Recommendations & Conclusions
23 items
2
Recommendation
7th Report – Ending the cycle of reoffe…
Deferred
In the next annual statement on prison capacity, the Government should set out not only how it intends to manage the demand and supply of prison places, but also the steps it will take to ensure that rehabilitation is not compromised. This should include measures to improve access to purposeful …
Government response. The government partially accepts, but responds by detailing HMPPS commitments to comprehensive staff induction, ongoing training, and career development through a Workforce Planning Guide and Career Pathways framework, rather than committing to set out specific rehabilitation measures in the annual …
Ministry of Justice
4
Conclusion
7th Report – Ending the cycle of reoffe…
Deferred
Staff should never be promoted, even temporarily, without the proper training required to fulfil the duties of the role. As part of the Government’s work through ‘the Enable Programme’ it must ensure that, from prison officer to Governor, every member of prison staff receives training on recruitment, on promotion, and …
Government response. The government's response focuses on its existing practices for workforce data transparency and why it does not publish data on skilled worker visas, completely deflecting from the recommendation about mandatory training for staff upon recruitment and promotion.
Ministry of Justice
5
Conclusion
7th Report – Ending the cycle of reoffe…
Deferred
HMPPS must be transparent on its workforce data. Data must be captured and published on the vacancy rate for each prison staff role, how many of those roles have staff that are eligible to retire in the next five years, 81 and how many staff are on skilled worker visas. …
Government response. The government accepts the recommendation to publish a comprehensive workforce plan, stating the format and timing will be determined later, but does not address the specific request to publish granular workforce data on vacancy rates, retirement eligibility, or skilled worker …
Ministry of Justice
6
Recommendation
7th Report – Ending the cycle of reoffe…
Deferred
The Government must produce a comprehensive, public workforce plan for the prison system (including the women’s and children’s estate) for the next fifteen years, modelled on the process used for the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, with commencement of that planning process within three months. This plan should include targets …
Government response. The government responds by acknowledging the recommendation for greater Governor involvement in recruitment and describes ongoing work to design an approach for this, detailing challenges with previous local recruitment pilots, completely deflecting from the recommendation to produce a comprehensive workforce …
Ministry of Justice
7
Conclusion
7th Report – Ending the cycle of reoffe…
Deferred
Governors must have the ultimate decision on the recruitment of staff who work in their prison. HMPPS must amend its recruitment process to ensure that all frontline staff, including prison officers, undergo a mandatory face-to-face interview process led by Governors or a member of the senior leadership team. (Recommendation, Paragraph …
Government response. The government's response focuses on current and future investment in prison estate maintenance, including specific funding amounts and how priorities are set, entirely deflecting from the recommendation about Governors having ultimate decision-making power in recruitment and mandatory face-to-face interviews.
Ministry of Justice
8
Conclusion
7th Report – Ending the cycle of reoffe…
Deferred
We are shocked by the dire living conditions that many prisoners are living in, and it is deeply concerning to hear that prisons may be in violation of human rights legislation. We accept that the Government recognises this and that it has invested a sizeable amount of funding in repairs …
Government response. The government's response discusses its existing framework for Governor empowerment (Free, Flex, Fixed) and ongoing review of Governor autonomy, noting the constraints of civil service guidelines, thereby deflecting from the recommendation concerning dire living conditions and the prison maintenance backlog.
Ministry of Justice
9
Recommendation
7th Report – Ending the cycle of reoffe…
Deferred
The Government must clearly set out how it intends to address the £1.8bn maintenance backlog using the funding set out by its Prison Capacity Strategy and Infrastructure Strategy. In response to this report, we expect the Government to update the Committee on the work completed to date and provide a …
Government response. The government's response focuses on HMPPS's contract management practices, the new Procurement Act 2023, and initiatives to simplify procurement and engage SMEs and VCSEs, thus deflecting from the recommendation to detail how it will address the £1.8bn prison maintenance backlog.
Ministry of Justice
11
Recommendation
7th Report – Ending the cycle of reoffe…
Deferred
The Government should update the Committee on the findings of its review into Governor autonomy, including whether it will implement the Lords Home Affairs and Justice Committee’s recommendations on staffing, budgeting, and regime design. It should also set out a clear plan for how it plans to reduce Governor turnover …
Government response. The government's response explains its decision to focus on measuring 'purposeful activity' for prisoners, detailing the rollout of a new Digital Prisons Service Activities and Appointments tool to improve data quality, thereby deflecting from the recommendation on Governor autonomy, turnover, …
Ministry of Justice
12
Conclusion
7th Report – Ending the cycle of reoffe…
Deferred
The evidence we received shows that the current contracting and procurement system within HMPPS is inefficient. Poorly designed and inflexible contracts are limiting the ability of voluntary and specialist providers to deliver effective rehabilitation services. The system is not fit for purpose and risks undermining both prison management and rehabilitative …
Government response. The government's response describes the new 'Progression Model' and plans for tougher punishments for prisoner rule-breaking, stating a factsheet has already been published, completely deflecting from the recommendation about the inefficiency and inflexibility of HMPPS's contracting and procurement system.
Ministry of Justice
13
Conclusion
7th Report – Ending the cycle of reoffe…
Deferred
As the Prisons Minister said, contracts within HMPPS are complex and hard to understand. We are not convinced that HMPPS has a handle on the way it procures its services. Prison Governors are not contract managers and should not be seen or treated as such. (Conclusion, Paragraph 65)
Government response. The government's response addresses Release on Temporary Licence (ROTL) and its expansion, despite the recommendation focusing on HMPPS's procurement and contract management processes for prison governors.
Ministry of Justice
14
Recommendation
7th Report – Ending the cycle of reoffe…
Deferred
In response to this report, the Government should provide the Committee with a clear and comprehensive overview of how HMPPS is managing its current contracts, including steps being taken to simplify procurement processes and improve contract flexibility. It should also set out how it will reduce the burden of contract …
Government response. The government's response details measures in the Sentencing Bill to address the prison remand population and improve bail use, completely bypassing the recommendation on HMPPS's contract management and procurement processes.
Ministry of Justice
15
Recommendation
7th Report – Ending the cycle of reoffe…
Deferred
A substantial element of the role of a Prison Governor is contract management. The Government should provide comprehensive training on procurement and contract management to all public sector prison governors within 12 months. This should form an integral part of a new centralised unit within Government, to provide prompt legal …
Government response. The government's response focuses on remand prisoners' access to the prison regime and purposeful activity, completely ignoring the recommendation for specific training on procurement and contract management for governors and a new centralised advice unit.
Ministry of Justice
16
Conclusion
7th Report – Ending the cycle of reoffe…
Deferred
It is unacceptable that the statutory minimum for time out of cell is not being met, which means that prisoners either do not have access to basic needs, such as a shower or time in fresh air, or must choose between those or engaging in rehabilitative activities. Whilst we support …
Government response. The government's response details rehabilitation programs for perpetrators of domestic abuse and sexual offences (VAWG), but does not address the recommendation about ensuring all prisoners consistently meet the statutory minimum for time out of cell.
Ministry of Justice
17
Conclusion
7th Report – Ending the cycle of reoffe…
Deferred
HMPPS should formalise, standardise, and publish time out of cell data for every prison in England and Wales. It must closely monitor prisons that are failing to meet the statutory minimum and provide urgent support to enable compliance. Accurate and transparent reporting is essential to drive improvement and ensure accountability. …
Government response. The government's response outlines specific improvements, roadmaps, and frameworks for Young Offender Institutions (YOIs) to enhance safety and time out of room. It does not commit to formalising, standardising, or publicly publishing time out of cell data for every prison …
Ministry of Justice
19
Conclusion
7th Report – Ending the cycle of reoffe…
Deferred
The Sentencing Bill 2024–25 aims to move towards an ‘earned progression scheme’, where eligible prisoners could be released earlier. However, as the Bill is currently drafted, it is unclear as to how this scheme will work in practice, especially as to whether as the Independent Sentencing Review set out, it …
Government response. The government's response details changes to the prison education budget, including anticipated reductions in delivery hours, and efforts to maintain quality and efficiency in education. It does not address the recommendation's concerns about the viability and implementation of the 'earned …
Ministry of Justice
20
Recommendation
7th Report – Ending the cycle of reoffe…
Deferred
The Government should set out how it plans to implement the earned progression scheme and publish full details of this within six months. (Recommendation, Paragraph 90)
Government response. The government's response outlines ongoing efforts to strengthen prison education, including maximizing attendance, implementing Working Week prototypes, and improving quality and support services. It does not set out how it plans to implement the earned progression scheme or commit to …
Ministry of Justice
21
Conclusion
7th Report – Ending the cycle of reoffe…
Deferred
Release on temporary licence (ROTL) is a proven and effective tool for rehabilitation, helping prisoners maintain family ties, gain employment, and reintegrate into the community. Despite its strong track record, with a 99.8 per cent compliance rate, it remains inconsistently applied and underutilised. (Conclusion, Paragraph 95)
Government response. The government's response details its comprehensive approach to supporting neurodiverse prisoners, including an upcoming update to the Neurodiversity Action Plan, new screening tools, and the rollout of Neurodiversity Support Managers. It does not address the recommendation about the inconsistent application …
Ministry of Justice
22
Recommendation
7th Report – Ending the cycle of reoffe…
Deferred
We welcome the Minister’s commitment to expanding the use of Release on temporary licence (ROTL). HMPPS should review and update its operational framework to ensure ROTL is used more consistently and proactively across the estate. The Ministry of Justice should also work to address operational barriers and improve public understanding …
Government response. The government's response outlines its commitment to enabling prisoner access to higher education and states that the MoJ and DfE will review recommendations on student finance for prisoners, without addressing the recommendation to review and update the operational framework for …
Ministry of Justice
24
Conclusion
7th Report – Ending the cycle of reoffe…
Deferred
Custodial remand must only be used for those that present the greatest level of risk to the public. The Ministry of Justice must respond to this report with what further action it will be taking to reduce the use of adult custodial remand. (Recommendation, Paragraph 102)
Government response. The government's response addresses healthcare provision for people in prison, outlining commitments to equivalent standards, data collection efforts, and future digital system re-procurement, but does not detail actions to reduce the use of adult custodial remand.
Ministry of Justice
25
Conclusion
7th Report – Ending the cycle of reoffe…
Deferred
It is right that the remand population should not be mandated to participate in the regime, as they have not been found guilty. However, due to the length of time remand prisoners are in custody for due to the court backlogs, it is not right that they are spending their …
Government response. The government's response focuses on ensuring equivalent healthcare access for prisoners, detailing existing agreements, digital system upgrades, and plans to publish healthcare data by April 2026, rather than addressing the broader issue of providing more options for remand prisoners beyond …
Ministry of Justice
26
Recommendation
7th Report – Ending the cycle of reoffe…
Deferred
The Ministry of Justice must consider the benefits of giving remand prisoners access to all parts of the regime, should they choose to participate. In the event that this is not currently viable due to the prioritisation of courses for convicted prisoners in order to demonstrate suitability for release, the …
Government response. The government's response highlights existing healthcare and mental health interventions for women in prison, including a recent review and Mental Health Bill reforms, but does not address the general recommendation for all remand prisoners to access all parts of the …
Ministry of Justice
38
Conclusion
7th Report – Ending the cycle of reoffe…
Deferred
Evidence shows that prisoners who participate in higher education are 20 per cent less likely to reoffend and commit 30 per cent fewer reoffences in the year following release. Reforming the six-year funding rule would support long-term prisoners to develop skills, contribute positively to prison life, and reduce their risk …
Government response. The government partially accepts, committing to review the Justice and Education Select Committee’s recommendations on access to student finance for prisoners, including the six-year funding rule, to inform future policy decisions. It highlights existing provisions through partners and charitable grants.
Ministry of Justice
39
Recommendation
7th Report – Ending the cycle of reoffe…
Deferred
Access to higher education should be based on rehabilitative potential, not sentence length. We repeat the recommendation of the previous Education Select Committee and encourage the Government to remove the six-year funding requirement to enable all prisoners to access higher education. (Recommendation, Paragraph 171)
Government response. The government partially accepts, committing to reviewing the Justice and Education Select Committee’s recommendations on access to student finance for prisoners, including the six-year funding rule, to inform future policy decisions. It notes existing work with partners and charitable grants …
Ministry of Justice