Young Offenders: Education
Justice
Written answers and statements, 5 November 2009
Robert Wilson (Whip, Whips; Reading East, Conservative)
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many hours per day on average a young offender spent (a) in cells, (b) undergoing education and training and (c) in free association in the latest period for which figures are available.
Maria Eagle (Minister of State (also in the Government Equalities Office), Ministry of Justice; Liverpool, Garston, Labour)
In 2008-09 in young offender institution (YOI) and juvenile establishments, an average of 15.5 hours per weekday was spent in cells per prisoner per day including sleeping time. An average of 1.79 hours per day was spent in education and training, with a further 0.71 hours spent on physical education activities both educational and recreational. An average of 2.57 hours per day was spent in free association. The remaining 3.43 hours can be spent on other activities such as chapel visits, work, offending behaviour programmes or sentence planning activities which would be considered purposeful and are therefore recorded. Prisoners may take part in various other activities which are not defined as purposeful under the purposeful activity criteria and are therefore not recorded.