Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Reducing Reoffending

Tuesday 14 September 2021 · 5 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Ministry of Justice and the Home Office are collaborating closely on the integrated offender management strategy to prevent reoffending.
  • Funded violence reduction units and GPS tags are used to prevent offending among young people and acquisitive criminals.
  • 85 million was secured to ensure access to treatment for individuals with drug addiction upon leaving the secure estate.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Ben Spencer Con Runnymede and Weybridge
Justice & Courts
Context

The question arises from the need for effective collaboration to reduce reoffending.

Question

What steps are being taken to ensure effective collaboration between the Department and the Home Office on reducing reoffending?

Answer from Kit Malthouse

The Ministry of Justice and the Home Office are collaborating closely, exemplified by the refreshed integrated offender management strategy which improves collaboration between probation services and local police to identify persistent offenders and take preventive action.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific measures or commitments regarding effective collaboration were not provided

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Q2 Ben Spencer Con Runnymede and Weybridge
Crime & Law Enforcement Justice & Courts
Context

The question stems from the importance of preventive measures over punitive ones.

Question

Does he agree that prevention is better than cure, and could he outline some of the work being done in terms of pre-offending?

Answer from Kit Malthouse

Prevention is prioritised over punishment; funded violence reduction units across England aim to work with young people before they offend, while GPS tags are used extensively for acquisitive criminals leaving prison as a deterrent to further offending.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific details on the preventive measures mentioned were not provided

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Q3 Emma Hardy Lab Kingston upon Hull West and Haltemprice
Justice & Courts
Context

The question concerns a constituent who is ineligible for criminal injury compensation due to a prior conviction.

Question

Is it fair that someone who was raped after being released from prison for an addiction-related crime and has since been clean, is not entitled to criminal injury compensation because of their past?

Answer from Kit Malthouse

People with prior criminal convictions are generally ineligible for criminal injuries compensation; however, he is willing to meet or correspond regarding specific cases and their eligibility criteria.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Fairness of the policy was not addressed, only procedural guidance given

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Q4 Jonathan Gullis
Justice & Courts Employment
Context

The question highlights the importance of education and employment in reducing reoffending.

Question

How can we ensure that people leaving prison gain level 3 and 4 qualifications, find work, and contribute positively to society?

Answer from Kit Malthouse

Success after prison depends on having a job, a house, and friends; while agreeing with the importance of qualifications and work, no specific plans were provided.

Not addressed: No concrete actions or commitments to facilitate education or employment opportunities for ex-offenders were given

How: Changing The Subject, General Principles

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Q5 Rachael Maskell Labour (Co-op) York Central
Crime & Law Enforcement NHS Mental Health
Context

The question addresses the role of a public health approach in reducing reoffending related to substance misuse.

Question

What is being done across Departments to ensure a public health approach is taken for those involved in substance misuse who have criminal convictions?

Answer from Kit Malthouse

£85 million was secured to ensure treatment access for every individual leaving the secure estate with drug addiction, alongside enforcement measures like GPS tagging and sobriety tags for alcohol problems.

Answered
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