Isle of Man prison staffing, inmates and issues
| Authority | Department of Home Affairs |
|---|---|
| Date received | 2025-06-30 |
| Outcome | Some information sent but not all held |
| Outcome date | 2025-07-28 |
| Case ID | 4765213 |
Summary
The Department of Home Affairs provided annual inmate population figures from 2020 to 2024 and details on a new wing's occupancy, but refused to provide monthly breakdowns of violence, injuries, and lockdowns as the data does not exist in the requested format.
Key Facts
- Total inmate population figures were provided annually for 2020 through 2024.
- The authority stated that specific records for monthly violence, injuries, and lockdowns are not held.
- Complying with the request for violence statistics would require creating new records or undertaking analysis.
- The prison receives approximately 380 incident records per year covering all types of incidents.
- The new wing has a maximum occupancy of 24 and currently houses 20 male inmates.
Data Disclosed
- 2020: 100 inmates
- 2021: 111 inmates
- 2022: 93 inmates
- 2023: 100 inmates
- 2024: 140.3 inmates
- 380 records per year
- 20 current inmates in new wing
- 24 maximum occupancy in new wing
- Reference number 4765213
- Date received: 2025-06-30
- Outcome date: 2025-07-28
Exemptions Cited
- Information not held or cannot be found after reasonable steps
- Request would require creation or derivation of new records
- Request would require research or analysis of existing information
Original Request
'(1) Number of inmates from 2020: Per year and within that, per month - how many per wing and how many per age, and how many on 4 plus year sentences (2) Inmates - violence (a) Please state by year and by month (since 2020) the recorded levels of violence committed by inmates (b) Please state by year and by month (since 2020) the number of staff and officers injured by inmates (c) Please state by year and by month (since 2020) the number of staff and officers injured by inmates that have required medical treatment and admission to hospital (please state both) (d) Please state by year and by month (since 2020) the number of lockdowns of wings (please state by wing and reasons) (3) New wing: How many inmates occupy the new wing (please split by gender, category of inmate, year and month) and please state what the maximum occupancy is on the wing, and what category of inmate is supposed to be in the wing'
Data Tables (1)
| 2020 | 100 |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 111 |
| 2022 | 93 |
| 2023 | 100 |
| 2024 | 140.3 |
Full Response Text
Freedom of Information Coordinator DHA Headquarters Tromode Road, Douglas, Isle of Man, IM2 5AP
Telephone: (01624) 687017
Web address: www.gov.im/dha
Email: DPO-DHA@dha.gov.im
Our ref: 4765213 15 July 2025
Dear ###
We write further to your request, received 30 June 2025, which states:
"'(1) Number of inmates from 2020: Per year and within that, per month - how many per wing and how many per age, and how many on 4 plus year sentences
(2) Inmates - violence
(a) Please state by year and by month (since 2020) the recorded levels of violence committed by inmates
(b) Please state by year and by month (since 2020) the number of staff and officers injured by inmates
(c) Please state by year and by month (since 2020) the number of staff and officers injured by inmates that have required medical treatment and admission to hospital (please state both)
(d) Please state by year and by month (since 2020) the number of lockdowns of wings (please state by wing and reasons)
(3) New wing: How many inmates occupy the new wing (please split by gender, category of inmate, year and month) and please state what the maximum occupancy is on the wing, and what category of inmate is supposed to be in the wing'"
While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the public authority does not hold or cannot, after taking reasonable steps to do so, find some of the information that you have requested. I have detailed below the information that is held and offered some additional advice and assistance on the information that we have been unable to provide on this occasion. I have detailed below the information that is held and offered some additional advice and assistance on the information that we have been unable to provide on this occasion.
- Please see below the inmates from the year 2020 – 2024. As additional attachments you will also find the figures split by wing, age and sentence:
2020 100 2021 111 2022 93 2023 100 2024 140.3
- While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance, complying with your request would require the Department of Home Affairs (the Department) to create or derive new records from the information that it holds as well as undertake research into, or analysis of, information that it holds.
Although no specific record is kept. The prison does receive approximately 380 records per year. These records include every type of incident within the prison and is not specific to only injuries. These records will cover both staff and prisoners, and staff injured whilst dealing with refractory prisoners for example.
- At the time of completing this request the population was 20. The maximum occupancy on this wing is 24 and is all male. Prisoners are not categorised.
Please quote the reference number 4765213 in any future communications.
Your right to request a review
If you are unhappy with this response to your freedom of information request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review of the response, by completing a complaint form and submitting it electronically or by delivery/post.
An electronic version of our complaint form can be found by going to our website at https://services.gov.im/freedom-of-information/Review . If you would like a paper version of our complaint form to be sent to you by post, please contact me and I will be happy to arrange for this. Your review request should explain why you are dissatisfied with this response, and should be made as soon as practicable. We will respond as soon as the review has been concluded.
If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to appeal
to the Information Commissioner for a decision on;
1. Whether we have responded to your request for information in accordance with
Part 2 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015; or
2. Whether we are justified in refusing to give you the information requested.
In response to an application for review, the Information Commissioner may, at any
time, attempt to resolve a matter by negotiation, conciliation, mediation or another
form of alternative dispute resolution and will have regard to any outcome of this in
making any subsequent decision.
More detailed information on your right to a review can be found on the Information Commissioner’s website at www.inforights.im. Should you have any queries concerning this letter, please do not hesitate to contact me. Further information about freedom of information requests can be found at www.gov.im/foi.
I will now close your request as of this date.