7th Report – Ending the cycle of reoffending – part one: rehabilitation in prisons

The government accepts the request, detailing that the Mental Health Bill will introduce a statutory 28-day time limit for hospital transfers from prisons and stop courts from temporarily detaining individuals with severe mental illness in prison as a ‘place of safety’.

The government accepts the recommendation and has developed "roadmaps to effective practice," implemented in April 2025, to improve conditions in YOIs, focusing on safety, time out of cell, and purposeful activity. Information on PAVA's impact will be provided by September 2026.

The government accepts the recommendation, committing to publish an update to the Neurodiversity Action Plan imminently. It also details new measures to identify neurodivergent needs, including a new screening tool introduced in October 2025, and mentions the rollout of Neurodiversity Support Manager posts across 124 prisons to provide support.

The government accepts the recommendation and is addressing failings in youth custody education through "Roadmaps to Effective Practice in Education." They plan to ensure individualised, trauma-informed learning supported by comprehensive multi-disciplinary plans to overcome operational barriers.

The government accepts the recommendation, referencing the National Partnership Agreement and the NHS 10-Year Health Plan as key to upholding healthcare equivalence. They are addressing operational barriers through continued collaboration, data collection on service delivery, and the re-procurement of integrated clinical digital systems by early 2026.

The government accepted the recommendation, committing to ensuring equivalent healthcare standards and noting NHSE's re-procurement of digital systems by early 2026 to capture data on healthcare access and outcomes. NHS England will update the Committee on plans to publish new data by April 2026.

The government accepted the recommendation, setting out its ambition to reduce the female prison population and detailing actions such as existing specialized health services, recommendations from a November 2023 health review, new funding for safety projects, and reforms within the Mental Health Bill to support women with severe mental illness.

The government agrees with the importance of staff training and outlines ongoing work through the Enable Programme to redesign training and develop capability packages for various roles. It notes this full national rollout is not feasible within 12 months and a new Prisons Training Oversight Function, whose board is not yet established, is responsible for curriculum development.

The government fully accepts the recommendation, committing to provide all Prison Governors with practical training and support on procurement and contract management within 12 months. This includes introducing a 'Securing Best Value' module, increasing the Inclusive Repair Threshold in new Facilities Management contracts, and providing dedicated contract management support with full training rollout planned through 2026.

The Youth Custody Service (YCS) is implementing 'Roadmaps to Effective Practice in Education,' aiming to reduce classroom sizes from eight to four children, introduce more vocational learning, and enhance partnerships with community education providers for continuity on release.

The government accepts the criticism, stating they have developed and implemented comprehensive, site-specific 'roadmaps to effective practice' from April 2025 to address concerns in YOIs. They commit to considering a statutory minimum for time out of room and are already working towards an 8-hour daily expectation.

The government has committed to publishing an update to the Cross-Government Neurodiversity Action Plan, introduced a new Additional Learning Needs tool from October 2025, and rolled out Neurodiversity Support Manager roles across 124 prisons to improve support for neurodivergent individuals.

The government accepts the findings, acknowledging failings in meeting education minimums in YOIs. It is addressing these through 'Roadmaps to Effective Practice in Education' and plans to vary existing seven-year contracts to drive improvements and support a comprehensive, individualised learning journey for children.

The government accepts the principle of healthcare equivalence in prisons, committing to the National Partnership Agreement and leveraging the NHS 10 Year Health Plan. They are undertaking specific activities including data capture exercises and re-procuring integrated clinical digital systems in early 2026 to improve healthcare provision.

The government acknowledged that many women in prison have complex needs, outlining its ambition to reduce the female prison population and detailing existing services, a recent health review, and new Mental Health Bill reforms aimed at improving support and transfers to hospital.