Department of Home Affairs
78 FOI requests | Full disclosure rate: 100.0%
The Freedom of Information requests to the Department of Home Affairs reveal an authority that is highly transparent regarding its own administrative spending and prison operational policies, yet structurally fragmented when it comes to policing data. A clear pattern emerges where the DHA readily discloses financial details, such as the £4.20 daily prison food cost (921153), the lack of Manx-made bread in prisons (1252086), and the specifics of fire safety self-regulation (415933). However, the department frequently acts as a gatekeeper rather than a data holder for law enforcement, consistently responding with 'Information not held' to queries about crime statistics, traffic accidents, and arrest numbers, directing requesters to the separate Isle of Man Constabulary (e.g., 540837, 1049662). This creates a transparency gap where the public can see the cost of running the prison but struggles to get a unified picture of police activity.
Key Cases
Case 377143 — This case is notable for addressing a sensitive human rights issue: the lack of a specific policy for transgender and gender-fluid prisoners, revealing that care is managed via individual plans rather than standardized protocol, which raises questions about consistency in treatment.
Case 1294977 — A critical disclosure during the pandemic, this case confirmed that 24 individuals were sentenced to custody for breaching emergency regulations, providing concrete evidence of the severity of the government's enforcement strategy during the crisis.
Case 415933 — This case exposed a significant regulatory gap in fire safety, revealing that the system relies heavily on self-regulation with minimal prosecutions, challenging the public's assumption of active enforcement for flat and licensed premises safety.
Case 927918 — Regarding the ITV programme 'The Best Little Prison in Britain', the DHA refused to release most internal documents, citing they were 'reasonably accessible' via Hansard. This highlights the tension between media scrutiny and the department's interpretation of public availability exemptions.
Case 2005465 — This request provided a comprehensive breakdown of resignations and workforce statistics within the Prison & Probation Service, offering rare insight into staff retention and the internal stability of the correctional system over a three-year period.
Related FOI Stories
Prison Operations, Welfare, and Procurement — #377143, #379735, #415636, #636965, #709665
Fire Safety Enforcement and Emergency Response — #415933, #356127, #361209, #743265, #762066
Policing Data Fragmentation and Jurisdictional Deflection — #413642, #373633, #445035, #540837, #575339
Pandemic Enforcement and Emergency Powers — #1277345, #1293345, #1294977, #1354141, #1601449
Government Property and Financial Transparency — #379238, #378340, #378936, #379240, #451740
All (78)
Information not held (103) ·
All information sent (78) ·
Some information sent but not all held (48) ·
Some information sent but part exempt (17) ·
No information sent - all held but exempt (12) ·
Request lapsed - requested information not provided (3) ·
Not upheld (3) ·
Repeated request (2) ·
Not required to fulfill request (2) ·
| Date | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-29 | Defibrillators in emergency vehicles | All information sent |
| A request was made to the Department of Home Affairs regarding the number of emergency vehicles and defibrillators in the Isle of Man Fire and Rescue Service fleet, along with their usage policy. The authority disclosed that there are 37 emergency vehicles and 15 defibrillators, noting that while there is no specific policy, defibrillators are standard on first response vehicles. | ||
| 2025-12-23 | Isle of Man Prison Team Based Self Rostering Scheme (TBSR) survey | All information sent |
| The requester sought the survey questions, answers, and the identity of the surveyor regarding the Isle of Man Prison's Team Based Self Rostering (TBSR) scheme to verify claims made by the Governor. The Department of Home Affairs disclosed all requested information, revealing that while staff liked TBSR, they felt it was not working due to staffing shortages, and confirmed the survey was conducted by an independent external officer. | ||
| 2025-10-31 | government/police contract | All information sent |
| The requester questioned the delay in issuing a tender for Vehicle Recovery Services, alleging unfairness to potential contractors. The Department of Home Affairs responded that the tender is currently in its four-week Invitation to Tender stage and had already attracted interest from four organizations. | ||
| 2025-09-30 | Isle Of Man Prison | All information sent |
| A request was made to the Department of Home Affairs for the maximum occupancy and current inmate population of the Isle of Man Prison. The authority disclosed that the prison's maximum capacity is 165 and it currently holds 147 inmates. | ||
| 2025-09-30 | AFA Fines and Charging | All information sent |
| The request sought details on the Isle of Man Fire and Rescue Service's charging policy for false Automatic Fire Alarm (AFA) callouts. The authority disclosed the full 'User Pays Agreement' structure, including standard rates, public holiday surcharges, and escalating fees for properties with multiple false alarms. | ||
| 2025-09-09 | Fire Service Cardiac Arrests | All information sent |
| The requester asked for the number of 'Fire Cardiac' jobs logged in the iNet system for 2025 to date. The Department of Home Affairs disclosed a search result of 121 entries but clarified that this figure includes duplicates and stood-down incidents, making it an inaccurate representation of actual responses. | ||
| 2025-08-27 | Prison | All information sent |
| The requester asked for 10-year re-offending statistics for prisoners released from Jurby Prison between 2015 and 2025. The Department of Home Affairs responded by providing the requested data in an attached document. | ||
| 2025-07-09 | Prison officer retention | All information sent |
| The requester asked for the number of prison officers who joined and left the Isle of Man Prison over the past six years. The Department of Home Affairs disclosed that data for 2020-2025 is available in a previous FOI response, while data for 2019 was provided as an attached document. | ||
| 2024-09-09 | Temporary Workers Employed via Agencies | All information sent |
| The request sought the number of temporary workers employed by the Department of Home Affairs via third-party agencies in 2023 and 2024, broken down by grade. The authority disclosed that four temporary workers were employed across specific divisions, noting that agency staff do not hold formal PSC grades but align with them. | ||
| 2024-04-09 | NARPO compensation scheme declaration | All information sent |
| 2024-02-21 | PPD | All information sent |
| 2024-02-14 | 999 Call Volume | All information sent |
| 2023-09-14 | Deaths at IOM Prison | All information sent |
| 2023-07-27 | Number of detainees arriving at IOM Prison with previous convictions. | All information sent |
| 2023-07-11 | Isle of Man Steam Packet Company fireworks display | All information sent |
| 2023-06-23 | Annual cost of running IOM Prison | All information sent |
| 2023-05-31 | Illicit substances recovered within the Isle of Man Prison | All information sent |
| 2023-05-15 | Capacity at Tromode House | All information sent |
| 2023-05-04 | The purchase of wooden benches for the Isle of Man Prison | All information sent |
| 2023-05-02 | Road Traffic Collisions @ A24 Foxdale to Mines Road | All information sent |
| 2023-03-02 | IOM Prison attempted Suicide | All information sent |
| 2023-03-01 | Commuting, Travel and Expenses | All information sent |
| 2023-02-28 | Resignations Prison and Probation | All information sent |
| 2023-02-22 | Sickness Prison and Probation | All information sent |
| 2023-01-31 | List of all Dept of Home Affairs bids to Treasury | All information sent |
| 2023-01-26 | Policy on gender identities who are sentenced to prison | All information sent |
| 2023-01-24 | Man hours and costs for Friday 5th August 2022 at Jurby Incident | All information sent |
| 2023-01-24 | Manhours and costs to attend fires on Steam Train routes in 2022 | All information sent |
| 2023-01-10 | ex gratia police housing allowance issue payments | All information sent |
| 2022-10-05 | New Firefighters | All information sent |
| 2022-09-09 | Unpublished Responses to FOIA Requests | All information sent |
| 2022-09-06 | independent monitoring board | All information sent |
| The requester asked for details on the appointment process and member history of the Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) from 2019 to 2022. The Department of Home Affairs disclosed the legal basis for appointments and confirmed that member names were withheld due to unanimous refusal, though appointment and expiry dates were provided. | ||
| 2022-09-05 | W3W Communications | All information sent |
| A request was made for all correspondence between the Department of Home Affairs and What 3 Words, including meeting metadata. The authority responded by releasing all requested information with minor redactions applied to personal details of staff. | ||
| 2022-03-29 | Review | All information sent |
| The requester sought the internal review of the Department of Home Affairs referenced in a February 2022 press release. The authority disclosed the 'Blue Light Service' review document, originally commissioned in 2018 and updated in 2021, along with a link to a related parliamentary response. | ||
| 2021-11-10 | Prison applicant vetting | All information sent |
| The requester asked for prison officer vetting policies, a specific letter from the Prison Governor, and refusal statistics for the last five years. The Department of Home Affairs provided links to general recruitment policies but confirmed that the specific letter does not exist and the refusal data is not recorded. | ||
| 2021-10-22 | DHA Food and Drink | All information sent |
| The requester asked for records of food and drink expenditure by the Department of Home Affairs for the financial years 2017-18 through 2020-21. The authority disclosed the total expenditure figures for each year, noting that the costs primarily relate to the Prison, Custody, Court Cells, and Community Rehabilitation Centre, while excluding individual expense claims. | ||
| 2021-09-23 | Workers within the PAPs who have resigned between 1/9/2018 & 23/9/2021 | All information sent |
| The Department of Home Affairs responded to a request for data on resignations and workforce statistics within the Isle of Man Prison & Probation Service between September 2018 and September 2021. The authority disclosed all requested information, providing breakdowns of resignations by gender and year, as well as detailed workforce numbers by pay band and employment status. | ||
| 2021-06-08 | P50 Fire Extinguishers | All information sent |
| The requestor asked for all correspondence regarding P50 fire extinguishers, specifically emails involving the Isle of Man Fire Service. The Department of Home Affairs confirmed that all requested information was sent, with personal data redacted for privacy. | ||
| 2021-03-10 | Sexual Harrassment complaints | All information sent |
| The requester asked for statistics on sexual harassment complaints received by the Department of Home Affairs between 2015 and 2020, including demographic breakdowns. The authority responded that no such complaints were received during that period and noted that the Isle of Man Constabulary is a separate entity for such inquiries. | ||
| 2021-01-22 | Prison Adjudication System | All information sent |
| The Department of Home Affairs responded to a request for monthly statistics on the Isle of Man prison system from February to December 2020, disclosing data on prisoner numbers, adjudications, legal aid, and transfer applications. | ||
| 2020-11-24 | Provision of Court ordered probation services | All information sent |
| A request was made to the Department of Home Affairs regarding statistics on court-ordered alcohol awareness courses, including pending attendees, past completion rates, and future planning. The authority disclosed that 255 people are currently required to attend, 32 people have attended 3 courses since November 2019, and 4 courses are planned for the following 12 months. | ||
| 2020-11-23 | Civil defence | All information sent |
| The requester asked for the number of Civil Defence call-outs over the past three years and whether any lives were saved. The Department of Home Affairs disclosed the total number of call-outs but stated it is not possible to quantify the number of lives saved directly resulting from their intervention. | ||
| 2020-11-23 | Criminal Investigation Involving Isle of Man Judiciary | All information sent |
| 2020-08-11 | Organisation Chart | All information sent |
| A request was made for an organisation chart of the Isle of Man Probation Services including reporting lines to the Department of Home Affairs. The authority confirmed that all requested information was sent to the applicant. | ||
| 2020-08-11 | Calculation of Release Dates | All information sent |
| The requester asked for the open calculation sheet used by the Prison Service to determine release dates for offenders sentenced between 12 months and 4 years. The Department of Home Affairs responded by sending the requested information in full. | ||
| 2020-05-19 | Data Protection Policy and Requests -Specific to Prison and Probation | All information sent |
| 2020-05-19 | Short Term Detainee Licence Conditions Issue | All information sent |
| The requester asked for policies and procedures regarding licence conditions for short-term detainees in the Isle of Man. The Department of Home Affairs responded by stating the information is publicly available and provided a direct link to the relevant webpage. | ||
| 2020-05-04 | Number of detainees on/been on Isolation wing at IOM Prison | All information sent |
| The requester asked for statistics on detainees passing through and currently remaining on the IOM Prison Isolation wing introduced in March 2020. The Department of Home Affairs confirmed that all requested information was sent, though the specific numerical data is not included in the provided text. | ||
| 2020-03-30 | Bread | All information sent |
| The request asked whether the Isle of Man prison purchases locally made bread and details about its supply chain. The Department of Home Affairs disclosed that no Manx bread is bought; instead, frozen bread made by Fletchers is purchased from Robinsons. | ||
| 2020-03-13 | Data Protection Policy and Procedures | All information sent |
| The requester asked for the Data Protection Policy and Procedures relevant to the Isle of Man Prison and Probationary Services. The Department of Home Affairs responded by sending all requested information, confirming the release of the documents. | ||
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