Recommendation 17

We asked HMPPS what it had done to remove potential barriers to entry for small and voluntary sector organisations. HMPPS told us it “worked hard” to remove barriers. For example, it reduced the IT standards CRS providers must demonstrate in applying for funding. HMPPS told us its historic requirements had been identified as barrier to entry, particularly by the women’s sector, and lowering the threshold had not exposed it or prison leavers to any additional cyber security risks.39 However in its written evidence submitted to us, Clinks—the national infrastructure organisation supporting voluntary sector organisations working in the criminal justice system—described how its survey of 241 voluntary organisations and interviews with eight organisations between May and July 2021 found that HMPPS’ commissioning process was “complex, cumbersome and bureaucratic”. Clinks told us that many small, specialist organisations were unable to engage with the commissioning process due to the financial thresholds set by HMPPS, the geographical footprint of contracts, and the amount of information HMPPS required.40