact of the prison regime, outlining its National Framework for easing restrictions and detailing mitigations like increased testing and maintaining purposeful activity where safe.

The government explains the reasons for regime variance due to the pandemic and states that the current minimum out-of-cell time ranges from 1–3 hours, but it does not commit to setting out clear expectations for minimum time out of cell and activity for each phase of recovery.

HMPPS states they have restarted elements of the regime and are supporting mental health by implementing new training, reviewing healthcare, rolling out a revised ACCT framework, and implementing the OMiC model to support prisoners at risk of self-harm.

The government details a range of existing products, guidance, and regime mitigations, including a self-help tool and family contact support, that have been implemented to support prisoners' mental health throughout the pandemic and will remain in place until Spring 2021.

HMPPS fully recognises the importance of family contact and has continued to roll out video calling to over 110 prisons, with facilities expected in every establishment by the end of the year, in addition to providing extra PIN telephone credit and mobile PIN phones.

The government states that video calling is available in over 110 prisons and is expected in all establishments by year-end, addressing the expansion. However, it is still exploring the longer-term sustainability of the service and does not provide costings.

The government describes the development, review, and amendments made to Exceptional Delivery Models (EDMs) and ongoing work with Public Health, but does not commit to keeping the Committee updated on specific prisons transitioning or their timeframes.

The government confirms that 100% of prisons have fully implemented cohorting strategies, including compartmentalisation, and credits these existing measures with preventing explosive outbreaks and protecting lives.

The government provides a detailed explanation for the number of temporary releases, citing the need for case-by-case risk assessments for public protection, some prisoners' unwillingness or ineligibility, and the requirement for safe accommodation and support post-release. It states 54 prisoners had been released by the end of September.

The government states that 262 prisoners were released under the ECTR scheme and provides detailed reasons for the lower-than-anticipated numbers, citing public protection and stringent risk assessments. However, it does not specify how many prisoners were actively considered for release.

The government accepted the recommendation, publishing updated prison population projections on November 26, 2020, which factored in increased police numbers. They also outlined ongoing assessments, investment plans, and measures to manage potential prison population influxes resulting from increased court activity.

The government reports that 1,150 temporary units are installed and aims to deliver 1,000 more Rapid Deployment Cells in the 2021/22 financial year. It states it is considering the long-term use of these units but does not provide costings for the full 2,000 units or a specific re-deployment plan.

The government acknowledges the increased proportion of youth in custody on remand and attributes it to factors like a lower overall population and more serious offenses. It notes that courts are clearing backlogs and prioritizing youth cases.

The government detailed the Youth Custody Service's response to the crisis, including the development of Exceptional Delivery Models, re-commencement of face-to-face education and visits, and a focus on essential activities for children. However, it did not explicitly set out what is being done to address disparities in regimes across the youth estate.

The government states its National Framework is flexible for the youth estate and the Youth Custody Service has developed specific Exceptional Delivery Models, prioritised education, and commissioned research with workshops scheduled to implement learning from COVID-19 experiences into future regimes.