This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/uk/7059283.stm
The article has changed 9 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Jails adapted for foreign inmates | Jails adapted for foreign inmates |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| The Prison Service has converted two jails so that they hold only foreign national prisoners, it is revealed. | The Prison Service has converted two jails so that they hold only foreign national prisoners, it is revealed. |
| Bullwood Hall, Essex, and Canterbury Prison, Kent, have been taking foreign offenders since the 2006 crisis over prisoners who had not been deported. | Bullwood Hall, Essex, and Canterbury Prison, Kent, have been taking foreign offenders since the 2006 crisis over prisoners who had not been deported. |
| The Ministry of Justice said the jails which have immigration and language services were part of a plan to deport as many foreign prisoners as possible. | The Ministry of Justice said the jails which have immigration and language services were part of a plan to deport as many foreign prisoners as possible. |
| More than 11,000 of the 81,000 prison population are foreign nationals. | More than 11,000 of the 81,000 prison population are foreign nationals. |
| In 2006 the then Home Secretary Charles Clarke was sacked over the Home Office's failure to process the cases of 1,000 foreign national prisoners who could have been eligible for deportation. | In 2006 the then Home Secretary Charles Clarke was sacked over the Home Office's failure to process the cases of 1,000 foreign national prisoners who could have been eligible for deportation. |
| The decision to convert two prisons just for foreign inmates came as the department reviewed its deportation strategy. | The decision to convert two prisons just for foreign inmates came as the department reviewed its deportation strategy. |
| Concentrating on foreign nationals in one prison makes it easier for that prison and also lessens the problems elsewhere Lord David Ramsbotham | Concentrating on foreign nationals in one prison makes it easier for that prison and also lessens the problems elsewhere Lord David Ramsbotham |
| But the move to set up the two specialist prisons has come with virtually no publicity. | But the move to set up the two specialist prisons has come with virtually no publicity. |
| The names of the jails emerged in a briefing by the Chief Inspector of Prisons, Anne Owers. Bullwood Hall is now holding 154 prisoners, while a further 284 are at Canterbury. | The names of the jails emerged in a briefing by the Chief Inspector of Prisons, Anne Owers. Bullwood Hall is now holding 154 prisoners, while a further 284 are at Canterbury. |
| About 11,000 others are detained elsewhere alongside British prisoners. | About 11,000 others are detained elsewhere alongside British prisoners. |
| Ms Owers said the two prisons had been given specific services for foreign inmates, including language support and advice on immigration issues. | Ms Owers said the two prisons had been given specific services for foreign inmates, including language support and advice on immigration issues. |
| She said it was easier to provide these services in one place and the move was similar to other specialist prisons such as those for juveniles. | She said it was easier to provide these services in one place and the move was similar to other specialist prisons such as those for juveniles. |
| The Independent Monitoring Board, which reports on prison conditions, said staff at Bullwood Hall had been unprepared for the move, but at Canterbury it was working well. | The Independent Monitoring Board, which reports on prison conditions, said staff at Bullwood Hall had been unprepared for the move, but at Canterbury it was working well. |
| Higher costs | Higher costs |
| A spokesman for the Ministry of Justice, which has been responsible for prisons since the break-up of the Home Office, said the two jails each had five immigration officials brought in to speed up deportation procedures. | A spokesman for the Ministry of Justice, which has been responsible for prisons since the break-up of the Home Office, said the two jails each had five immigration officials brought in to speed up deportation procedures. |
| FOREIGN NATIONAL PRISONERS: LARGEST GROUPS Jamaica: 1,276 Nigeria: 844Ireland: 605Vietnam: 391Pakistan: 375 Source: Ministry of Justice, June 2007 | |
| Ministers would also review how well the two prisons were working to decide if any more should be set up, although the costs per inmate were higher at more than £38,000. | Ministers would also review how well the two prisons were working to decide if any more should be set up, although the costs per inmate were higher at more than £38,000. |
| "The foreign national prisoner prisons are higher than the average cost of a category C trainer [prison] due to additional costs for translators and other specialist services," said a spokesman. | "The foreign national prisoner prisons are higher than the average cost of a category C trainer [prison] due to additional costs for translators and other specialist services," said a spokesman. |
| Justice minister David Hanson said the jails were an experiment to see if deportations could be speeded up. | Justice minister David Hanson said the jails were an experiment to see if deportations could be speeded up. |
| He said agreements had been set up with more than 100 countries which meant prisoners deported part-way through their sentences could serve the remainder in their home country. | He said agreements had been set up with more than 100 countries which meant prisoners deported part-way through their sentences could serve the remainder in their home country. |
| Talks were ongoing to try to establish agreements with more countries including Jamaica, Nigeria and Vietnam, he said. | Talks were ongoing to try to establish agreements with more countries including Jamaica, Nigeria and Vietnam, he said. |
| He told BBC's Breakfast 1,500 foreign criminals were deported in 2005, rising to 2,500 last year and it was expected 4,000 would be deported this year. | He told BBC's Breakfast 1,500 foreign criminals were deported in 2005, rising to 2,500 last year and it was expected 4,000 would be deported this year. |
| If the government kept its promise to deport them, there would be extra space in our jails and no reason to release other prisoners early Nick HerbertShadow justice secretary | |
| The Home Office said it was "currently taking legislation through the House of Commons to improve the speed with which individuals are identified and processed for deportation". | The Home Office said it was "currently taking legislation through the House of Commons to improve the speed with which individuals are identified and processed for deportation". |
| Shadow justice secretary Nick Herbert said: "If the government kept its promise to deport them [foreign prisoners], there would be extra space in our jails and no reason to release other prisoners early." | Shadow justice secretary Nick Herbert said: "If the government kept its promise to deport them [foreign prisoners], there would be extra space in our jails and no reason to release other prisoners early." |
| Former chief inspector of prisons Lord David Ramsbotham said the converted prisons made sense but more were needed. | Former chief inspector of prisons Lord David Ramsbotham said the converted prisons made sense but more were needed. |
| "Concentrating on foreign nationals in one prison makes it easier for that prison and also lessens the problems elsewhere," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. | "Concentrating on foreign nationals in one prison makes it easier for that prison and also lessens the problems elsewhere," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. |
| "But when you look at the figures there are a huge number of prisoners in Wormwood Scrubs and Wandsworth, and having two prisons holding about 500 prisoners out of a total of about 11,000 is merely scratching the surface of a bigger problem." | "But when you look at the figures there are a huge number of prisoners in Wormwood Scrubs and Wandsworth, and having two prisons holding about 500 prisoners out of a total of about 11,000 is merely scratching the surface of a bigger problem." |
| Colin Moses, of the Prison Officers Association, said it would be better to put resources into moving them through the system more quickly and repatriating them. | Colin Moses, of the Prison Officers Association, said it would be better to put resources into moving them through the system more quickly and repatriating them. |
| But Paddy Scriven, general secretary of the Prison Governors Association, said it made it easier to manage the prison purse and stopped foreign inmates from being so isolated. | But Paddy Scriven, general secretary of the Prison Governors Association, said it made it easier to manage the prison purse and stopped foreign inmates from being so isolated. |