Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Reoffending Rates: Friday Releases

Tuesday 5 July 2022 · 2 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 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Assessments have been made that accessing timely support on release can be particularly challenging on a Friday, increasing the risk of reoffending.
  • The Government committed to pursuing legislation to enable the release of prisoners up to two days earlier when parliamentary time allows.
  • An additional 200 million a year will be invested by 2024-25 to transform the approach to rehabilitation, addressing issues like homelessness for ex-offenders.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Bob Blackman Con Harrow East
Crime & Law Enforcement Justice & Courts
Context

The question arises from the policy of ending Friday releases for prisoners, which has implications on access to timely support upon release.

Question

What assessment have you made of the impact of ending Friday releases on reoffending rates?

Answer from Victoria Atkins

I know that accessing timely support on release can be particularly challenging on a Friday and that that can increase the risk of reoffending. That is why the Government have committed to pursuing legislation when parliamentary time allows to enable the release of prisoners up to two days earlier when a release date falls on a Friday or before a bank holiday.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer did not provide an assessment of reoffending rates but acknowledged challenges and committed to legislative action.

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Q2 Bob Blackman Con Harrow East
Justice & Courts NHS Housing
Context

The issue of releasing prisoners on Fridays and its implications on reoffending, homelessness, and access to services.

Question

If we release ex-criminals and ex-offenders on a Friday, they are likely to return to their former habitat, reconnect with individuals whom they committed crimes with, and reoffend. Equally, if they are homeless, they will not get any service from the local authority. I therefore commend the moves to change the position so that we can encourage people to rebuild their lives after being in prison.

Answer from Victoria Atkins

We are particularly conscious of the impact that homelessness can have on ex-offenders released from prison, so, in addition to our commitment to legislate on Friday releases, by 2024-25 we will invest an additional £200 million a year to transform our approach to rehabilitation, including expanding our transitional accommodation service across England and Wales.

Answered
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