Guernsey’s prison population reaches post-pandemic peak

The inmate count at Guernsey’s prison has reached its highest point since the period preceding the Covid-19 pandemic. John De Carteret, the governor of Les Nicolles, attributed part of this increase to the refusal of UK prisons to accept inmates, citing overcrowding issues. Current statistics indicate that Les Nicolles Prison presently houses 99 inmates. An organization on the island dedicated to assisting former prisoners reported an increase in individuals requesting support. Mary Hervé, the co-ordinator for Guernsey Caring for Ex-Offenders, stated: “I certainly have noticed an increase in our workload, but nothing we can’t manage.” She further explained: “The increase in our workload isn’t just because of the increase in numbers in the prison though, but because we are becoming more well-known and better valued.” The governor’s report indicates that the inmate population at Guernsey’s prison reached an unprecedented peak in 2012. The prison’s population reached its highest point of 127 in August 2012, which was 12 individuals below the maximum capacity of 139 at Les Nicolles Prison. Data revealed that 114 inmates were present in the prison at the close of 2018, subsequently decreasing to 85 by December 2019. In February 2020, the prison held 93 inmates, prior to the initial lockdown directive issued in March 2020. Among the 99 inmates currently housed at Les Nicolles, statistics indicate that 31 have received convictions for sexual offences, 25 are incarcerated for drug-related crimes, and 21 have been sentenced for other violent acts. The data also revealed that Les Nicolles presently accommodates 25 individuals on remand, awaiting either trial or sentencing, with an additional 29 serving sentences ranging from one to four years. Adult men constitute the majority of the prisoner population, with only four women currently incarcerated at Les Nicolles.