Rehabilitation and resettlement: ending the cycle of reoffending

Justice Committee Open Inquiry
Opened: 26 Nov 2024 Parliament page
The Justice Committee has launched its inquiry into Resettlement and Rehabilitation, which is centred around investigating the cycle of reoffending. HM Prison and Probation Service aims to reduce reoffending by rehabilitating the people in its care through education and employment. However, reoffending in England and Wales remains high. For the … Read more
21 Recommendations
26 Conclusions
1 Report
9 Oral sessions
5 Letters
9 Events
Activity timeline 16 events
7 Jul
2026
Correspondence
7 Jul
2026
Correspondence
30 Jun
2026
Correspondence
16 Jun
2026
Oral evidence
19 May
2026
Oral evidence
24 Mar
2026
Oral evidence
17 Mar
2026
Correspondence
11 Feb
2026
Correspondence
30 Jan
2026
Report published
27 Jan
2026
Oral evidence
9 Dec
2025
Oral evidence
14 Nov
2025
Report published
Oral evidence sessions 9 sessions
16 Jun 2026
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Jim Barton · HM Prisons and Probation Service Matt Grey · HM Prison and Probation Service The Lord Timpson OBE DL · Ministry of Justice
19 May 2026
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Antony King · Capita Claire Hubberstey · One Small Thing
24 Mar 2026
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Chris Edwards · HM Prison and Probation Service Linda Neimantas · HM Prison and Probation Service Martin Jones CBE · HM Inspectorate of Probation Nicola Davies · HM Prison and Probation Service
27 Jan 2026
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Alex Clarke · Working Chance David Apparicio MBE · Chrysalis Foundation Ms Penelope Gibbs · Transform Justice Paula Harriott · Unlock Rosie Brown · COOK
9 Dec 2025
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Dr Thomas Kerridge · Crisis Gary Teper · The Housing Network Mr Andrew Bridges · National Approved Premises Association Peter Airey · Nacro
10 Jun 2025
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Dr Russell Green · Practice Plus Group Dr Will Haydock · Collective Voice Kate Davies · Ofcom Mike Trace · The Forward Trust
13 May 2025
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Adrian Usher · Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) Charlie Taylor · HM Inspectorate of Prisons Elisabeth Davies · Independent Monitoring Boards (IMB)
11 Mar 2025
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Annick Platt · Novus Dr Jo Grady · University and College Union Jon Collins · Prisoners' Education Trust Lee Owston · Ofsted Michala Robertson · Open University Victoria Barnett · Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals
4 Feb 2025
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Anne Fox · Clinks Helen Berresford · Nacro Jess Mullen · Alliance for Youth Justice Nicola Drinkwater · Women in Prison Pia Sinha · Prison Reform Trust
Recommendations & Conclusions
47 results
1 Conclusion
7th Report – Ending the cycle of r…
Prison overcrowding and staff vacancies severely undermine the ability of prisons to deliver rehabilitation
We recognise the Government’s efforts to increase transparency around prison capacity, and its action towards ending the capacity crisis. However, the evidence we received demonstrates that the current level of overcrowding, in combination with a high number of staff vacancies, … Read more
Ministry of Justice
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2 Recommendation
7th Report – Ending the cycle of r…
Include measures to ensure rehabilitation is not compromised in the next prison capacity statement
In the next annual statement on prison capacity, the Government should set out not only how it intends to manage the demand and supply of prison places, but also the steps it will take to ensure that rehabilitation is not … Read more
Ministry of Justice
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3 Conclusion
7th Report – Ending the cycle of r…
Prison staff recruitment and training fall significantly short compared to other public services.
We heard concerns that recruitment and training for prison staff falls significantly short when compared to other public sector services. It is not right that promotions often come without proper training for their new role. This undermines both staff confidence … Read more
Ministry of Justice
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4 Conclusion
7th Report – Ending the cycle of r…
Ensure all prison staff receive proper training upon recruitment, promotion, and annually.
Staff should never be promoted, even temporarily, without the proper training required to fulfil the duties of the role. As part of the Government’s work through ‘the Enable Programme’ it must ensure that, from prison officer to Governor, every member … Read more
Ministry of Justice
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5 Conclusion
7th Report – Ending the cycle of r…
Publish comprehensive quarterly data on prison staff vacancies, retirements, and skilled worker visas.
HMPPS must be transparent on its workforce data. Data must be captured and published on the vacancy rate for each prison staff role, how many of those roles have staff that are eligible to retire in the next five years, … Read more
Ministry of Justice
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6 Recommendation
7th Report – Ending the cycle of r…
Produce a comprehensive 15-year public workforce plan with targets to reduce prison staff vacancies.
The Government must produce a comprehensive, public workforce plan for the prison system (including the women’s and children’s estate) for the next fifteen years, modelled on the process used for the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, with commencement of that … Read more
Ministry of Justice
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7 Conclusion
7th Report – Ending the cycle of r…
Amend prison staff recruitment to grant Governors ultimate decision and mandate face-to-face interviews.
Governors must have the ultimate decision on the recruitment of staff who work in their prison. HMPPS must amend its recruitment process to ensure that all frontline staff, including prison officers, undergo a mandatory face-to-face interview process led by Governors … Read more
Ministry of Justice
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8 Conclusion
7th Report – Ending the cycle of r…
Dire prisoner living conditions raise human rights concerns, exacerbated by unclear maintenance backlog plan.
We are shocked by the dire living conditions that many prisoners are living in, and it is deeply concerning to hear that prisons may be in violation of human rights legislation. We accept that the Government recognises this and that … Read more
Ministry of Justice
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9 Recommendation
7th Report – Ending the cycle of r…
Set out clear plan to address £1.8bn prison maintenance backlog with detailed funding breakdown.
The Government must clearly set out how it intends to address the £1.8bn maintenance backlog using the funding set out by its Prison Capacity Strategy and Infrastructure Strategy. In response to this report, we expect the Government to update the … Read more
Ministry of Justice
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10 Conclusion
7th Report – Ending the cycle of r…
Public sector prison Governors operate with insufficient autonomy amidst immense operational pressures.
In the current climate of overcrowding, staffing pressures, and a crumbling prison estate, public sector prison Governors work under immense pressure to run their prisons as best as they can. It is clear that they are further constrained by the … Read more
Ministry of Justice
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11 Recommendation
7th Report – Ending the cycle of r…
Implement recommendations to increase Governor autonomy, reduce turnover, and clarify rationale for parity.
The Government should update the Committee on the findings of its review into Governor autonomy, including whether it will implement the Lords Home Affairs and Justice Committee’s recommendations on staffing, budgeting, and regime design. It should also set out a … Read more
Ministry of Justice
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12 Conclusion
7th Report – Ending the cycle of r…
HMPPS contracting and procurement system is inefficient, undermining rehabilitation and prison management.
The evidence we received shows that the current contracting and procurement system within HMPPS is inefficient. Poorly designed and inflexible contracts are limiting the ability of voluntary and specialist providers to deliver effective rehabilitation services. The system is not fit … Read more
Ministry of Justice
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13 Conclusion
7th Report – Ending the cycle of r…
HMPPS lacks understanding of its complex contract management processes.
As the Prisons Minister said, contracts within HMPPS are complex and hard to understand. We are not convinced that HMPPS has a handle on the way it procures its services. Prison Governors are not contract managers and should not be … Read more
Ministry of Justice
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14 Recommendation
7th Report – Ending the cycle of r…
Set out plans to simplify HMPPS contract management and reduce governor burden.
In response to this report, the Government should 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. It should also … Read more
Ministry of Justice
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15 Recommendation
7th Report – Ending the cycle of r…
Introduce comprehensive contract management training and centralised advice for governors.
A substantial element of the role of a Prison Governor is contract management. The Government should provide comprehensive training on procurement and contract management to all public sector prison governors within 12 months. This should form an integral part of … Read more
Ministry of Justice
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16 Conclusion
7th Report – Ending the cycle of r…
Statutory minimum time out of cell remains consistently unmet in prisons.
It is unacceptable that the statutory minimum for time out of cell is not being met, which means that prisoners either do not have access to basic needs, such as a shower or time in fresh air, or must choose … Read more
Ministry of Justice
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17 Conclusion
7th Report – Ending the cycle of r…
Formalise, publish, and monitor time out of cell data across all prisons.
HMPPS should formalise, standardise, and publish time out of cell data for every prison in England and Wales. It must closely monitor prisons that are failing to meet the statutory minimum and provide urgent support to enable compliance. Accurate and … Read more
Ministry of Justice
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18 Conclusion
7th Report – Ending the cycle of r…
Inconsistent and insufficient purposeful activity across the prison estate hinders rehabilitation.
We agree wholeheartedly with Lord Timpson that there is too much inconsistency across the prison estate. Purposeful activity is integral to supporting rehabilitation. It is therefore disappointing that it continues to be deprioritised by HMPPS amidst other pressures. We are … Read more
Ministry of Justice
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19 Conclusion
7th Report – Ending the cycle of r…
Unclear implementation details of the earned progression scheme raise serious concerns.
The Sentencing Bill 2024–25 aims to move towards an ‘earned progression scheme’, where eligible prisoners could be released earlier. However, as the Bill is currently drafted, it is unclear as to how this scheme will work in practice, especially as … Read more
Ministry of Justice
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20 Recommendation
7th Report – Ending the cycle of r…
Publish full details and implementation plans for the earned progression scheme.
The Government should set out how it plans to implement the earned progression scheme and publish full details of this within six months. (Recommendation, Paragraph 90)
Ministry of Justice
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21 Conclusion
7th Report – Ending the cycle of r…
Release on Temporary Licence remains underutilised despite its proven effectiveness.
Release on temporary licence (ROTL) is a proven and effective tool for rehabilitation, helping prisoners maintain family ties, gain employment, and reintegrate into the community. Despite its strong track record, with a 99.8 per cent compliance rate, it remains inconsistently … Read more
Ministry of Justice
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22 Recommendation
7th Report – Ending the cycle of r…
Review and update ROTL framework to improve consistent use and public understanding.
We welcome the Minister’s commitment to expanding the use of Release on temporary licence (ROTL). HMPPS should review and update its operational framework to ensure ROTL is used more consistently and proactively across the estate. The Ministry of Justice should … Read more
Ministry of Justice
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23 Conclusion
7th Report – Ending the cycle of r…
Lack of rehabilitative support for remand prisoners increases reoffending risk
Many remand prisoners are convicted but released straight from court without any rehabilitative support. This means they are more likely to reoffend. We welcome impending change as part of the Sentencing Bill; however, we are concerned this will not go … Read more
Ministry of Justice
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24 Conclusion
7th Report – Ending the cycle of r…
Require Ministry of Justice to detail action to reduce adult custodial remand use
Custodial remand must only be used for those that present the greatest level of risk to the public. The Ministry of Justice must respond to this report with what further action it will be taking to reduce the use of … Read more
Ministry of Justice
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25 Conclusion
7th Report – Ending the cycle of r…
Remand prisoners face lengthy custody with limited options due to court backlogs
It is right that the remand population should not be mandated to participate in the regime, as they have not been found guilty. However, due to the length of time remand prisoners are in custody for due to the court … Read more
Ministry of Justice
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26 Recommendation
7th Report – Ending the cycle of r…
Require Government to produce plan for all prisoners to access full regime within three years
The Ministry of Justice must consider the benefits of giving remand prisoners access to all parts of the regime, should they choose to participate. In the event that this is not currently viable due to the prioritisation of courses for … Read more
Ministry of Justice
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27 Recommendation
7th Report – Ending the cycle of r…
Require formal report outlining prison rehabilitation's contribution to violence against women reduction target
The Government must outline how rehabilitation in the prisons, including for both convicted and remand prisoners, is going to contribute to the Government’s target of reducing of violence against women and girls by 50 per cent, with a formal report … Read more
Ministry of Justice
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28 Recommendation
7th Report – Ending the cycle of r…
Prisons used as places of safety, despite Government aims to end the practice
We were shocked and appalled to hear that prisons are used as a place of safety. We acknowledge and welcome that the Government aims to end this practice in the Mental Health Bill. We request details of how this will … Read more
Ministry of Justice
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29 Conclusion
7th Report – Ending the cycle of r…
Youth Custody Service and Young Offender Institutions fail children with excessive cell time
The Youth Custody Service, and in particular Young Offender Institutions, is clearly not working for children. Children should not be spending up to 23 hours a day in cell due to the failure of HMPPS to manage behaviour effectively. It … Read more
Ministry of Justice
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30 Recommendation
7th Report – Ending the cycle of r…
Require Government to develop action plan for improving youth estate conditions, increasing time out of cell
The Government must respond to this report with an action plan as to how it plans to manage current conditions across the youth estate. For Young Offender Institutions, this should include what impact the introduction of 85 PAVA has had … Read more
Ministry of Justice
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31 Recommendation
7th Report – Ending the cycle of r…
Set statutory minimum for time out of cell in Young Offender Institutions, with data published
As well as making every effort to meet the statutory minimum of 15 hours for education, HMPPS must set a statutory minimum for time out of cell in Young Offender Institutions. As with adult prisons, this minimum must be monitored … Read more
Ministry of Justice
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32 Conclusion
7th Report – Ending the cycle of r…
Significant real-term cuts to prison education budgets undermine reoffending reduction efforts
We are alarmed by reports of significant real-term cuts to prison education budgets, with some prisons facing reductions of up to 50 per cent. As this report makes clear, prison education is already underfunded when compared to provision in the … Read more
Ministry of Justice
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33 Recommendation
7th Report – Ending the cycle of r…
Require Government to clarify scale and rationale for planned prison education cuts and their impact
We expect the Government to urgently clarify the scale and rationale for any planned cuts to prison education budgets. It must set out how it plans to ensure that all prisons retain the funding necessary to deliver core education provision. … Read more
Ministry of Justice
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34 Conclusion
7th Report – Ending the cycle of r…
Prison education participation rates remain low with widespread poor quality provision
It is unacceptable that 50 per cent of prisoners are not involved in prison education, training or work, despite the high level of need across the adult estate. Even for those who do access education, the quality remains poor, with … Read more
Ministry of Justice
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35 Recommendation
7th Report – Ending the cycle of r…
Publish clear plan with funding to improve prison education participation and quality
The Government must publish a clear plan, with an associated funding allocation, 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 … Read more
Ministry of Justice
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36 Conclusion
7th Report – Ending the cycle of r…
Lack of consistent data hinders support for neurodivergent prisoners in the system
It is unclear how the Government plans to support those with neurodivergent needs in the criminal justice system without having consistent and reliable data on how many neurodivergent prisoners there are. Furthermore, it is disappointing that those with neurodivergent needs, … Read more
Ministry of Justice
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37 Recommendation
7th Report – Ending the cycle of r…
Publish updated Neurodiversity Action Plan detailing identification and support for prisoners
The Government must publish an update to the Neurodiversity Action Plan without further delay. It should include how they plan to systematically identify how many prisoners have neurodivergent needs, as well as how it aims to support them. (Recommendation, Paragraph … Read more
Ministry of Justice
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38 Conclusion
7th Report – Ending the cycle of r…
Six-year funding rule hinders prisoner access to higher education despite proven benefits
Evidence shows that prisoners who participate in higher education are 20 per cent less likely to reoffend and commit 30 per cent fewer reoffences in the year following release. Reforming the six-year funding rule would support long-term prisoners to develop … Read more
Ministry of Justice
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39 Recommendation
7th Report – Ending the cycle of r…
Remove the six-year funding requirement to enable all prisoners to access higher education
Access to higher education should be based on rehabilitative potential, not sentence length. We repeat the recommendation of the previous Education Select Committee and encourage the Government to remove the six-year funding requirement to enable all prisoners to access higher … Read more
Ministry of Justice
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40 Conclusion
7th Report – Ending the cycle of r…
Young Offender Institutions routinely fail to meet minimum education hours for children
Article 28 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child affirms that all children have the right to education, including those in detention. Yet Young Offender Institutions are routinely failing to meet the statutory minimum of 15 … Read more
Ministry of Justice
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41 Recommendation
7th Report – Ending the cycle of r…
Prioritise education in youth custody action plan and address operational delivery barriers
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. As part of an action plan for youth custody, as recommended in paragraph … Read more
Ministry of Justice
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42 Conclusion
7th Report – Ending the cycle of r…
Access to vital prison library services increasingly constrained, risking loss of provision
Prison libraries play a vital role in supporting rehabilitation by providing an alternative educational space for prisoners that fosters literacy and reading. However, access to these services is increasingly constrained by issues across the estate, and an unsustainable commissioning model. … Read more
Ministry of Justice
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43 Conclusion
7th Report – Ending the cycle of r…
Prisoners are not receiving equivalent healthcare services compared to the wider population
Given the acute needs of those in prison, particularly regarding mental health, it is imperative that prisoners have access to good health and wellbeing services to assist them in properly engaging with rehabilitative programmes. However, despite the principle of equivalence, … Read more
Ministry of Justice
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44 Recommendation
7th Report – Ending the cycle of r…
Require Government to outline plans for upholding prison healthcare equivalence and integrating services
The Government must set out how it will ensure that the principle of equivalence in prison healthcare is upheld in practice. This should include a plan to address the operational barriers to healthcare delivery—such as staffing shortages, late receptions, escort … Read more
Ministry of Justice
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45 Recommendation
7th Report – Ending the cycle of r…
Publish regular, transparent data on prison healthcare access and outcomes for accountability
NHS England, or its successor, should publish regular, transparent data on healthcare access and outcomes across the prison estate. This data should be used to monitor progress against the principle of equivalence and to hold both NHS England or its … Read more
Ministry of Justice
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46 Conclusion
7th Report – Ending the cycle of r…
System failing to meet complex health and wellbeing needs of women in prison
Women in prison often have acute and complex health needs, yet the system is failing to meet even their most basic requirements. We acknowledge the Government’s ambition to reduce the population in the female prison estate, and that change is … Read more
Ministry of Justice
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47 Recommendation
7th Report – Ending the cycle of r…
Require Government to detail actions addressing complex health needs of women in custody
The Government should respond to this report setting out what action it is taking to address the complex health and wellbeing needs of the women it currently has in its custody. (Recommendation, Paragraph 212) 88
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Correspondence 5 letters
7 Jul 2026 Correspondence from Lord Timpson, Minister for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending, dated 6 July 2026: Follow-up to the oral evidence session held on 16 June 2026
Parliament page
7 Jul 2026 Correspondence from Chris Parsons, Project Director at LandWorks, dated 1 July 2026: Rehabilitation and Resettlement
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30 Jun 2026 Correspondence from Antony King, Managing Director of Citizen Services at Serco UK & Europe, dated 16 June 2026: Follow-up to the oral evidence session held on 19 May 2026
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17 Mar 2026 Correspondence from Lord Timpson, Minister for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending, dated 13 March 2026: Ending the cycle of reoffending
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11 Feb 2026 Correspondence to Lord Timpson, Minister for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending, dated 10 February 2026: Ending the cycle of reoffending - part one: rehabilitation in prisons: Government Response
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