Rise in inmate numbers at Les Nicolles
PRISONER numbers at Les Nicolles have gone up to more than 90 for the first time since 2020 in the monthly averages.
Sexual offences convictions seem to be one aspect driving the rise.
Numbers have been relatively stable at about 80 for the last three years, with it last hitting 90 prisoners in October 2020.
But there has been a spike in numbers at the start of this year, with a monthly average of 90 in March, 93 in April and 90 in May.
Prison governor John de Carteret said despite the higher numbers, the prison was able to accommodate more.
The prison currently has eight staff vacancies.
‘[We are in] the process of recruiting new prison officers to fill these roles,’ he said.
‘Resourcing in a complex operational environment can be challenging, but we are delivering a safe and effective service.’
The most common offence category incarcerated is sexual offences.
Of the 86 inmates in prison yesterday, 27 were in for sexual offences. This was an increase from 24 in February this year and 13 in September last year. The numbers do fluctuate regularly.
Sex offences have taken over from drug offences as the most common cause of imprisonment.
There are 26 people currently in for drug offences, while there were 13 people jailed for violence. These three types of offences make up 78% of all convictions.
Other conviction types include driving and public order matters.
Of the 86 prisoners, 17 are on remand – awaiting court hearings for charges.
Two inmates are under 18, eight are aged 18 to 20, while 70 are aged 21 to 54.
There are only four women in the prison at present.
The most common sentence length is a year to four years, with 29 of the inmates serving that length. There are just four prisoners serving 10 years or more.
Historically numbers have been much higher at the prison, with an average of 91 in 2019 and 100 in 2018.
Between July 2018 and March 2019 numbers did not drop below 100 and peaked at 114.
Guernsey Prison has a certified normal accommodation capacity of 134, although operation capacity is impacted by the make-up of the prison population and the type of offences they have committed.
