Belmarsh Prison -- "a difficult balance between humanity and security"

Top Security Prison Visits to be reviewed

Closed visits are currently the rule for prisoners held in the three special secure units (SSUs) at Belmarsh Prison, south-east London, Full Sutton at York and Whitemoor in Cambridgeshire.

Prisoners can go years without touching their families

Sir David said: "For some this may mean they can go for years without being able to touch their children or wife, with obvious effects on relationships." He added his review would form part of a wider study of the conditions in which top security prisoners are held.

In February, the previous Tory Government turned down a recommendation by former Chief Medical Officer Sir Donald Acheson that closed visits at the SSUs should be ended. But the Prison Service did agree to regular three-monthly health checks for inmates after Sir Donald warned of the potential effects of the claustrophobic conditions in the SSUs on their mental health.

Sir David voiced concern in his report about the "very restricted regime" for Belmarsh's category A inmates who were only allowed out of their cells for 90 minutes a day and were confined mainly to the small landing spurs where they lived. Some inmates had refused to undergo new security checks and were confined to their cells on "continuous punishment".

Sir David, who cannot order changes although he can make recommendations to ministers, acknowledged there would always be difficulties in dealing with dangerous prisoners. "There is always a very difficult balance to be held here between humanity and security," he said.

Belmarsh governor Bill Duff said that, since Sir David's visit last September, time out of cells for all prisoners had been increased to six-and-three-quarter hours.