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Select Committee · Justice Committee

Coronavirus (COVID-19): The impact on prison, probation and court systems

Status: Closed Opened: 31 Mar 2020 Closed: 29 Apr 2021 26 recommendations 16 conclusions 3 reports

This inquiry looked at the impact of the covid-19 pandemic on prisons, probation services, court systems and legal professions. Read the key points in an interactive summary of our four reports on the impact of coronavirus on the justice system .

Clear

Reports

3 reports
Title HC No. Published Items Response
7th Report: Coronavirus (COVID-19): the impact on the legal… HC 520 3 Aug 2020 16 Responded
4th Report - Coronavirus (Covid-19): The impact on prisons HC 299 27 Jul 2020 16 Responded
3rd Report: Coronavirus (COVID-19): The impact on probation… HC 461 20 Jul 2020 10 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

7 items
3 Conclusion 3rd Report: Coronavirus (COVID-19): The… Accepted in Part

The model of probation delivery has changed substantially in the weeks since the introduction of...

The model of probation delivery has changed substantially in the weeks since the introduction of the UK lockdown, particularly the way in which case-management supervision is delivered. Additionally, other areas such as unpaid work and interventions have stopped. We recognise that these measures have been necessary, but we are concerned … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges backlogs in unpaid work and accredited programmes due to social distancing, noting that case lists may continue to grow. It is considering options for unpaid work and has developed and received approval for an Alternative Delivery Format (ADF) to maximise programme delivery, …
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Ministry of Justice
4 Recommendation 3rd Report: Coronavirus (COVID-19): The… Accepted in Part

We recommend that the Ministry of Justice and HMPPS set out how the probation service...

We recommend that the Ministry of Justice and HMPPS set out how the probation service intends to address the backlogs that have built up over the past three months. Additionally, we recommend that the Ministry and HMPPS set out how they will ensure that all individuals under probation supervision will … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government details steps to address probation backlogs and ensure sentence completion, including considering options for unpaid work (UPW) and developing an approved Alternative Delivery Format (ADF) for accredited programmes. It also issued guidance to allow completion of commenced programme modules via one-to-one delivery, despite …
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Ministry of Justice
9 Recommendation 3rd Report: Coronavirus (COVID-19): The… Accepted in Part

Accommodation is an important resettlement need for prison leavers, and we welcome the work that...

Accommodation is an important resettlement need for prison leavers, and we welcome the work that the Ministry of Justice and HMPPS have done during the pandemic to ensure that prison leavers have the best access to accommodation as possible. We are also pleased to hear that scheme to support individuals … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government states the Covid-19 Accommodation Upon Release Scheme was extended until 31st August and will be kept under review. For the longer term, HMPPS is considering how to continue the work of the Homelessness Prevention Taskforces and use lessons learned to develop improvements in …
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Ministry of Justice
7 Recommendation 4th Report - Coronavirus (Covid-19): Th… Accepted in Part

While the secure video calling service is a temporary measure implemented in direct response to...

While the secure video calling service is a temporary measure implemented in direct response to the changes across the estate resulting from Covid-19, the Committee 28 Coronavirus (Covid-19): The impact on prisons believe there is scope for this service to be developed in the long-term and rolled out further across … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government states that video calling is available in over 110 prisons and is expected in all establishments by year-end, addressing the expansion. However, it is still exploring the longer-term sustainability of the service and does not provide costings.
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Ministry of Justice
11 Recommendation 4th Report - Coronavirus (Covid-19): Th… Accepted in Part

We ask the Government to set out how many prisoners were actively considered for release...

We ask the Government to set out how many prisoners were actively considered for release under the scheme and the principal reasons why just over 5 per cent were in fact released early.

Government response AI summary
The government states that 262 prisoners were released under the ECTR scheme and provides detailed reasons for the lower-than-anticipated numbers, citing public protection and stringent risk assessments. However, it does not specify how many prisoners were actively considered for release.
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Ministry of Justice
13 Recommendation 4th Report - Coronavirus (Covid-19): Th… Accepted in Part

We welcome the sourcing and installation of temporary units to increase headroom across the prison...

We welcome the sourcing and installation of temporary units to increase headroom across the prison estate. We welcome the announcement by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his Summer Statement on 8 July that £60m is being made available to provide 1,000 temporary places. We recognise that this is ongoing … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government reports that 1,150 temporary units are installed and aims to deliver 1,000 more Rapid Deployment Cells in the 2021/22 financial year. It states it is considering the long-term use of these units but does not provide costings for the full 2,000 units or …
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Ministry of Justice
15 Recommendation 4th Report - Coronavirus (Covid-19): Th… Accepted in Part

We recommend that the MoJ and Youth Custody Service set out how they have responded...

We recommend that the MoJ and Youth Custody Service set out how they have responded to the crisis in the context of the children’s estate and how the specific needs of children have been considered. It is also unclear why there is such a disparity in the regimes provided across … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government detailed the Youth Custody Service's response to the crisis, including the development of Exceptional Delivery Models, re-commencement of face-to-face education and visits, and a focus on essential activities for children. However, it did not explicitly set out what is being done to address …
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Ministry of Justice

Correspondence

80 letters
DateDirectionTitle
9 Mar 2021 — Letter dated 4 March 2021 from Sir Robert Neill MP, Chair, Justice Committee, t…
24 Feb 2021 To cttee Letter from Rt Hon Robert Buckland QC MP, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of Stat…
24 Feb 2021 To cttee Letter from Rt Hon Suella Braverman QC MP, Attorney General, dated 9 February 2…
3 Feb 2021 To cttee Letter from Robert Buckland QC MP, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for J…
3 Feb 2021 To cttee Letter from Robert Buckland QC MP, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for J…
27 Jan 2021 To cttee Letter from Rt Hon Robert Buckland QC MP, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of Stat…
19 Jan 2021 To cttee Letter from Rt Hon Robert Buckland QC MP, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of Stat…
15 Jan 2021 To cttee Letter from Rt Hon Robert Buckland QC MP, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of Stat…
16 Dec 2020 To cttee Letter from Chair to Foreign and Commonwealth Office, dated 16 December 2020, r…
15 Dec 2020 To cttee Letter from Rt Hon Robert Buckland QC MP, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of Stat…
1 Dec 2020 To cttee Letter from Rt Hon Robert Buckland QC MP, Lord Chancellor & Secretary of State …
25 Nov 2020 To cttee Letter from Sir Robert Neill MP, Chair, Justice Committee, to Rt Hon Robert Buc…
13 Oct 2020 To cttee Letter from Rt Hon Suella Braverman QC MP, Attorney General, dated 7 October 20…
29 Sep 2020 To cttee Letter from Dame Anne Owers, National Chair, Independent Monitoring Boards, dat…
29 Sep 2020 To cttee Letter from Rt Hon Robert Buckland QC MP, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of Stat…
16 Sep 2020 To cttee Letter from Chair to Rt Hon Suella Braverman QC MP, Attorney General, dated 16 …
10 Sep 2020 To cttee Letter from Chair to Rt Hon Robert Buckland QC MP, Lord Chancellor and Secretar…
9 Sep 2020 To cttee Letter from Rt Hon Robert Buckland QC MP, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of Stat…
21 Jul 2020 — Written evidence from Fair Trials
21 Jul 2020 To cttee Letter from Rt Hon Robert Buckland QC MP, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of Stat…

Meetings & visits

1 item
DateTypeDetail
19 Jan 2021 Formal meeting — · Virtual meeting