Disclosure Team
Ministry of Justice
102 Petty France
London
SW1H 9AJ
Julian Shersby
xxxx.xxxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx.xx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx
August 2018
Dear Mr Shersby
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Request – 180731003
Thank you for your request dated 31 July 2018 in which you asked for the following
information from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ):
1. Please indicate what information is currently given to prisoners in the Parkhurst
section of HMP Isle of Wight about the per minute call cost and/or also any
connection fee or minimum call length charging period for making calls to numbers
on their approved PIN calling list to both landline (01, 02) or mobile (07) numbers at
peak and offpeak times. Please also indicate whether such information is provided on
an information sheet given to prisoners when they sign up for a PIN phone account or
also if the call information is clearly and prominently displayed next to each PIN
payphone located on the wings in the prison of if there is a freephone number all
prisoners can dial in order to confirm the current per minute and/or connection
charges to call landline and mobile phone numbers. Also please indicate if prisoners
are able to obtain any form of itemised billing about their calling history on their PIN
account in the Parkhurst section of HMP Isle of Wight either generally at any time on
request or in particular in the event of any unexpected reductions in their PIN phone
account call credit balance that they are unable to account for.
2. If possible within the costs constraints of processing a Freedom of Information Act
request please indicate what information is given to prisoners or remandees about
the cost of making phone calls using either the prison PIN phone system or any other
telephone systems currently available to prisoners at all other prison establishments
across the UK operated by HM Prison and Probation Service (although it is believed
there may be different arrangements in operation in Scotland or Northern Ireland that
may necessitate further FOI requests to those bodies) or by prisons operated by
subcontractors working for HM Prisons and Probation Service (eg G4S). Please also
indicate whether such information is provided to prisoners on an information sheet
given to prisoners when they sign up for a PIN phone account or any other phone
calling account system or if the call information is clearly and prominently displayed
next to each PIN payphone located on the wings in each of the prisons of if there is a
freephone number that prisoners can dial to confirm the current per minute and/or
connection charges to call landline and mobile phone numbers at each prison or
youth offender establishment. Also please indicate if prisoners are able to obtain any
form of itemised billing about their calling history on their PIN account in each prison
operated by directly by HM Prison and Probation Service or by any of its privatised
subcontractors (eg G4S) either generally at any time on request or in particular in the
event of any unexpected reductions in their PIN phone account call credit balance
that they are unable to account for.
3. If possible within the cost constraints of processing a Freedom of Information Act
request please also indicate what direct proactive information is provided to
prisoners using the PIN phone system or any other phone systems used by prisoners
in all prisons operated by HM Prison and Probation Service or to prisoners located in
prisons operated by subcontractors engaged by HM Prison and Probation Service to
operate prisons (eg G4S Security) with regard to any planned increase or decrease
(the latter recently being the more usual) in per minute phone call costs to landline
(01/02) or mobile (07) phone numbers both in advance of any change in the cost of the
phone calls and in the immediate aftermath (say in the next 1 to 3 months) of such a
change in the cost of making phone calls being made?
Your request has been handled under the FOIA.
I can confirm that the MoJ holds the information that you have requested and I have
provided it below.
Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) (formerly National Offenders
Management Service (NOMS))) re-negotiated their contract with British Telecom (BT)
regarding pin phones and were able to secure reductions in the costs of calls for all
prisoners with effect from 1 June 2016. These call charges apply to all HMPPS prisons and
were communicated to prisoners at the time the change was implemented:
Adult &
Old Rates (Up
Young People
Young
Type of call
Time of day
to 31 May
(Under 18)
Offender
2016)
Rates
Rates
Weekdays
(midnight
9.17p
8.27p
4.6p
Sunday to
Calls to UK
midday Friday)
fixed line
Weekend
(midday Friday
8.16p
7.35p
4.1p
to midnight
Sunday)
Weekdays
(midnight
20.4p
18.4p
10.3p
Sunday to
Calls to UK
midday Friday)
mobiles
Weekend
(midday Friday
13.2p
12.0p
6.7p
to midnight
Sunday)
2
International
calls
(this is an
Weekdays
average, rates
and
63.73p
57.3p
31.9p
may vary
weekends
depending on
the country
being called)
In addition, in a move to improve prisoner’s ability to maintain ties with relatives and friends,
the Secretary of State for Justice recently announced plans to further roll out in cell
telephones. While this is already in place at 20 establishments, plans are underway to
extend this to a further 20 over the next two years.
With regard to your specific questions I can provide the following information.
1. Officials at HMP Isle of Wight have advised that no specific information is currently given
to prisoners about call costs or connection fees unless they request this. The generic pin
phone information does not contain costs. Officials have confirmed that itemised billing is
available should prisoners request this in writing. A full record that provides individual costs
of calls can be obtained in the form of a print out on request. Officials at HMP Isle of Wight
advise that with immediate effect the current PIN phone call price list will now be issued to
prisoners as part of their induction at the prison.
2. Please see the information provided above regarding call costs for all HMPPS
establishments. As prisons in Scotland and Northern Ireland do not come under this
department I am unable to provide you with this information. I have provided contact address
for ease of reference.
Scottish Prison Service Headquarters
Communications Branch
Room G20
Calton House
5 Redheughs Rigg
Edinburgh
EH12 9HW
General enquiries email:
xxxxxxxx@xxx.xxx.xxx.xx
Department of Justice
Block B
Castle Buildings
Stormont Estate
Belfast
Northern Ireland
BT4 3SG
3. With regard to any planned increase in call charges I can confirm that the setting of tariffs
remains the responsibility of the current provider of the PIN phone contract, which is BT.
3
Appeal Rights
If you are not satisfied with this response you have the right to request an internal review by
responding in writing to one of the addresses below within two months of the date of this
response.
xxxx.xxxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx.xx
Disclosure Team, Ministry of Justice, 10.38, 102 Petty France, London, SW1H 9AJ
You do have the right to ask the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) to investigate any
aspect of your complaint. However, please note that the ICO is likely to expect internal
complaints procedures to have been exhausted before beginning their investigation.
Yours sincerely
J Nicholson
Long Term and High Security Estate
4
