Justice Committee launches new inquiry into rehabilitation and resettlement

The Justice Committee is today (Tuesday, 26 November) launching its first new inquiry of the Parliament entitled ‘Rehabilitation and resettlement: ending the cycle of reoffending'.

MPs on the newly appointed cross-party Committee, chaired by Labour MP Andy Slaughter, will examine the levels of reoffending in England and Wales. They will look in detail at the rehabilitative regimes offered across training and resettlement prisons within the male and female prison estate, including for remand prisoners, IPP prisoners and those in youth custody.

The inquiry comes as latest Ministry of Justice data covering October to December 2022 showed the overall proven reoffending rate was 26.4%, with adults released from custodial sentences of less than 12 months having a proven reoffending rate of 56.6%. For the year ending December 2023, 78% of all offenders cautioned or convicted for an indictable offence in 2023 had at least one prior caution or conviction.

The HM Inspector of Prisons annual report for 2023-24 raised concerns over the length of time inmates were spending in their cells, with 30 out of 32 inspections rated poor or insufficiently good for purposeful activity.

Justice Committee Chair Andy Slaughter MP said: “Prisons and the Probation Service are facing significant and unsustainable pressures. The Justice Committee's first inquiry will focus in detail on how to break the cycle of reoffending we are witnessing across our justice system.  

“We will examine reoffending rates in England and Wales and assess the current rehabilitation regimes offered within different types of prisons, including training, education and purposeful activity.

“The inquiry will also measure the adequacy of support provided to ex-offenders on release including homelessness prevention, employment opportunities and health and wellbeing services, as well as the role of non-custodial sentences in promoting rehabilitation amid the Sentencing Review. 

“With limited opportunities for ex-offenders to reintegrate back into society post release and a rise in the numbers leaving jails homeless, a wide-ranging assessment of the prison revolving door is long overdue. The Committee will listen carefully to those across the sector and make evidence-based recommendations to Ministers to shift the dial on this crucial issue.”         

Terms of reference for the call for evidence:

The Committee invites written submissions through the inquiry website addressing any or all of the issues raised in the following terms of reference by January 10, 2025.

Section 1: Reoffending – measuring the problem 

1. What are the levels of reoffending in England and Wales, and how has this changed over time? 
2. What are the different approaches to measuring reoffending?  
3. How does reoffending in England and Wales compare to other countries? 

Section 2: Rehabilitation in prisons 

1. What is the regime offer in different types of prisons? 

1. How does this differ for the following cohorts: 
2. Female prisoners 
3. Remand prisoners 
4. IPP prisoners 
5. Those in the youth custody estate 
6. Does the regime offer encompass the principles of individual desistence, and to what extent could it? 

1. What impact does custody have on prisoner health and wellbeing, and how effective is provision for this in prison in promoting rehabilitation? 

1. What role does trauma-informed practice have on the delivery of purposeful activities in prisons? 

1. What is the current offer of training and education available in prisons and is it sufficient? 

1. How does this differ for those on the youth custody estate? 

1. To what extent are prisoners given enough time out of cell to engage in purposeful activity? 

1. What impact does contracting and staffing have on the delivery of purposeful activities in prisons? 

1. How do current prison population constraints affect the availability and quality of rehabilitation programmes? 

1. To what extent do prison buildings and their maintenance facilitate or hinder rehabilitation? 

1. What examples of best practice within the prison service are there in promoting rehabilitation? 

Section 3 – resettlement services and alternatives to custody 

1. To what extent does the Probation Service have the capacity to support effective resettlement pre and post release? 

1. How does joint working between services happen so that ex-offenders receive the support they need post-release? 

1. Is there sufficient data sharing between services? 
2. What role does trauma-informed practice play in the delivery of these services? 

1. How effective is support provided to ex-offenders on release such as homelessness prevention, employment opportunities and health and wellbeing services? 

1. Do these services encompass the principles of individual desistence, and to what extent could it?  

1. What impact do licence recall conditions have on promoting resettlement? 

1. What role should non-custodial sentences have in promoting rehabilitation? 

1. What impact would an increase in the use of non-custodial sentences have on resettlement services? 
2. What, if any, changes to community sentencing should be introduced if the Sentencing Review recommends a move away from short custodial sentences? 

1. What examples of best practice are there for effective resettlement?