The Northern Ireland Prison Service is introducing from 14 April a standard ceiling of £500 on the amount of money that a prisoner can hold in their personal account.

As part of their resettlement, it is important that prisoners should be able to save money in their personal account to prepare for their return to the community. This can help prisoners and their families in the period immediately after release to overcome problems arising from lack of income, either from paid work or social security payments.

Prisoners also need a limited amount of money whilst they are in prison to enable them to make essential purchases, such as soap and toothpaste, from the tuck shop.

The rules governing prisoner accounts will be strictly enforced in order to avoid abuse. In particular the new cash account standardisation process will help to reduce the supply of drugs in prisons.

Prison Service Director Robin Masefield said:

“We are introducing a standard ceiling of £500 for two reasons. It will assist those who are preparing for release to make adequate short-term financial provisions for themselves and their families; it will also assist in maintaining the good order of the establishment.

“Whilst prisoners need to use their own money to make essential purchases whilst they are in prison, the Prison Service will ensure that the money is not used to facilitate illicit activities, including, for example, substance misuse. These new rules will help us in our wider efforts to minimise the amount of drugs entering prisons here.

“The Prison Service is also taking steps to streamline the arrangements for the payment of monies into a prisoners account from family or friends on the outside."


Notes to Editors

The main changes to current prisoner’s cash arrangements from 14 April will include:

1. Inmates Personal Cash Accounts will be limited to a standard ceiling of £500.

2. Money for individual prisoners will only be allowed to be left at visitors reception by a visitor to that particular prisoner, within the limits of the account.

3. Restrictions will be placed on the range of individuals to whom a prisoner is allowed to pass money out of his or her account.

4. Money for prisoners will not in future be accepted by post.

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