Record numbers commit suicide, staff sickness higher than ever, drug use rising and purposeful activity declining
A report published today by the Prison Reform Trust reveals the highest ever number of suicides and record levels of overcrowding and staff sickness in jails in England and Wales over the last year, according to official figures.
The report also reveals that the recorded level of drug use in prisons has increased for the first time in five years. And overcrowding has resulted in prisoners spending on average nearly one hour less in purposeful activity each week than last year.
'A Measure of Success', analyses the Prison Service's performance against its main targets over the past financial year and sets out how each prison has performed. It shows that the Service failed to meet eight of its 19 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), including its target for the number of prisoners completing Sex Offender Treatment Programmes.
The report notes that the level of escapes and the number of recorded assaults were at an all time low. It also shows that record numbers of prisoners achieved basic skills qualifications. But the report questions the Prison Service’s claim that it exceeded its target for the number of prisoners finding employment, training or education places after release.
Overall 'A Measure of Success' raises concerns about the accuracy of Key Performance Indicators. It notes that the Prison Service has acknowledged that the arrangements for collecting data are ‘deficient in many prisons’.
The report says there is a danger that KPIs are distorting the reality of what is really being achieved in prisons. They do not demonstrate that the diverse needs of prisoners are being met.
The main findings are:
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There were 105 suicides in 2002-2003, the highest ever recorded total.
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The Prison Service failed to meet its overcrowding target. The average rate of doubling up in single cells was 20.4 per cent, higher than the target of 18 per cent. This means that an average of 14,800 prisoners were held two to a single cell.
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The average staff sickness rate was 14.7% against a target of nine per cent. According to the Prison Officers Association sickness levels among prison officers are the highest in the public sector. The Prison Service has not managed to meet its KPI on staff sickness since it was introduced in 1999.
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The number of positive drug tests increased to 11.7% against a target of ten per cent. It was the first time in five years that the recorded rate of drug use in prison increased.
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The Prison Service failed to meet its target of providing an average of 24 hours a week purposeful activity. During 2002-2003 prisoners spent an average of 22.6 hours each week in purposeful activity, nearly one hour less than in 2001-2002. The Prison Service has only met its purposeful activity KPI once in the last eight years.
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Although the Prison Service met its overall target for completions of offending behaviour programmes by prisoners, the 7,303 completions represent only ten per cent of the average prison population. For the fifth year running, the Prison Service failed to meet its target for working with sex offenders. This is despite it being a much reduced target from the previous year. Just 879 of the 5,000 convicted sex offenders in prison completed the Sex Offender Treatment Programme.
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Considerable progress has been made in reducing escapes and the number of assaults has declined. All three KPIs on escapes were met. The number of assaults fell to 9.1 per cent narrowly missing the target of 9% but an improvement on the previous financial year.
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The targets for the number of prisoners achieving different skills qualifications were significantly exceeded. Prisoners achieved 89,201 key work skills awards, nearly double the target and prisoners achieved 41,313 basic skills awards.
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The Prison Service claims that nearly 33,000, approximately a third of all prisoners who leave custody each year, were given education, employment or training on release, 17% more than the target figure of 28,200. But this includes 7,086 prisoners who attended an interview at their local Jobcentre and it is not known what happened to these prisoners. Therefore to be accurate only 25,906 prisoners gained an education, training or employment place, which is below the KPI target.
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The validity of the data used to compile the KPIs is questionable because of the variations in the way it is collected The Prison Service itself has acknowledged that “the arrangements for collecting and reporting data are deficient in many establishments”.
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KPIs do not reflect the diverse needs of prisoners. Meeting KPIs should not be seen as firm evidence that prisoners are being treated humanely or constructively. New KPIs should be introduced for reoffending rates, the distance prisoners are kept from their homes, getting prisoners into stable housing and time out of cell.
Speaking today, the report’s author, Enver Solomon, said:
"This report reveals a Prison Service whose performance is being severely hampered by a record prison population. It is truly shocking that so many people have killed themselves in prison. Far too many prisons are overcrowded, provide inadequate levels of purposeful activity and experience high levels of recorded drug use. The only way to improve these jails is immediately to reduce their populations."
Director of the Prison Reform Trust, Juliet Lyon, added:
"A good record on preventing escapes shows that our prisons are secure but tragic numbers of suicides and cutbacks in purposeful activity reveal grossly overcrowded jails are neither safe nor effective."
Notes to Editors:
The prisons which performed worst and best against selected KPIs in 2002-2003 were as follows:
1. Overcrowding (the percentage of the average population doubling up in single cells)
KPI target: 18%
Highest
1. Shrewsbury 91.1%
2. Leicester 89.2%
3. Preston 84.4%
4. Cardiff 80.5%
5. Swansea 77.6%
Overcrowding is not dispersed evenly across the prison estate. It is particularly concentrated in local prisons, which are those that serve the courts in a specific area.
On August 8 2003 the prison population in England and Wales stood at 73,672. This is an increase of 2,290 in the last year. At the end of July 85 of the 138 prisons in England and Wales were overcrowded.
2. Drug use (percentage of random mandatory drug tests that were positive)
KPI target: 10%
Highest
1. Leeds 28.3%
2. Lancaster 26.4%
3. Kirkham 25.8%
4. Risley 25.3%
5. Blakenhurst 24.4%
Lowest
1. Albany 0%
2. East Sutton Park 0%
3. Foston Hall YOI 0.8%
4. Kirklevington Grange 0.9%
5. Wakefield 1.4%
It should be noted that local prisons in urban areas would be expected to have higher rates of drug use because they take prisoners directly from the local courts and thus reflect the level of drug use in the local community.
3. Purposeful activity (average number of hours per prisoner per week)
KPI target: 24 hours
Highest
1. Latchmere House 55.5 hours
2. Kirklevington Grange 53.0 hours
3. East Sutton Park 43.1 hours
4. Thorn Cross YOI 42.7 hours
5. Sudbury 42.0 hours
Lowest
1. Belmarsh 11.3 hours
2. Brixton 12.7 hours
3. Bullingdon 13.7 hours
4. Liverpool 14 hours
5. High Down 14 hours
4. Assaults (rate of assaults on prisoners and staff as a proportion of prisoners)
KPI target: 9%
Highest
1. Ashfield (male juveniles) 89.2%
2. Werrington (male juveniles) 62.0%
3. Onley 61.3%
4. Huntercombe (male juveniles) 60.5%
5 Castington YOI 50.0%
The safest prisons were Blantyre House, East Sutton Park, Ford, Hewell Grange, Kirkham, Latchmere House, Leyhill, North Sea Camp, and, Standford Hill and Whatton, all of which had no recorded assaults.
It should be noted that young male offenders are the most volatile of all prison populations.
6. Education – Key Work Skills
KPI target: To achieve 45,000 Key Work Skills Awards
The prisons with the highest number of Key Work Skills Awards
1. Moorland 4,399
2. Holme House 3,828
3.Durham 2,951
4.Wayland 2,830
5.Lancaster Farms 2,713
5. Self Inflicted deaths
The highest number of self-inflicted deaths was at Durham where six prisoners took their own lives. There were five prisons, Bristol, Blakenhurst, Holme House, Hull and Leeds where in each prison four prisoners committed suicide.
A Measure of Success: An analysis of the Prison Service’s performance against its Key Performance Indicators, is available from the Prison Reform Trust, 15 Northburgh Street, London EC1V 0JR. Price £5.00.
Full details of how each prison in England and Wales performed on assaults, drug use, purposeful activity, overcrowding and the number of self-inflicted deaths can be found in ‘A Measure of Success’ or obtained from Prison Reform Trust on 020 7251 5070 or by e-mailing: enver.solomon@prisonreformtrust.org.uk
