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10 Dec 2024
Question
Reducing Reoffending

Analysis of Question Proceeding on "Reducing Reoffending"

  1. Structure and Main Content
    • The debate in the House of Commons centers around measures being implemented by the government to reduce reoffending.
    • Key focus areas include the expansion of transitional accommodations, employment councils for offender employment, investment in prison education, and application of technology to lower reoffending rates.
  1. Policy Terms and Legislation
    • Mention of independent sentencing review under David Gauke.
    • References to the "Creating future opportunities" programme.
  1. Named Entities
    • Individuals: Mr Mark Sewards, Sir Nicholas Dakin, Dan Aldridge, Danny Kruger, Sir Lindsay Hoyle.
    • Organizations: HM Prison and Probation Service, Weston College.
    • Locations linked to speakers' constituencies: Leeds South West, Scunthorpe, Weston-super-Mare, East Wiltshire.
  1. Numerical Data and Statistics
    • Mention of a need to build "three mega-jails a year" to meet the current demand, highlighting the immense cost to taxpayers.
  1. Related Parliamentary Business
    • Concurrent inquiries and reviews like the independent sentencing review and initiatives by the Ministry of Justice.
  1. Political Positions and Policy Stances
    • Strong advocacy for improving public safety and reducing costs by investing in technology and offender rehabilitation.
    • Suggestions for stabilizing prisoner locations close to their release to enhance support and reduce system "churn."
  1. Departmental Names
    • Ministry of Justice, HM Prison and Probation Service.
  1. Key Dates and Timeframes
    • No specific key dates mentioned within the debate, focusing more on ongoing and future initiatives.

Key Contributions

Original Transcript
Mr Mark Sewards
Leeds South West and Morley
Lab
Question
UIN: 901727

8. What steps her Department is taking to help reduce reoffending.

Dan Aldridge
Weston-super-Mare
Lab
Question
UIN: 901736

15. What steps her Department is taking to help reduce reoffending.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice
Sir Nicholas Dakin
11:53

We will expand our transitional accommodation service and launch employment councils to strengthen the relationship between employers and HM Prison and Probation Service.

Mr Sewards
11:51

People who commit crimes should be prosecuted and put in prison as quickly as possible. It is also clear that we need to do more to reduce reoffending rates in order to keep the public safe.

To keep up with the current demand for prison places, we need to build three mega-jails a year, costing the taxpayer millions.

Given those facts, does the Minister agree that we need to invest in technology to bring reoffending rates down, so that we can help those people turn their lives around and, crucially, keep the public safe?

Sir Nicholas Dakin
11:51

Absolutely; public safety is our No. 1 priority and new technology gives us every advantage to do things differently. That is one of the things that the independent sentencing review under David Gauke will be looking at.

Dan Aldridge
11:52

Providing quality education and training for offenders is one of the most effective ways of reducing reoffending.

Weston College in Weston-super-Mare runs a transformational prison education programme across the south-west of England, which supports successful rehabilitation, resettlement and employment of offenders on release.

Can the Minister advise what steps the Department is taking to ensure that more offenders can develop the skills they need to successfully gain employment and reintegrate into society?

Sir Nicholas Dakin
11:52

I very much welcome the work that Weston College does in prisons.

We are also developing our training offer for employers in areas such as rail tracks and construction, and HMPPS’s Creating future opportunities programme is working to improve the employability of offenders in both prison and the community.

Sir Nicholas Dakin
11:53

Several of the things that I have mentioned already are designed to do exactly that, and we recognise exactly what the hon. Gentleman says. On the SDS40 scheme, prison and probation officers have done an outstanding job in supporting prisoners through that journey.

Anna Sabine
Frome and East Somerset
LD

A constituent of mine reported a rape and sexual offence case well over two years ago but, like many victims, is still waiting for her case to be processed by the Crown court, leaving her pessimistic about the criminal justice system’s ability properly to tackle violence against women and girls.

What is the Ministry of Justice doing to tackle the backlog and support victims of VAWG through the criminal justice system?

Mr Speaker

Order. That is not relevant to the question that has been asked.

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All content derived from official parliamentary records