Classification, Categorisation and Allocation
Differentiated Regimes
All prisoners, including unconvicted and civil prisoners, are required to be classified to one of three regimes: basic, standard or enhanced. The prison governor takes this decision based on performance in custody, for example a prisoner’s disciplinary record.. Each regime offers a different level of incentives and privileges and commonly prisoners on the basic regime will receive the bare legal minimum in terms of visits or access to private cash and wages. Those on the standard and enhanced regimes will receive progressively more favourable facilities, although the precise nature of these will vary according to each prison's security category. These regulations also require a number of key items such as phonecards, cigarettes and stamps to be purchased from the private cash allowance.
Prison Categories
There are broadly five categories of prison for adult male prisoners:
Categorisation
There are four security categories for adult males:
Women prisoners and young offenders may be made Category A, but normally they will either be simply allocated to open or closed conditions.
Category A prisoners have greater restrictions upon them for security reasons, and their visitors will be vetted by the police on behalf of the prison authorities. These prisoners are entitled to a formal, annual review of their security categorisation during which the reports prepared on them will be disclosed and the prisoner invited to make written representations to the decision-making committee. Legal advice and assistance can be sought in making these written representations.
The governor makes categorisation decisions (other than for category A prisoners). A prisoner can make a complaint to the Ombudsman if the decision is considered to be unfair. Alternatively, he or she could apply to the High Court for judicial review of his or her categorisation if there were evidence that it had been arrived at unlawfully, for example, by taking account of irrelevant information or applying the wrong criteria.
Allocation
Prisoners may be allocated to any prison in England and Wales according to the offence, sentence, security category and individual circumstances of the prisoner. There is no right to be located close to home but you can apply for transfer, as can your family who might wish to put in evidence, for example, from a GP about the difficulties illness causes in travelling long distances. The Ombudsman can intervene in an allocation decision if it can be shown to be unfair. An application can be made to the High Court if the decision is, for example, wrongly motivated, especially if it deprives an unconvicted prisoner of access to his or her lawyers and family.
All prisoners, including unconvicted and civil prisoners, are required to be classified to one of three regimes: basic, standard or enhanced. The prison governor takes this decision based on performance in custody, for example a prisoner’s disciplinary record.. Each regime offers a different level of incentives and privileges and commonly prisoners on the basic regime will receive the bare legal minimum in terms of visits or access to private cash and wages. Those on the standard and enhanced regimes will receive progressively more favourable facilities, although the precise nature of these will vary according to each prison's security category. These regulations also require a number of key items such as phonecards, cigarettes and stamps to be purchased from the private cash allowance.
Prison Categories
There are broadly five categories of prison for adult male prisoners:
- Local prisons for unconvicted and short-term prisoners.
- High security (formerly known as ‘dispersal’) prisons for high security prisoners.
- Training prisons for long-term prisoners who do not need the highest security.
- Category C prisons, which are closed but have less internal security.
- Open prisons for prisoners not believed to be a risk to the public or in danger of escaping.
Categorisation
There are four security categories for adult males:
- Category A: prisoners whose escape would be highly dangerous to the public, police or security of the State and for whom the aim must be to make escape impossible.
- Category B: prisoners who do not need the highest conditions of security but for whom escape must be made very difficult.
- Category C: prisoners who cannot be trusted in open conditions but who do not have the ability or resources to make a determined escape attempt.
- Category D: prisoners who can reasonably be trusted to serve their sentences in open conditions.
Women prisoners and young offenders may be made Category A, but normally they will either be simply allocated to open or closed conditions.
Category A prisoners have greater restrictions upon them for security reasons, and their visitors will be vetted by the police on behalf of the prison authorities. These prisoners are entitled to a formal, annual review of their security categorisation during which the reports prepared on them will be disclosed and the prisoner invited to make written representations to the decision-making committee. Legal advice and assistance can be sought in making these written representations.
The governor makes categorisation decisions (other than for category A prisoners). A prisoner can make a complaint to the Ombudsman if the decision is considered to be unfair. Alternatively, he or she could apply to the High Court for judicial review of his or her categorisation if there were evidence that it had been arrived at unlawfully, for example, by taking account of irrelevant information or applying the wrong criteria.
Allocation
Prisoners may be allocated to any prison in England and Wales according to the offence, sentence, security category and individual circumstances of the prisoner. There is no right to be located close to home but you can apply for transfer, as can your family who might wish to put in evidence, for example, from a GP about the difficulties illness causes in travelling long distances. The Ombudsman can intervene in an allocation decision if it can be shown to be unfair. An application can be made to the High Court if the decision is, for example, wrongly motivated, especially if it deprives an unconvicted prisoner of access to his or her lawyers and family.
