Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Reoffending Rates

Tuesday 5 July 2022 · 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 2 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Working with the Department for Education, a statutory instrument to introduce apprenticeships in prison will pass in September.
  • By 2024-25, 200 million a year will be invested in skills and work, drug rehabilitation, and resettlement passports to reduce repeat offending.
  • New builds in prisons will include in-cell technology and family centres to strengthen family ties.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Jason McCartney Con
Justice & Courts Employment
Context

The question follows a discussion on the role of apprenticeships in transitioning ex-offenders into work.

Question

What role does my right hon. Friend see apprenticeships playing in that work?

Answer from Dominic Raab (Secretary of State for Justice)

Working with the Department for Education, we are introducing a statutory instrument to introduce apprenticeships in prison. That SI will pass in September, and we will start the first apprenticeship straight away.

Answered
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Q2 Selaine Saxby
Crime & Law Enforcement Justice & Courts
Context

The question follows a discussion on high rates of repeat offences among the top 10 offenders in North Devon.

Question

What more can be done to reduce repeat offending, as, locally, the current system is clearly not delivering that desired outcome?

Answer from Dominic Raab (Secretary of State for Justice)

By 2024-25, we will be investing £200 million a year in dealing with skills and work, as well as drug rehabilitation. Further action on resettlement passports will avoid that potential cliff edge when an offender leaves prison.

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Q3 Sally-Ann Hart
Crime & Law Enforcement Community Security
Context

The question follows a discussion on the importance of supporting families in reducing offending.

Question

What steps is my right hon. Friend taking to support such families, thereby helping to make our communities stronger and safer?

Answer from Dominic Raab (Secretary of State for Justice)

The new builds have in-cell technology that can facilitate dialogue and close family ties, as well as family centres to ensure that the ties that bind are strengthened and not weakened.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific actions being taken to support families of offenders are not detailed

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Q4 Kate Green Lab
Justice & Courts
Context

The question follows a discussion on the importance of careful parole decisions.

Question

Careful parole decisions are important to minimise reoffending. Can the Justice Secretary explain why new Parole Board rules will mean that expert report writers will be forbidden to provide a view on suitability for release of the most serious offenders?

Answer from Dominic Raab (Secretary of State for Justice)

The risk assessment may give conflicting recommendations, so there will be one overarching Ministry of Justice view in those serious cases to ensure that the overriding focus is on public safety and protecting the public.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific reasons behind forbidding expert report writers are not detailed

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Q5 Steve Reed Labour (Co-op) Streatham and Croydon North
Justice & Courts
Context

The question follows a discussion on the importance of community payback in reducing reoffending.

Question

I thank you, Mr Speaker, the Secretary of State and other hon. Members for their condolences on the passing of my dad, Roy Reed, a few days ago. Everyone's very kind words were a great comfort to our family at a very difficult time. Community payback is vital for reducing reoffending and giving justice to victims, but the number of hours completed by offenders has been falling since 2017. It fell in 2018 and again in 2019, before anyone had heard of covid-19. Please can the Secretary of State explain why?

Answer from Dominic Raab (Secretary of State for Justice)

There is renewed investment going in to community payback. The number of hours completed by offenders has been affected by covid, and obligations discharged from home will be phased out by the autumn.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific reasons behind the fall in community payback hours are not detailed

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