Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 1
1
Accepted
Committee took evidence on resettlement support provided for prison leavers.
Conclusion
On the basis of a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, we took evidence from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and HM Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS) about the resettlement support provided for prison leavers.1
Government Response Summary
The government has created Area Executive Director roles (Oct 2023) to improve collaboration and will agree a plan to enhance short-term resettlement performance for all adult prison leavers by April 2025, committing to provide the Committee with an action plan within six months.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. adequate support to prison leavers, to reduce reoffending and protect the public. The creation of HMPPS's Area Executive Director (AED) roles in October 2023 will drive increased collaboration and joint working between prisons and probation, a vital component of effective resettlement services. HMPPS will agree a plan to improve short term resettlement performance for all adult prison leavers. This will set out key resettlement priorities to ensure that, by April 2025, an adequate and consistent resettlement service is in place for all prison leavers. This work is focused on enabling AEDs and frontline operations. It will set the foundations for longer term continuous improvement, taking into account overall system demand pressures. HMPPS will respond to the Committee by the six-month deadline, setting out the agreed approach and action plan. percentage points across the organisation. This is in the context of a net increase in the total number of staff employed by HMPPS; as of September 2023, there were 64,168 full-time equivalent (FTE) staff in post across HMPPS, an increase of 4,856 FTE compared to September 2022.