Disclosure Team
Ministry of Justice
102 Petty France
London
SW1H 9AJ
xxxx.xxxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx.xx
Julian Shersby
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx
15 August 2018
Dear Mr Shersby
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Request – 180731012
Thank you for your request dated 31 July in which you asked for the following information
from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ):
Please can you confirm the current cost of using the PIN phone system for prison
inmates as follows:- 1. In The Parkhurst section of HMP Isle of Wight please confirm
the current per minute call cost plus any additional call connection cost per call
charged to prisoners at both any peak (eg weekday or weekday daytime including the
hours at which those charges apply) or offpeak (eg weekday evening or at weekends
including the specific hours at which any lower charging rate applies) for calling
standard UK landline phone numbers (commencing 01 or 02) and for any landline
phone numbers (commencing 07) that prisoners are authorised to call in their
individual prison PIN phone accounts? Also if possible within the cost constraints of
an FOI request please provide any earlier (probably higher) call cost rates for making
such calls to landline and mobile phones from the Parkhurst section of HMP Isle of
Wight using the PIN phone system over the last 20 years or such shorter time period
as may readily easily be available so as not to exceed the cost limits of an FOI
request. 2. Please confirm the same information as in point 1 regarding the cost of
calls using the prison PIN phone system at peak and offpeak periods to landline
(01/02) and mobile (07) phone numbers across all other prisons operated either
directly by Her Majesty's Prison and Probation Service or by third party contractors
such as G4S Security. If the current PIN phone call cost rate per minute is in fact the
same at every prison in the UK (including the Parkhurst section of HMP Isle of Wight)
then all that is requested is the applicable tariff rate (per minute and including any
connection charge) at peak and off peak periods charged to prisoners for calling
landline (01/02) or mobile (07) numbers. If however the call rate charged to prisoners
for making calls to landline and mobile phones at peak and off peak periods using the
PIN phone system varies by prison establishment then a complete break down of the
current call cost to landline and mobile phones at peak and off peak periods by prison
establishment is requested instead. Also if possible within the cost constraints of an
FOI request please provide any earlier (probably higher) call cost rates for making
such calls to landline and mobile phones at peak and off peak periods using the PIN
phone system that may have been charged over the last 20 years or any such shorter
time periods as may readily easily be available so as not to exceed the cost limits of
an individual FOI request. 3. Please provide any other currently applicable phone call
cost rates paid by inmates at peak and off peak periods to landline (01/02) or mobile
(07) phone numbers in prisons within the UK either directly operated by or operating
under contract to Her Majesty's Prison and Probation Service by third party
contractors (eg G4S) that do not operate the PIN phone account system for prisoners
but operate some other mechanism for charging prisoners to make outgoing phone
calls. Also if possible within the cost constraints of an FOI request please provide any
earlier (probably higher) call cost rates for making such calls to landline and mobile
phones at peak and off peak periods using phone systems other than the PIN phone
system that may have been charged over the last 20 years or during such shorter time
period as may readily easily be available so as not to exceed the cost limits of an
individual FOI request. 4. On a prison by prison basis within Her Majesty's Prison and
Probation Service (whether in directly operated prisons or those operated under
contract to HMPPS) please state the maximum length of phone call currently
permitted (if any such maximum length of call time is in fact applicable) to each of the
following categories of prisoners:- A. Entry Privileges Prisoners B. Basic Privileges
Prisoners C. Standard Privileges Prisoner D. Enhanced Privileges Prisoners Also if
possible within the cost constraints of an FOI request on a prison by prison basis
(whether in directly operated prisons or those operated under contract to HMPPS)
please provide any historical information that may be available over the last 20 years
(or for such shorter time period during which historic call time restrictions may
readily be available) indicating previous maximum lengths of phone calls that may
have been permitted to the following classes of prisoners or their the nearest
historical equivalent prisoner classification groups. A. Entry Privileges Prisoners B.
Basic Privileges Prisoners C. Standard Privileges Prisoners D. Enhanced Privileges
Prisoners However in respect of requests 3 and 4 if the length of maximum time
permitted for outgoing phone calls currently is and has always been the same across
all prisons of a given prison type (eg Category A, Category B, Category C and
Category D) operated by or under contract to HM Prison & Probation Service or its
antecedents then it would be satisfactory to simply provide the maximum length of
phone call time permitted for different classes of prisoner (Entry, Basic, Standard or
Enhanced) for each of the four different prison category types (Categories A to D
inclusive). The Applicant is willing to discuss varying his request in any such manner
as is practical to minimise the cost of making the above request so as to better fit in
with the manner in which such data is actually currently held by Her Majesty's Prison
and Probation Service. However it should be noted that such a request has only been
necessary in the first place because of the almost total lack of current transparency
by HMPPS in making publicly available the rate of call costs that prisoners currently
face to call either their friends or relatives.
Your request is being handled under the FOIA.
The MoJ is required to provide you with a response within 20 working days. I will send you a
response to your request by 29 August.
Yours sincerely
J Nicholson
Long Term and High Security Prisons Group.
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