Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 23
23
Accepted
Crowding and capacity pressures severely impact prisoner health and drug treatment in prisons
Conclusion
Several stakeholders provided written evidence on how crowding and capacity pressures are impacting health and drug treatment in prisons.78 For example, HM Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) noted that the strain at some reception prisons are under means that prisoners do not always receive the required health assessments or safety interviews. It warned that this creates significant risks as many prisoners report feeling suicidal when they first arrive and have health problems, including drug and alcohol dependency.79
Government Response Summary
Action is underway to improve delivery through the national regime model which mandates prisons to set out their planned delivery, against the agreed national priorities which for 2025-26 specifically asks prisons to focus on increasing the quantity and quality of purposeful and rehabilitative activity. A substantial evaluation programme is underway.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
5.11 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented: April 2025 5.12 Action is underway to improve delivery through the national regime model. This annual cycle mandates prisons to set out their planned delivery, against the agreed national priorities which for 2025-26 specifically asks prisons to focus on increasing the quantity and quality of purposeful and rehabilitative activity. Governors are held to account through performance management systems to increase attendance across the totality of purposeful activity and understand the barriers to access dependant on the specific issues, which could include the capacity issues, impacting each establishment. 5.13 A substantial evaluation programme is underway to understand the impact of initiatives and programmes on reoffending outcomes.