To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place a much larger proportion of short-term prisoners in open prisons. (65573)

The length of a person's prison sentence is not the primary determinant for their categorisation. Prisoners are placed in the lowest security category consistent with the needs of security and control and the need to protect the public. Prisoners are subject to a rigorous and robust risk assessment when being categorised. Only prisoners categorised D and therefore considered to pose a low risk of escape and not represent a threat to the public may be placed in open prisons.