PAS has received access to further guidance and policy documents relating to the treatment of prisoners during the Covid-19 pandemic, which should be, but are not, available to the public at this time. We regularly take hundreds of calls from prisoners to our Advice Line asking for information and clarity on their entitlements during the pandemic as they are often given little or vague information about changes to the regime. 

These documents (below) cover a range of matters, from cohorting prisoners and the management of symptomatic and shielded prisoners, to prisoner regimes during the pandemic. Of note is: the maintenance of the entitlement to 30 minutes in the open air daily; that all prisoners, regardless of IEP status are to be provided with a TV; the provision for prison to prison transfer only in exceptional circumstances such as compassionate family or  specific legal circumstances.

Exceptional regime and service delivery 27.03.20

HMPPS Cohorting guidance – 31 March 2020 (upd. 15 April 2020)

HMPPS Operational Guidance Temporary Regime to reduce risk – 24 March 2020

SOP Use of PPE