Prisoners Skills Development 2023-03-28
2023-03-28
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Questions & Answers
Q1
Direct Answer
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Context
The MP is concerned about the lack of skills training for prisoners which could prevent them from successfully reintegrating into society.
What steps he is taking to help prisoners develop new skills?
Among other things, we are renewing the prisoner education service, establishing an employability innovation fund, and ensuring that skills acquired match business need through close work with employers.
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Q2
Partial Answer
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The MP references his own act which ensures that prisoners are housed properly upon release to prevent homelessness. He highlights the importance of education in preventing reoffending.
Under my Homelessness Reduction Act 2017, prison governors have a duty to ensure that people leaving prison are housed properly after they have served their sentence. It is vital that, to prevent reoffending, we ensure that prisoners get the best possible education. What extra measures is he considering to ensure that prisoners are given the skills they need to rebuild their lives after they have served their sentence?
I pay tribute to my hon. Friend for the work he did, through the Homelessness Reduction Act, to support prisoners throughout our communities. He is right to identify not only the importance of skills and getting into work, but the need for direct support with accommodation. We are investing heavily in expanding transitional accommodation at the different levels.
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Assessment & feedback
specific measures beyond housing
Under Review
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Q3
Direct Answer
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The MP cites the chief inspector of probation's description of the service as being in survival mode due to staffing pressures.
We all want to see more people rehabilitated from the Prison Service. The Minister will know, however, that His Majesty's chief inspector of probation has described that service as “in survival mode” due to staffing pressures and huge workloads. What does he expect his Department to do to put that right?
In relation to the probation service, which I think the hon. Gentleman is asking about, we are investing in increasing staff numbers and ensuring that those staff have the right support, and we have seen those staff numbers grow.
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Q4
Direct Answer
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The MP points out that substance abuse is a barrier to skills training for prisoners.
Getting prisoners with substance abuse issues into meaningful skills training first requires getting them off drugs. Can my right hon. Friend tell the House what he is doing to help prisoners and to tackle drugs in prisons?
My hon. Friend is quite right; that is a crucial part of the jigsaw, together with maintaining family ties. In a major new initiative, we are creating up to 18 new drug recovery wings so that prisoners can focus on achieving abstinence not only from illicit drugs, but from prescribed substitutes.
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Q5
Partial Answer
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The MP notes that the Shannon Trust found that half of prisoners cannot read or struggle with it, emphasizing the need for basic literacy education.
The Shannon Trust—no connection to me, by the way—has concluded that 50% of people in prison cannot read or struggle to do so. What steps are being taken to ensure that basic literacy and reading skills are taught at all prisons for all ages across the United Kingdom?
We all trust Shannon; the hon. Gentleman is quite right to draw attention to the good work of his namesake trust, which for many years has operated a very good peer model in our prisons, where prisoners help other prisoners. We also work with the trust directly on other programmes.
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Assessment & feedback
concrete measures to address illiteracy
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