Prisons

This page highlights some of the current parliamentary material available on prisons. This includes select committee reports, briefing papers on current legislation and other subjects produced by the parliamentary research services, and the latest Early Day Motions put down by MPs.

Standard Notes

Date	Description
28.02.2013	Prison population: Social Indicators page
	Prison population: Social Indicators page.
22.11.2012	Prisoners' voting rights
	Prisoners serving a custodial sentence do not have the right to vote. Prisoners on remand are able to vote under the provisions of the Representation of the People Act 2000. This Standard Note provides a narrative of events following the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights on 6 October 2005, the Hirst case, that the UK's current ban on all serving prisoners from voting contravenes Article 3 of Protocol No 1 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
22.11.2012	The Prisons (Property) Billl: Committee Stage Report
	The Prisons (Property) Bill would allow a governor or director of a prison to destroy unauthorised property found in prisons, or dispose of it in other ways including selling it. It has its report stage and third reading on 30 November 2012.
22.11.2012	Prisoners' voting rights - in brief
	On 6 October 2005 the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in the Hirst case, found that the UK's current ban on all serving prisoners from voting contravenes Article 3 of Protocol No 1 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The issue of prisoner voting has become linked with the overall question of compliance with the judgements of the European Court of Human Rights. This note briefly draws together Library material on the issue and summarises Standard Note 1764, Prisoners' voting rights, which provides a narrative of events following the judgment.
13.09.2012	The Prisons (Interference with Wireless Telegraphy) Bill
	This Private Member's Bill, which has government support, would allow mobile phones to be blocked in prisons.

Research Papers

Date	Description
23.11.2012	Reducing reoffending: the "what works" debate
	This paper examines the evidence for the effectiveness of prison and programmes in the community aimed at reducing reoffending and some of the claims and counter-claims for whether 'prison works'.
04.07.2011	Legal aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill Bill No 205 of 2010-12
	This Research Paper has been prepared for the second reading of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill. The Bill covers a diverse range of issues, including legal aid; litigation funding and costs; sentencing; bail, remand and release on licence; prisoners' pay and employment; out of court disposals and knives.
22.12.2009	Crime and Security Bill. Bill 3 2009-10.
	The Bill would amend the law governing the taking, retention and destruction of fingerprints and DNA data from persons arrested for, charged with or convicted of criminal offences. It would reduce the requirements on the police to record information following a stop and search. It would introduce new 'go' orders for suspected perpetrators of domestic violence, which could mean excluding them from their homes in order to protect the victim. The Bill would also, in effect, extend new injunctions for gang-related violence to 14-18 year olds, and require courts to issue a Parenting Order where a child under 16 had breached an Anti-social Behaviour Order. It would require wheel clamping companies to be licensed, and create a new offence of possessing an authorised mobile phone in a prison. It also creates a new offence of preventing a person under 18 from gaining unauthorised access to air weapons.
09.08.2007	The Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill Bill 130 of 2006-07
26.02.2007	The Offender Management Bill Committee Stage Report

Select Committee Reports

Date	Description
17.05.2011	Appointment of the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman for England and Wales.
	Justice Select Committee report [Commons]
08.02.2011	Voting by convicted prisoners: summary of evidence.
	Political and Constitutional Reform Select Committee report [Commons]
16.03.2010	Cutting crime: the case for justice reinvestment.
	Government response. Ministry of Justice report [Commons]
16.03.2010	The appointment of the Chief Inspector of Prisons.
	Justice Select Committee report [Commons]
23.02.2010	Welsh prisoners in the prison estate: follow up.
	Welsh Affairs Select Committee report [Commons]

Early Day Motions

Date	Description
10.01.2012	PRISON OFFICERS' ASSOCIATION AND TRADE UNION RIGHTS
	That this House supports full trade union rights for the Prison Officers' Association (POA); notes that the International Labour Organisation criticised the previous administration ...
18.10.2011	PRISONER EXCHANGE AND PALESTINIAN CHILD PRISONERS
	That this House welcomes the prisoner exchange which has led to the release of the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit and 477 Palestinian prisoners with a further 550 to be released in the ...
14.07.2011	LANCASTER FARMS PRISON OFFICERS
	That this House notes the good work of the prison officers at Lancaster Farms Young Offender Institute, many of whom are constituents of the hon. Member for Morecambe and Lunesdale; ...
28.06.2011	PRIVATE FINANCE INITIATIVE AND PRISON PRIVATISATION
	That this House welcomes the publication of the report The Private Finance Initiative and the Hidden Cost of Prison Privatisation by the Prison Officers Association (POA); notes that ...
18.05.2011	SPEECH AND LANGUAGE ASSESSMENTS FOR PRISON INMATES
	That this House recognises the importance of the identification and treatment of speech and language difficulties amongst prison inmates in the bid to reduce prisoner re-offending; ...

Lords Library Notes

Date	Description
17.01.2008	Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill (HL Bill 16, 2007-08). LLN 2008/001
	Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill. House of Lords Library Note 2008/001