‘Dire’ prison conditions putting rehabilitation and reoffending reduction ‘at risk’, Justice Committee warns

Prison overcrowding, staffing shortages and deteriorating infrastructure is having a ‘profound impact on the ability of prisons to deliver rehabilitation', a new report published today (November 14) by the Justice Committee has said.

MPs on the cross-party committee called on the Government to set out how it will ensure that rehabilitation is not compromised or deprioritised, alongside how it intends to manage demand and supply. These ‘failures risk undermining the very purpose of imprisonment, to reduce reoffending', the Committee warned.

80% of all offending in England and Wales is reoffending with ‘growing concerns about persistently high' rates, the report cautioned, adding itis unacceptable that 50 per cent of prisoners are not involved in prison education or work, despite the high level of need across the adult estate.

Conditions

Prisons are in a ‘state of disrepair', the report concluded, with the Committee stating it was shocked by the dire living conditions that many prisoners are living in and deeply concerning to hear that prisons may be in violation of human rights legislation. Dilapidated buildings and broken infrastructure limit access to rehabilitative spaces and contribute to poor mental health.

Despite recent capital investment, it remains unclear how the Government intends to address the scale of the £1.8 billion maintenance backlog, the report said. It called on the Government to provide a clear breakdown of how funding will be used to address this backlog, and to ensure that future investment is targeted at improving prison conditions with access to rehabilitative activities in mind.

Time out of cell

The report found a ‘widespread failure' to meet the statutory minimum for time out of cell. Many prisoners are locked up for 22 hours or more each day, with limited access to fresh air, showers, or rehabilitative activities. This lack of time out of cell undermines efforts to reduce reoffending and contributes to poor mental health and disengagement, it added. Purposeful activity, including education, work, and offending behaviour programmes, is central to rehabilitation, yet it is inconsistently delivered and often deprioritised – notably for IPP prisoners.

MPs called for a renewed focus on ensuring all prisoners have access to meaningful activity, and for time out of cell to be formalised, standardised, and its data to be published going forward. HMPPS must closely monitor prisons that are failing to meet the statutory minimum and provide urgent support to enable compliance, the Committee added. 

Staffing

Staffing levels, high turnover, poor recruitment processes, and limited professional development have contributed to a culture that hinders rehabilitation, the report said. The Committee recommended prison staff should receive training at least annually, with more frequent support as they progress through their careers. Governors lack the autonomy to lead effectively, and the current staffing model is unsustainable, MPs warned. 

Education

The Committee said it was ‘alarmed' by reports of real-term cuts to prison education budgets of up to 50 per cent and urged the Government to clarify the rationale of any planned budget reductions. It must set out how it plans to ensure that all prisons retain the funding necessary to deliver core education provision. The report concluded prison education is underfunded as is and poorly delivered, adding participation rates are low and neurodivergent prisoners are not adequately supported. 75 per cent of prisons inspected by Ofsted in 2024/25 were rated 'inadequate' or 'showing no improvement'. The Government, MPs said, must publish a clear plan to improve both participation and quality in prison education. This should include steps to address poor Ofsted outcomes, ensure that all prisoners, including those on remand, have access to meaningful education, and improve data collection on attendance and provision across the estate.

Education on the youth estate is also in a state of decline, the report concluded. Children in Youth Offending Institutions are entitled to 15 hours of education per week, yet the Committee heard that this minimum is routinely not met. The report called on the MoJ to set out how it will address the operational barriers to education delivery, including staffing, behaviour management, and keep apart arrangements and ensure that education is prioritised as a core component of the youth custody regime.

Remand prisoners

Despite comprising 20 per cent of the prison population, the highest level in at least 50 years, remand prisoners often spend extended periods in custody, only to be released directly from court following a conviction without any support or intervention. This raises serious concerns about how the Government expects these individuals to avoid reoffending. Remand prisoners should have access to all parts of the regime, should they choose to participate, MPs recommended.

Contracting

Current contracting and the procurement system within HMPPS is inefficient, the report warned. Poorly designed and inflexible contracts are limiting the ability of voluntary and specialist providers to deliver effective rehabilitation services. The system is not fit for purpose and risks undermining both prison management and rehabilitative outcomes. MPs called on the Government to provide the Committee with a clear and comprehensive overview of how HMPPS is managing its current contracts, including steps being taken to simplify procurement processes and improve contract flexibility. Governors should receive training on procurement and contracting, the Committee added.

Well-being

Health and wellbeing services are failing to meet the needs of prisoners, the report said, adding mental health support is inconsistent, and operational pressures prevent timely access to care. Women in prison face acute and complex health needs, yet the system is not providing even basic support. The Committee called on the Government to outline a clear plan for how it will meet the health and wellbeing needs of the women currently in its care.

Chair of the Justice Committee and Labour MP Andy Slaughter MP said: “Prison rehabilitation and efforts to break the cycle of reoffending aren't working and cannot succeed in a system which is facing critical pressures on so many fronts. 

“The Committee's report reveals an overcrowded, short staffed, crumbling prison estate where the long-term focus on rehabilitation is often lost in an over-stretched environment which is grappling day to day to function. 

“Capacity issues are leading to prisoners languishing for 22 hours a day in cells as the remand population grows and reoffending rates remain stubbornly high. It cannot be right that those that do choose to engage in rehabilitative activities are worse off due to the prisons' failure, and their limited access to time out of cell is reduced to choosing between a shower, a hot meal or fresh air. The current conditions in youth custody settings are deplorable, and it is shameful that access to education for children has deteriorated as part of this wider decline. 

“Ministers must act fast to fix the basics and give greater attention to purposeful rehabilitation programmes across jails. Continuing with a cyclical system in crisis mode which offers little real opportunity to turn around prisoners' lives is a false economy.”