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
8 Oral sessions
2 Letters
8 Events
Activity timeline 20 events
19 May
2026
Oral evidence
19 May
2026
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Wilson Room, Portcullis House
24 Mar
2026
Oral evidence
24 Mar
2026
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Grimond Room, Portcullis House
17 Mar
2026
Correspondence
11 Feb
2026
Correspondence
30 Jan
2026
Report published
27 Jan
2026
Oral evidence
27 Jan
2026
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House
9 Dec
2025
Oral evidence
9 Dec
2025
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Grimond Room, Portcullis House
14 Nov
2025
Report published
Oral evidence sessions 8 sessions
19 May 2026
View on parliament.uk
Antony King · Capita Claire Hubberstey · One Small Thing
24 Mar 2026
View on parliament.uk
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
View on parliament.uk
Alex Clarke · Working Chance David Apparicio MBE · Chrysalis Foundation Ms Penelope Gibbs · Transform Justice Paula Harriott · Unlock Rosie Brown · COOK
9 Dec 2025
View on parliament.uk
Dr Thomas Kerridge · Crisis Gary Teper · The Housing Network Mr Andrew Bridges · National Approved Premises Association Peter Airey · Nacro
10 Jun 2025
View on parliament.uk
Dr Russell Green · Practice Plus Group Dr Will Haydock · Collective Voice Kate Davies · Ofcom Mike Trace · The Forward Trust
13 May 2025
View on parliament.uk
Adrian Usher · Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) Charlie Taylor · HM Inspectorate of Prisons Elisabeth Davies · Independent Monitoring Boards (IMB)
11 Mar 2025
View on parliament.uk
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
View on parliament.uk
Anne Fox · Clinks Helen Berresford · Nacro Jess Mullen · Alliance for Youth Justice Nicola Drinkwater · Women in Prison Pia Sinha · Prison Reform Trust
Title HC No. Published Items Response
7th Report – Ending the cycle of reoffending – part one: rehabil… HC 469 14 Nov 2025 47 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
23 results
Clear
2 Recommendation Deferred
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
Government Response
The government partially accepts, but responds by detailing HMPPS commitments to comprehensive staff induction, ongoing training, and career development through a Workforce Planning Guide and Career Pathways framework, rather than committing to set out specific rehabilitation measures in the annual statement on prison capacity.
Ministry of Justice
View details
4 Conclusion Deferred
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
Government Response
The government's response focuses on its existing practices for workforce data transparency and why it does not publish data on skilled worker visas, completely deflecting from the recommendation about mandatory training for staff upon recruitment and promotion.
Ministry of Justice
View details
5 Conclusion Deferred
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
Government Response
The government accepts the recommendation to publish a comprehensive workforce plan, stating the format and timing will be determined later, but does not address the specific request to publish granular workforce data on vacancy rates, retirement eligibility, or skilled worker visas.
Ministry of Justice
View details
6 Recommendation Deferred
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
Government Response
The government responds by acknowledging the recommendation for greater Governor involvement in recruitment and describes ongoing work to design an approach for this, detailing challenges with previous local recruitment pilots, completely deflecting from the recommendation to produce a comprehensive workforce plan.
Ministry of Justice
View details
7 Conclusion Deferred
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
Government Response
The government's response focuses on current and future investment in prison estate maintenance, including specific funding amounts and how priorities are set, entirely deflecting from the recommendation about Governors having ultimate decision-making power in recruitment and mandatory face-to-face interviews.
Ministry of Justice
View details
8 Conclusion Deferred
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
Government Response
The government's response discusses its existing framework for Governor empowerment (Free, Flex, Fixed) and ongoing review of Governor autonomy, noting the constraints of civil service guidelines, thereby deflecting from the recommendation concerning dire living conditions and the prison maintenance backlog.
Ministry of Justice
View details
9 Recommendation Deferred
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
Government Response
The government's response focuses on HMPPS's contract management practices, the new Procurement Act 2023, and initiatives to simplify procurement and engage SMEs and VCSEs, thus deflecting from the recommendation to detail how it will address the £1.8bn prison maintenance backlog.
Ministry of Justice
View details
11 Recommendation Deferred
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
Government Response
The government's response explains its decision to focus on measuring 'purposeful activity' for prisoners, detailing the rollout of a new Digital Prisons Service Activities and Appointments tool to improve data quality, thereby deflecting from the recommendation on Governor autonomy, turnover, and support.
Ministry of Justice
View details
12 Conclusion Deferred
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
Government Response
The government's response describes the new 'Progression Model' and plans for tougher punishments for prisoner rule-breaking, stating a factsheet has already been published, completely deflecting from the recommendation about the inefficiency and inflexibility of HMPPS's contracting and procurement system.
Ministry of Justice
View details
13 Conclusion Deferred
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
Government Response
The government's response addresses Release on Temporary Licence (ROTL) and its expansion, despite the recommendation focusing on HMPPS's procurement and contract management processes for prison governors.
Ministry of Justice
View details
14 Recommendation Deferred
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
Government Response
The government's response details measures in the Sentencing Bill to address the prison remand population and improve bail use, completely bypassing the recommendation on HMPPS's contract management and procurement processes.
Ministry of Justice
View details
15 Recommendation Deferred
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
Government Response
The government's response focuses on remand prisoners' access to the prison regime and purposeful activity, completely ignoring the recommendation for specific training on procurement and contract management for governors and a new centralised advice unit.
Ministry of Justice
View details
16 Conclusion Deferred
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
Government Response
The government's response details rehabilitation programs for perpetrators of domestic abuse and sexual offences (VAWG), but does not address the recommendation about ensuring all prisoners consistently meet the statutory minimum for time out of cell.
Ministry of Justice
View details
17 Conclusion Deferred
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
Government Response
The government's response outlines specific improvements, roadmaps, and frameworks for Young Offender Institutions (YOIs) to enhance safety and time out of room. It does not commit to formalising, standardising, or publicly publishing time out of cell data for every prison in England and Wales.
Ministry of Justice
View details
19 Conclusion Deferred
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
Government Response
The government's response details changes to the prison education budget, including anticipated reductions in delivery hours, and efforts to maintain quality and efficiency in education. It does not address the recommendation's concerns about the viability and implementation of the 'earned progression scheme'.
Ministry of Justice
View details
20 Recommendation Deferred
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)
Government Response
The government's response outlines ongoing efforts to strengthen prison education, including maximizing attendance, implementing Working Week prototypes, and improving quality and support services. It does not set out how it plans to implement the earned progression scheme or commit to publishing its details within six months.
Ministry of Justice
View details
21 Conclusion Deferred
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
Government Response
The government's response details its comprehensive approach to supporting neurodiverse prisoners, including an upcoming update to the Neurodiversity Action Plan, new screening tools, and the rollout of Neurodiversity Support Managers. It does not address the recommendation about the inconsistent application and underutilisation of Release on Temporary Licence (ROTL).
Ministry of Justice
View details
22 Recommendation Deferred
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
Government Response
The government's response outlines its commitment to enabling prisoner access to higher education and states that the MoJ and DfE will review recommendations on student finance for prisoners, without addressing the recommendation to review and update the operational framework for Release on Temporary Licence (ROTL).
Ministry of Justice
View details
24 Conclusion Deferred
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
Government Response
The government's response addresses healthcare provision for people in prison, outlining commitments to equivalent standards, data collection efforts, and future digital system re-procurement, but does not detail actions to reduce the use of adult custodial remand.
Ministry of Justice
View details
25 Conclusion Deferred
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
Government Response
The government's response focuses on ensuring equivalent healthcare access for prisoners, detailing existing agreements, digital system upgrades, and plans to publish healthcare data by April 2026, rather than addressing the broader issue of providing more options for remand prisoners beyond healthcare.
Ministry of Justice
View details
26 Recommendation Deferred
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
Government Response
The government's response highlights existing healthcare and mental health interventions for women in prison, including a recent review and Mental Health Bill reforms, but does not address the general recommendation for all remand prisoners to access all parts of the regime or provide a 3-year plan for doing so.
Ministry of Justice
View details
38 Conclusion Deferred
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
Government Response
The government partially accepts, committing to review the Justice and Education Select Committee’s recommendations on access to student finance for prisoners, including the six-year funding rule, to inform future policy decisions. It highlights existing provisions through partners and charitable grants.
Ministry of Justice
View details
39 Recommendation Deferred
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
Government Response
The government partially accepts, committing to reviewing the Justice and Education Select Committee’s recommendations on access to student finance for prisoners, including the six-year funding rule, to inform future policy decisions. It notes existing work with partners and charitable grants for some prisoners.
Ministry of Justice
View details
Government Response AI assessment · 47 of 21 classified
Accepted 15
Accepted in Part 6
Acknowledged 2
Deferred 23
Rejected 1
Total 21 recs + 26 conclusions
Correspondence 2 letters
17 Mar 2026 Correspondence from Lord Timpson, Minister for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending, dated 13 March 2026: Ending the cycle of reoffending
Parliament page
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
Parliament page