27 January 2009 / Data Access & Compliance Unit
102 Petty France
London
SW1H 9AJ
Direct Telephone 0203 334 3239
Fax 0203 334 2245
Email:
Janet Preston
Ref: FOI 9263
Dear Mr Coombe
Freedom of Information Act 2000
Thank you for your email of 28 May in which you ask:
How many Prisons in the UK provide Sky or Cable facilities & Entertainment Games Consoles?
In the first instance, please accept our apologies for the length of time it has taken to provide you with this information. By way of explanation, the delay has been caused by an unusually high volume of requests for information. However, I am pleased to say that we have made a number of administrative changes which I hope will improve our service. The Information Commissioner is aware of the difficulties the unit has faced and is monitoring the changes we are implementing to improve the position.
As I said in my letter of 29th May, the Ministry of Justice can only answer for Prison Establishments in England & Wales. For information on Prison Establishments in the rest of the UK you should contact the Government Departments listed with contact addresses in our previous correspondence.
Since 10th of April 2008, 20 public sector prisons had Sky TV available in association areas. No public sector prisons provide any Sky TV channels to cells. Three private sector prisons provide subscription TV in cells. This is a limited controlled service by prison service management determined by the level of the incentive and earned privilege scheme the prisoner is on. Approximately 1020 inmates receive this service across the private sector prisons.
Prison Service Order 4000 requires every prison and Youth Offender Institution to provide a system of privileges which can be granted to prisoners or young offenders in addition to the minimum entitlements under the rules, subject to their reaching and maintaining specified standards of conduct and performance. Establishments can tailor their individual schemes by including incentives and privileges available locally which are likely to prove attractive to their particular prisoners.
The national aims are to encourage responsible behaviour by prisoners; to encourage effort and achievement in work and other constructive activity by prisoners; to encourage sentenced prisoners to engage in and benefit from activities designed to reduce re- offending; and to create a more disciplined, better-controlled and safer environment for prisoners and staff.
These aims are achieved by ensuring that privileges above the minimum are earned by prisoners through good behaviour and performance and are removed if they fail to maintain acceptable standards.
At the time of your request I 2008 there were 41 Establishments that provided game consoles in prisons. In the period 2nd to 11th June there were 12,948 games consoles in prisons, of which 11,233 were purchased by prisoners themselves. Prison Service Instruction 32/2008, published on 23rd July 2008 states that only prisoners on the enhanced level of the incentives and earned privilege scheme are able to be allowed access to consoles and games and that no public funds are to be used to purchase consoles or games. It further states that no 18 rated games are to be allowed. Prison Service Instruction 32/2008 is published on the prison service website and is accessible below on
http://www.hmprisonservice.gov.uk/resourcecentre/psispsos/listpsis/
I hope that this is helpful. As part of our obligations under the FOIA, the Ministry of Justice has an independent review process. If you are dissatisfied with this decision, you may write to request an internal review. The internal review will be carried out by someone who did not make the original decision, and they will re-assess how the Department handled the original request.
If you wish to request an internal review, please write to the Data Access and Compliance Unit within two months of the date of this letter, at the following address:
Data Access and Compliance Unit
Information Directorate
Ministry of Justice
1st Floor
Zone C
102 Petty France
London
SW1H 9AJ
e-mail:
If you remain dissatisfied after an internal review decision, you have the right to apply to the Information Commissioner’s Office under Section 50 of the FOIA. You can contact the Information Commissioner’s Office at the following address:
Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Internet: https://www.ico.gov.uk/Global/contact_us.aspx
Yours sincerely
Janet Preston
Data Access & Compliance Unit