MPs question Prisons Minister and former Chair of panel on deaths in custody
Two separate evidence sessions in one Committee sitting, the first relating to the inquiry into The prison operational workforce, the second being a one-off session Former Chair of the Independent Advisory Panel on Deaths in Custody: Chair’s end of term report .
Meeting details
The cross-party Justice Committee continue taking evidence from the Minister for Prisons and Probation, Damian Hinds MP, on the pressures facing the prison system due to an increasing prison population, prison estate constraints and a shortage of prison staff.
Minister Hinds started giving his evidence on these subjects at a session on March 29, but time ran out before the Committee could pose all its questions. During the same sitting of the Committee, but entirely separately, the Committee will then question the former Chair of the Independent Advisory Panel on Deaths in Custody (IAPDC), Juliet Lyon CBE.
The Prisons Minister may be asked about evidence the Committee has received concerning serious staff shortages and a high turnover of prison officers – and the impact this is having on providing adequate care for prisoners. He could be asked about what is being done to recruit more officers and the results of a survey conducted by the Committee which shows high rates of dissatisfaction among staff regarding morale and their salaries. Questions could be raised about the supply to officers, and use of, a synthetic pepper spray for controlling violent situations, known as ‘PAVA’.
Juliet Lyon CBE served as Chair of the IAPDC between September 2016 and January 2023. The IAPDC is a public body sponsored by several government departments which provides independent advice to Ministers and operational services aimed at reducing the number and rate of deaths in all forms of custody in England and Wales. Ms Lyon will be asked to look back on challenges and achievements during her term of office, having published her end of term report in February 2023.
The rate of deaths in custody has increased over the past ten years. The IAPDC said in late 2022 that it was increasingly concerned about the capacity of the Ministry of Justice and HM Prison Service to “keep people safe in custody”.