Prisons Week presents us all with an opportunity to pray for and raise awareness of the needs of prisoners and their families, victims of offenders, prison staff and all those who care. It consists of representatives of Christian denominations and Christian organizations.
We are encouraged during this week to prayer for prisoners, their families and for prison chaplains and all those who work within the criminal justice system. We believe however that faith is always best informed by facts and we wanted to lay out some hard facts about prison both in this country and abroad which we hope will enlighten, educate, inform but most importantly of all fuel your prayer and intercession.
'Treat a man as he appears to be, and you make him worse. But treat a man as if he were what he potentially could be, and you make him what he should be.'
PRISON FACTS
• Nowhere in Western Europe jails more of its population than England and Wales, where about 147 people per 100,000 are in prison.
• Since the start of 1993, the number of prisoners has risen from 41,600 to more than 80,000. Further increases are expected.
• In Scotland the prison population has risen more than 10% since 1996-97, to about 6,900. In Northern Ireland the number fell during the 90s, but has since increased to about 1,400.
• More than 17,000 prisoners were sentenced for violent crimes - the biggest group in jails in England and Wales.
• A further 10,000 were found guilty of drugs offences and about 8,500 of burglary.
• In August 2006, about 7,600 prisoners were serving life or indeterminate sentences - up 27% in a year. But more than half of prisoners serve less than six months.
• About one in five prisoners is being held on remand.
• Many jails have more prisoners than their target limit, but meet a level considered safe. According to this definition, prisons have been overcrowded every year since 1994.
• Since 1997, more than 17,000 extra prison spaces have been created. A further 8,000 are planned, but critics say this may not be enough.
• In early 2007, some prisoners were being held in court and police cells because jails were full.
• About one in three female and half of male prisoners were excluded from school and a majority have no qualifications.
• Less than 5% of the general population have two or more mental disorders, compared to 72% of male and 70% of female sentenced prisoners.
• In 2005-6, 63 prisoners took their own lives - down from a high of 102 in 2003-4.
• Male local prisons accounted for 73% of the deaths, despite having just 36% of the population.
• Self harm remains a cause of concern, with more than 20,000 such incidents during the year.
• More than half of these were among women, who account for 5% of prisoners.
• Re-offending rates among offenders are high - about two thirds are reconvicted within two years of release.
Among men aged 18-21 the rate is about three quarters.
• Since the start of 1993, the number of prisoners has risen from 41,600 to more than 80,000. Further increases are expected.
• In Scotland the prison population has risen more than 10% since 1996-97, to about 6,900. In Northern Ireland the number fell during the 90s, but has since increased to about 1,400.
• More than 17,000 prisoners were sentenced for violent crimes - the biggest group in jails in England and Wales.
• A further 10,000 were found guilty of drugs offences and about 8,500 of burglary.
• In August 2006, about 7,600 prisoners were serving life or indeterminate sentences - up 27% in a year. But more than half of prisoners serve less than six months.
• About one in five prisoners is being held on remand.
• Many jails have more prisoners than their target limit, but meet a level considered safe. According to this definition, prisons have been overcrowded every year since 1994.
• Since 1997, more than 17,000 extra prison spaces have been created. A further 8,000 are planned, but critics say this may not be enough.
• In early 2007, some prisoners were being held in court and police cells because jails were full.
• About one in three female and half of male prisoners were excluded from school and a majority have no qualifications.
• Less than 5% of the general population have two or more mental disorders, compared to 72% of male and 70% of female sentenced prisoners.
• In 2005-6, 63 prisoners took their own lives - down from a high of 102 in 2003-4.
• Male local prisons accounted for 73% of the deaths, despite having just 36% of the population.
• Self harm remains a cause of concern, with more than 20,000 such incidents during the year.
• More than half of these were among women, who account for 5% of prisoners.
• Re-offending rates among offenders are high - about two thirds are reconvicted within two years of release.
Among men aged 18-21 the rate is about three quarters.
• Accommodation problems are common - nearly one in three will not have somewhere to live upon release.
• A majority of prisoners will have no job to go to and six out of ten employers automatically exclude those with a criminal record.
• Last year 93,730 children entered the youth justice system and 6% of those convicted were imprisoned.
• The prison system has been overcrowded every year since 1994.
• Each prisoner is fed on £1.85 a day each, including a breakfast pack (cereal, bread, jam and UHT milk), lunch, an evening meal and perhaps a snack later on. Once a week they get a ration of tea or coffee.
• An estimated £100m worth of drugs are being traded in prisons each year.
• It is estimated that at Wandsworth HMP about £1m worth of drugs were trafficked within the prison in a year.
• The government estimates that more than half the prison population are regular drug users that would amount to more than 40,000 inmates.
• There is a new breed of indefinite sentences without a fixed final release date for sexual and violent offenders considered a danger to the public. This means they are effectively kept in jail until the Parole Board deems it safe to release them and this has led to a rise in longer prison terms.
• UK jails are ‘full to capacity’ and being forced to close their doors to new admissions, with cells designed for one prisoner having to accommodate two.
• According to the latest official figures, the number of prisoners in England and Wales is 81,547, including 291 being held in police cells under Operation Safeguard.
• Total capacity is 81,284, excluding the 400 police cells available.
• The average cost of each prison place is £99,839.
• A majority of prisoners will have no job to go to and six out of ten employers automatically exclude those with a criminal record.
• Last year 93,730 children entered the youth justice system and 6% of those convicted were imprisoned.
• The prison system has been overcrowded every year since 1994.
• Each prisoner is fed on £1.85 a day each, including a breakfast pack (cereal, bread, jam and UHT milk), lunch, an evening meal and perhaps a snack later on. Once a week they get a ration of tea or coffee.
• An estimated £100m worth of drugs are being traded in prisons each year.
• It is estimated that at Wandsworth HMP about £1m worth of drugs were trafficked within the prison in a year.
• The government estimates that more than half the prison population are regular drug users that would amount to more than 40,000 inmates.
• There is a new breed of indefinite sentences without a fixed final release date for sexual and violent offenders considered a danger to the public. This means they are effectively kept in jail until the Parole Board deems it safe to release them and this has led to a rise in longer prison terms.
• UK jails are ‘full to capacity’ and being forced to close their doors to new admissions, with cells designed for one prisoner having to accommodate two.
• According to the latest official figures, the number of prisoners in England and Wales is 81,547, including 291 being held in police cells under Operation Safeguard.
• Total capacity is 81,284, excluding the 400 police cells available.
• The average cost of each prison place is £99,839.
• One in four women in prison has spent time in local authority care as a child.
• The number of 15-17 year old in prison has doubled over the past ten years.
• One in five women in prison are foreign nationals.
• It costs over £40,000 per year to keep someone in prison.
• 67.4% of prisoners released re-offend after two years.
• The number of prisoners sentenced to life has doubled over the past ten years.
• Theft and handling stolen goods account for the largest number of immediate custodial sentences.
• The suicide rate of men in prison is five times greater than in outside community.
• Almost one third of suicides within prison occur within the first seven days.
• One in four and half of women prisoners on remand receive no prison visits.
• The majority of women in prison are imprisoned for non violent offences.
• Over half of women in prison have suffered domestic abuse, 1 in 3 sexual abuse.
• 150,000 children have a parent in prison.
• The average age of those sentenced to a custodial sentence was 27.
• 66% of women prisoners are mothers.
• More than two in three prisoners is unemployed when they go to prison.
• Every year 70,000 school aged children enter the youth justice system.
The Prisons Week Prayer
Lord, you offer freedom to all people.
We pray for those in prison.
Break the bonds of fear and isolation
that exist. Support with your love
prisoners and their families and friends,
Prison staff and all who care.
Heal those who have been wounded
by the activities of others, especially the
victims of crime. Help us to forgive one
another, to act justly, love mercy and walk
humbly together with Christ in His strength
and in His Spirit, now and every day.
Amen.
We pray for those in prison.
Break the bonds of fear and isolation
that exist. Support with your love
prisoners and their families and friends,
Prison staff and all who care.
Heal those who have been wounded
by the activities of others, especially the
victims of crime. Help us to forgive one
another, to act justly, love mercy and walk
humbly together with Christ in His strength
and in His Spirit, now and every day.
Amen.
