Committee on the Prison Disciplinary System: Report and Papers

The report, minutes, evidence, and other papers of this Committee, which was set up in 1984 to examine arrangements for dealing with alleged disciplinary offences by prisoners.

Topics

Prisons

The committee was appointed by the Home Secretary in May 1984, under the chairmanship of Peter J Prior Esq CBE DL, to examine the arrangements for dealing with alleged disciplinary offences by prisoners. Its terms of reference were 'to consider the disciplinary offences applying to prisoners, and the arrangements for their investigation, adjudication and punishment, having regard in particular to:- ( i) the need within custodial institutions for a disciplinary system which is swift, fair and conclusive; (ii) the extent to which it is appropriate to use the ordinary criminal law, courts and procedures to deal with serious misconduct by prisoners; (iii) the connection with the investigation of related allegations by prisoners about their treatment; (iv) the pressure on prison and other criminal justice resources; and to make recommendations'.

The report of the committee, Volume I (Cmnd 9641-I) and Volume 2 (Cmnd 9641-II), was published in October 1985: a copy is in HO 318/1