Prisoner categories

Introduction

Each prisoner is an individual, and the changes they need to make in order to stop repeat offending are also individual. The offender management process is designed to:

• give the best match of available programmes, employment and constructive activities for each prisoner, and
• sequence programmes, work and activities effectively.

The offender management process covers a variety of prisoners. It is useful to place a prisoner in a suitable category so that needed changes to behaviour, and activities to achieve them, can be properly targeted.

Prisoner categories

These are the categories of prisoner covered by the offender management process.

Remand

Remand means prisoners who are remanded in custody awaiting trial or sentencing.
Note: Offender plans are completed for those who have had more than 8 weeks in custody.

Short Serving

Short Serving means prisoners who have less than 26 weeks to serve.

Maintenance

Maintenance means prisoners who:

• are assessed as lower risk of reconviction and re-imprisonment, and
• have more than 26 weeks to serve.

Functional Support

Functional Support See the following topic, “Functional Support Category”.

Intervention

Intervention means prisoners who:

• are higher risk of reconviction and re-imprisonment
• are judged appropriate for rehabilitative programmes although some may have some motivation issues to address before addressing their rehabilitative needs, and
• have more than 26 weeks to serve.

Note: No plan is completed for very short serving prisoners who have less than 28 days to serve.

How the category is decided

The prisoner category is initially determined by the PCO sentence planning, prior to allocating the post sentencing assessment to a sentence planner.

The prisoner category can be changed, at any time, if there is evidence to indicate that a prisoner should be managed under an alternative category. The prisoner category can only be changed in IOMS by the PCO sentence planning.

See: “Determine prisoner category” and “Category Override” in Part 3, Chapter 3-2 for more information.