Source · Select Committees · Justice Committee
Recommendation 21
21
Deferred
Release on Temporary Licence remains underutilised despite its proven effectiveness.
Conclusion
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 Summary
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 and underutilisation of Release on Temporary Licence (ROTL).
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government
Deferred
99. In response to the Joint Inspectorates’ Independent Review of neurodiversity in the criminal justice system, we have committed to publishing a final update to the Cross-Government Neurodiversity Action Plan imminently, setting out progress made across the criminal justice system, including in prisons and the probation service to improve support for those with neurodiverse needs. 100. HMPPS take a comprehensive, needs-led approach to supporting individuals in prison with additional learning needs. This includes screening everyone upon entry to identify any conditions or needs that may affect their ability to engage with the prison regime and navigate its environment and opportunities. This ensures they receive appropriate support in a timely manner. 101. To improve screening practices, a new Additional Learning Needs tool was introduced in October 2025 as part of the new Prisoner Education Service. This tool identifies individual strengths, and any additional learning needs they may have as well as what adjustments might help support them. 102. Over the next 12 months, HMPPS will be continuing to enhance functionality and embed the use of a new digital service, introduced in October 2025, that enables key information on prisoner needs, including screener results and required adjustments, to be recorded and shared across the prison estate. 103. Neurodiversity Support Managers (NSMs), present in all public prisons in England and Wales, are responsible for providing training and guidance to prison staff to equip them to better support all neurodivergent individuals and improve processes to identify and support prisoners to ensure they can access education, skills and work opportunities within the prison. Rollout of the role completed in 2024, and 124 prisons now have an NSM post available. 104. NSMs share the same five broad priority areas in response to the Neurodiversity Action Plan, and have made considerable progress against these, although they can tailor their approach to meet the specific needs of their prison and population. NSMs have also led on developing more neurodiversity supportive environments across the prison estate and are frequently recognised in HMIP inspection reports for their positive impact in prisons, highlighting examples of good practice in both support for prisoners and adjustments to the environment to support neurodiversity. 105. For individuals requiring higher levels of support, some prisons have also introduced neurodiversity wings or created specific areas which focus on the sensory and mental health requirements for prisoners with complex needs.