Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

HMPPS Reoffending Programmes

Tuesday 26 March 2024 · 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 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • John Penrose asked about the impact of Justice Data Lab outcomes data on HMPPS reoffending programmes.
  • The response stated that reducing reoffending is a core mission and decisions are based on evidence.
  • The Government will continue to base investment decisions on the best available evidence and is continuously improving its evidence base.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 John Penrose Con
Justice & Courts
Context

The question follows a government commitment to an evidence-based approach in reducing reoffending rates. It requests an update on the impact of Justice Data Lab's assessments on programme recommissioning.

Question

What recent assessment has his Department made of the impact of outcomes data from the Justice Data Lab on the recommissioning of HM Prison and Probation Service reoffending programmes in the last 12 months?

Answer from Gareth Bacon

Reducing reoffending is a core mission of this Government. We act on the basis not of emotion but of evidence, deploying a series of carefully researched interventions from the prison employment leads to the provision of 12 weeks of accommodation post release. The Justice Data Lab makes an important contribution by providing HMPPS and external organisations with a robust assessment of whether their interventions work.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer did not provide recent assessments or specific impacts on programme recommissioning based on the Justice Data Lab's outcomes data.

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Q2 John Penrose Con
Justice & Courts
Context

The question builds on a previous commitment to an evidence-based approach and seeks further action to ensure all currently commissioned programmes are reassessed based on outcomes before recommissioning.

Question

I welcome the adherence to an evidence-based approach to working out whether or not these various programmes work effectively, but may I urge Ministers to go even further by ensuring that every programme we currently commission is reassessed on the basis of outcomes, and then not recommissioned unless those outcomes measure up?

Answer from Gareth Bacon

I can confirm that the Government will continue to base our investment decisions to reduce reoffending on the best available evidence at the time. We are continuously improving our evidence base, for instance through the cross-governmental Better Outcomes through Linked Data programme.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer did not commit to a process of reassessment and non-recommissioning unless outcomes measure up.

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