Skip to main content

Prisoners: Literature

Volume 716: debated on Thursday 7 January 2010

Question

Asked by

To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Bach on 7 December (WA 96), why individual prison governors can determine which books may be received by inmates of their prisons. [HL878]

The type of items and the frequency with which they may be received by prisoners while in custody are decided by individual prison governors in line with prison Rule 43(2) of the Prison Rules 1999.

The rule enables governors to exercise discretion as to the types of items that they consider to be appropriate for their local circumstances, the profile of their prison population (for example, whether a certain publication will have an adverse effect on a prisoner’s physical or mental condition) and to fit in with their locally devised incentives and earned privileges scheme.