Department of Home Affairs
17 FOI requests | Full disclosure rate: 458.8%
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-12-29 | Cost of reports | Some information sent but part exempt |
| The request sought the costs paid to the UK Prison and Probation Ombudsman for investigating two deaths in an Isle of Man prison in May 2023. The Department of Home Affairs disclosed a total expenditure of £90,588.79, including invoices for clinical reviews and recovery payments, though the response was marked as partially exempt. | ||
| 2025-10-06 | Isle of Man Law Society quarterly meeting agendas/attachments/minutes | Some information sent but part exempt |
| The requester asked for agendas, attachments, and minutes of quarterly meetings between the Department of Home Affairs and the Isle of Man Law Society from 2019 to the present. The authority disclosed informal notes from 2023 to 2025 but withheld earlier records and specific details citing exemptions for public business and personal information. | ||
| 2025-03-25 | Resettlement Day Release | Some information sent but part exempt |
| The requester asked for a five-year record detailing the destination of the 20% wage deduction taken by the prison from RDR contracts. The Department of Home Affairs provided a partial transaction list but withheld specific personal data and the identities of local suppliers due to exemptions. | ||
| 2025-03-11 | Prison | Some information sent but part exempt |
| A request for information regarding the Isle of Man Prison's design capacity, current population, and the use of Porto cabin cells was partially fulfilled. The Department of Home Affairs provided specific statistics on capacity and population but exempted details on cabin facilities, directing the requester to public inspection reports instead. | ||
| 2024-07-01 | Isle of Man Prison Portacabins | Some information sent but part exempt |
| A request for details on portacabins used as temporary prisoner accommodation at Isle of Man Prison was partially fulfilled, disclosing the number of units and estimated costs while exempting specific staffing figures. | ||
| 2024-06-05 | On-call information | Some information sent but part exempt |
| A request was made to the Department of Home Affairs for details on on-call hours, response times, and pay rates for Isle of Man government staff. The authority partially disclosed the information by providing a detailed salary and overtime rate table for the Fire and Rescue Service, while withholding specific data on on-call hours and response times. | ||
| 2024-04-09 | incorrectly calculated NARPO compensation scheme | Some information sent but part exempt |
| 2024-02-28 | Release of Firearms Security Handbook - Correspondence DHA/IOMC | Some information sent but part exempt |
| 2024-02-02 | Number of young people sentenced to juvenile prison (secure unit) | Some information sent but part exempt |
| 2023-11-13 | Transgender Prisoners | Some information sent but part exempt |
| 2023-10-03 | Funds sent to the UK and elsewhere | Some information sent but part exempt |
| 2023-09-20 | Information about investigation into listening device in IOM Prison | Some information sent but part exempt |
| 2023-08-01 | Backdated compensation paid to 10 police officers but unpaid to 221 | Some information sent but part exempt |
| 2023-06-16 | Prisoner payouts | Some information sent but part exempt |
| 2023-05-16 | DHA Equality and Employment Tribunals | Some information sent but part exempt |
| 2021-09-10 | Details required of Vehicle Recovery contract for the Police | Some information sent but part exempt |
| A request for details on the Vehicle Recovery contract tender process and agreement for the Isle of Man Constabulary was initially rejected by the Department of Home Affairs as they did not hold the information, but a subsequent response provided the tender advertisement dates and attached the service specification. | ||
| 2019-09-11 | The Best Little Prison in Britain TV programme | Some information sent but part exempt |
| The requester asked for all documents related to the ITV programme 'The Best Little Prison in Britain', including meeting notes, contracts, and correspondence. The Department of Home Affairs provided some enclosed information but refused to supply the majority of the requested documents because they are already reasonably accessible via the Tynwald website and Hansard. | ||