Department of Home Affairs
12 FOI requests | Full disclosure rate: 650.0%
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
| Date | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-11-17 | Calculation of prisoner leaving dates | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| The requester asked for the full calculation system used to determine prisoner release dates, but the Department of Home Affairs refused to provide it directly, stating the information is already reasonably accessible via the Custody Act 1995 and Custody Rules 2015. | ||
| 2025-11-06 | Drone incidents at Isle of Man Prison | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| A request was made for details on drone incidents, seizures, and smuggled items at Isle of Man Prison between 2020 and 2025, but the Department of Home Affairs refused to disclose any information. | ||
| 2025-07-31 | Daily Operations Meeting Notes | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| A request for Daily Operations Meeting Notes and correspondence regarding working agreements at the prison between 2016 and 2023 was refused by the Department of Home Affairs. The authority determined that fulfilling the request would require substantial compilation and collation of over 1,800 documents, which is not required under the Freedom of Information Act. | ||
| 2025-06-30 | Freedom of Information Request - Intrusive Surveillance Warrants Issue | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| The requester asked for the number of intrusive surveillance warrants authorized in 2024 and details on applications and approvals. The Department of Home Affairs withheld the information, citing an exemption because the data is scheduled for future publication in the Surveillance Commissioner's annual report. | ||
| 2024-07-17 | Prisoner suicides in relation to the UK. | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| The request asked for suicide statistics at the Isle of Man Prison over the last 10 years and a comparison to UK averages. The authority confirmed no new suicides since a previous 2023 disclosure but stated it does not hold the requested UK comparative data. | ||
| 2023-07-19 | Earystane & Scards, Sulby & Druidale | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| 2023-06-20 | Whistleblowers Report | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| 2023-06-20 | Mr Traynor KC's appointment | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| 2023-03-24 | Draft HMIP report | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| 2022-07-07 | Parole Committee | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| A request was made for the current membership list of the Isle of Man Parole Committee, but the Department of Home Affairs refused to disclose the information citing absolute exemptions for personal data. | ||
| 2020-08-11 | Data Protection Officer and Subject Access Request | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| The requester asked for the name and contact details of the Data Protection Officer for the Isle of Man Probation Service and a specific Subject Access Request form. The Department of Home Affairs responded that no specific form is required and provided the DPO email address, while noting that some information was already reasonably accessible online. | ||
| 2017-02-27 | DHA steam packet emails | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| A request was made for emails between the Department of Home Affairs and the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company regarding harbour verification measures, but no information was disclosed as it was deemed exempt under Section 34 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015. | ||