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Planned prison pay rise abandoned | Planned prison pay rise abandoned |
(29 minutes later) | |
A planned 38% increase in the minimum weekly pay for prisoners in England and Wales has been abandoned the day before it was due to come into force. | A planned 38% increase in the minimum weekly pay for prisoners in England and Wales has been abandoned the day before it was due to come into force. |
Prime Minister Gordon Brown said he had delayed the decision on rates to allow the creation of a new inmate contract which would encourage good behaviour. | |
The rise from a minimum £4 to £5.50 for work inside jails would have been the first increase since the mid-1990s. | The rise from a minimum £4 to £5.50 for work inside jails would have been the first increase since the mid-1990s. |
The Prison Reform Trust said the pay rise was important for rehabilitation. | |
Mr Brown told BBC Radio 4's Today programme any changes in pay should be part of a new prisoners' contract which was currently being drawn up. | |
"I think any debate about what prisoners receive in pay should be part of that new contract," said Mr Brown. | |
"There should be rights, but there should be responsibilities, and it's the responsibilities of prisoners that I am interested in." | |
Behaviour standards | |
In a statement, the Ministry of Justice confirmed pay rates would now be reviewed as part of prison minister David Hanson's proposals for a new contract, which aims to prepare prisoners for life outside jail. | |
It is intended to reward inmates for good behaviour and participation in programmes designed to prevent reoffending. | |
"That means meeting certain standards of behaviour whilst in prison and on release, for instance getting off and staying off drugs," the statement added. | |
If we are serious about encouraging people to lead a responsible life on release...then it is not to much to ask that they get another pound a week Juliet LyonPrison Reform Trust | |
Under Prison Service rules, inmates who take part in "purposeful activity" are paid a small amount as part of measures to encourage rehabilitation. | Under Prison Service rules, inmates who take part in "purposeful activity" are paid a small amount as part of measures to encourage rehabilitation. |
Payments are made for activities including prison work - such as catering, cleaning, data entry or component assembly - or attending classes or schemes designed to tackle offending. | |
Prisoners can also lose money for disciplinary reasons. | Prisoners can also lose money for disciplinary reasons. |
Nick Palmer, Labour MP and member of the justice select committee, said it was right the rise is prisoners' pay was put on hold at a time when other public service workers were being asked to accept pay rises of 2-3%. | Nick Palmer, Labour MP and member of the justice select committee, said it was right the rise is prisoners' pay was put on hold at a time when other public service workers were being asked to accept pay rises of 2-3%. |
"I do not think you can sensibly or even reasonably say that prisoners should get a pay rise of 38%," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. | "I do not think you can sensibly or even reasonably say that prisoners should get a pay rise of 38%," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. |
But Juliet Lyon, director of the Prison Reform Trust, said the pay was an important part of preparation for life outside prison. | |
"If we are serious about encouraging people to lead a responsible life on release and work constructively then clearly it is not to much to ask that they get another pound a week," she added. | "If we are serious about encouraging people to lead a responsible life on release and work constructively then clearly it is not to much to ask that they get another pound a week," she added. |
Financial restrictions | |
The minimum pay for prisoners who are ill or deemed unemployed because there is not anything for them to do was also set to go up under the proposals, from £2.50 to £4, a rise of 60%. | |
But Colin Moses, national chairman of the Prison Officers' Association, told BBC Radio 5 Live's Breakfast programme prisoners should be paid only for doing work. | |
"What we need to do is get prisoners out of their cells and working - not pay them for idleness. We have far too many people in prison currently not being occupied with work." | |
The Prison Service operates a range of restrictions on prisoners' finances and they are not allowed to hold cash for security reasons. | The Prison Service operates a range of restrictions on prisoners' finances and they are not allowed to hold cash for security reasons. |
However, they can carry out a limited range of financial transactions, including sending cheques to people outside of jail, if the authorities conclude there are no security implications. | However, they can carry out a limited range of financial transactions, including sending cheques to people outside of jail, if the authorities conclude there are no security implications. |
Inmates can also spend their earnings on phone calls, renting a TV or buying goods from the canteen. | |
Last week, Glyn Travis, of the Prison Officers Association, argued inmates were happy to stay inside because they could obtain drugs, mobile phones and sex. | |
The Prison Service said the prisoners had never been in a position to escape. | The Prison Service said the prisoners had never been in a position to escape. |