36
Accepted
In April 2020, the Chief Inspector of Prisons similarly found that, within local prisons, resettlement...
Conclusion
In April 2020, the Chief Inspector of Prisons similarly found that, within local prisons, resettlement assessments and planning for release had been limited as a result of COVID-19. It found that good efforts had been made to address accommodation needs at several prisons and few prisoners were released homeless. However, it was clear that for many prisoners the only provision was short-term, emergency accommodation that was often found only on the day of release. It also heard of one instance where proactive work by the health care department in liaison with a community housing provider had ensured that temporary accommodation was found for a man who had recently recovered from COVID-19 who would otherwise have been released homeless.84 82 IPE0007 - Improving the prison estate, Professor Loraine Gelsthorpe (Professor of Criminology & Criminal Justice, Director of the Institute of Criminology at Institute of Criminology, University of Cambridge) 1 July 2020 83 Qq 22–26 84 HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, Report on short scrutiny visits to Local prisons, 28 April 2020 22 Improving the prison estate
Government Response Summary
The government accepted the observation as a recommendation, committing to a strategic approach to reoffending, including publishing an update by March 2021, focusing on ensuring prison leavers have jobs, homes, and medical treatment.
Government Response
Accepted
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
5.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: March 2021 5.2 The department welcomes and agrees with the Committee’s recommendation on the need for a strategic approach to the complex issue of reoffending. As noted in its recent update to the Committee on progress on Transforming Rehabilitation, the COVID-19 period affected its plans to publish a strategy in the summer 2020. Nonetheless, the department outlined its ambition to reduce reoffending in the recent Smarter Approach to Sentencing White Paper, through a cross-government strategic approach that focuses on ensuring individuals have a job, a home and medical treatment. The department has committed to publishing an update on this work in due course, and to write to the Committee with further details before the end of 2020. 5.3 This work will build upon the strong cross-government working that has been in place during the COVID-19 period, particularly with the Department for Work and Pensions and the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government to provide benefits and accommodation support to prison leavers. The department also continues to work closely with health partners to ensure individuals receive treatment for drug addiction and support with mental health issues. 5.4 It will also dovetail with the department’s long-term estates strategy which, as well as setting out a blueprint for further expansion of the prison estate, will include proposals for how prisons can be designed to best support rehabilitation and reducing reoffending. As part of this, the department will learn from the work at Wellingborough (to be named HMP Five Wells) and Glen Parva and ensure that evaluation is embedded into its prison build programme so it can assess what technologies and interventions work best to improve prisoner outcomes
Source
Committee
Public Accounts Committee
Inquiry
Improving the prison estate
Report
Fifteenth Report - Improving the prison estate
11 Sep 2020
HC 244
Addressee Bodies
HM Treasury
Timeline
Recommendation age
5.9 yrs
Report published
11 Sep 2020