Having money in prison

PRISON

Prison life – an overview

When someone goes to prison they have to follow many rules and procedures – but they also have certain rights. Find out more about what prison life is like, what prisoners can expect while they are there and what happens if rules are broken.

What happens when someone arrives at prison

When someone’s convicted and sent to prison by a court, they’re first sent to a prison near the court where they were convicted.

When they arrive, checks take place to make sure they have everything they need and to highlight any problems, like a medical condition.

Deciding which prison someone is kept in

The prisoner is assessed at the first prison they arrive at. This assessment leads to a decision about which type of prison they serve their sentence at.

Prisoners' rights

All prisoners have certain rights, which include protection from bullying

All prisoners have certain rights. These include:

· the right to food and water

· protection from bullying and racial harassment

· being able to get in contact with a solicitor

· healthcare - including support for prisoners with a mental health condition

What a prisoner can keep in their prison cell

Each prison has its own rules about what a prisoner can keep in their cell. They may be able to keep things such as:

· newspapers, books and magazines

· a stereo, or something to play music on, and earphones

· writing and drawing materials

Prison staff can search a cell at any time, without warning. They can punish a prisoner if any banned items are found - for example, illegal drugs or alcohol.

Smoking in a prison cell

A prisoner is allowed to smoke in their own cell, but they aren’t allowed to smoke anywhere else inside the prison building.

A non-smoking prisoner doesn’t have to share a cell with a prisoner who smokes.

Spending time outside the prison building

All prisoners should be able to spend between 30 minutes and an hour outside in the open air each day.

The exact time allowed is different for each prison.

Having money in prison

Prisoners can’t keep cash with them while they are in prison.

The prison keeps money on their behalf in a private cash account. Relatives or friends of the prisoner can send money into these accounts.

Prison staff decide how much money a prisoner can spend, depending on how well the prisoner behaves.

If money is available in their private cash account, a convicted prisoner can have access to one of the following amounts a week:

· £4

· £15.50

· £25.50

If money is available in their private cash account, a prisoner on remand can have access to one of the following amounts a week:

· £22

· £47.50

· £51

Being 'on remand' means the prisoner is waiting for their trial.

Prison shops

Most prisons have a shop where things like toothpaste, deodorant, snacks and postage stamps can be bought.

Дата добавления: 2015-10-28