Prisoner rehabilitation to be focus of government's policy, says Truss

Justice Secretary Liz Truss told the House of Commons today that the government's policy on prisons will in future focus as much on rehabilitation as on punishment.

She said during an opposition debate on prisons that the Prison and Courts Reform Bill, to be introduced shortly, would set out for the first time that reform of offenders, as well as punishment, would be a key purpose of prisons. 

Further measures in the bill would include new standards, league tables and governor empowerment. HMIP’s powers to intervene in failing prisons would also be covered by the new legislation.