Protecting the public

Managing risk in custody

There is considerable work undertaken prior to offenders being released from custody.

Offender managers work with offender supervisors inside prisons to manage the potential risks an offender may pose on release.

Offender managers write robust risk management plans for individual offenders and advise the Parole Board on the individual offender's risk of harm. 

This advice may include the recommendation for the offender to live in Approved Premises (new window) and to carry on with intervention programmes once they are back in the community.  

Risk assessment is vital to keeping prisoners and prison staff safe from harm

Each prison has a violence reduction strategy which includes regular analysis of problem areas and an action plan to improve personal safety.

Assessment and management of risk are key elements of local strategies to reduce violence. The work is linked with other key areas, for examples, suicide and self-harm prevention, diversity, drug and substance misuse, health and safety, child protection (in the juvenile estate) and Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (new window). One particular process is cell-sharing risk assessment

On entry to any establishment prisoners are assessed to identify any risk they pose to another prisoner in order to inform cell-allocation. This assessment usually requires an input from healthcare and prison staff.