Prisoners are being given the keys to their cells in the West Midlands in a scheme designed to teach them “respect and decency”.

Inmates have been given “privacy locks” to allow them personal space and protect their belongings. The Home Office today confirmed the practice is widespread in jails.

Details of the policy, today condemned by critics as “lax and cushy”, have emerged at a time when prisons are overflowing and more criminals are being tagged and freed into the community.

Official figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act revealed 5,747 of the 9,577 offenders in Yorkshire prisons have keys which means they can roam in and out of their cells virtually at will.

The proportion is believed to be similar in other areas of the country.

A Home Office spokeswoman said the scheme applied “right across the prison estate” to stop theft.  

Although many key holders are at open prisons and young offenders’ institutions, others are in standard closed prisons.

Home Officer Minister Gerry Sutcliffe defended the policy.

He said: “It’s mainly used for people who are soon going to be released or in open prisons. It’s all part of providing incentives to encourage them to take res- ponsibility for themselves, to give them a little bit more respect and decency.”

He stressed there were “no security issues” because the locks could be over-ridden by staff keys.

But Philip Davies, Tory MP for Shipley in Yorkshire, said: “This will horrify people and reinforce the view that the regime in prisons is far too lax and cushy.” 

Philip Dunne, Tory MP for Bridgnorth, said: “This seems a curious way to enforce discipline in prisons.”

Blair Gibbs, director of the Taxpayers’ Alliance, said: “It is hard to believe we live in a serious country any more when you hear lunacy like this.”