Rehabilitation of Offenders

The transcript begins with Liberal Democrat MPs Bobby Dean and Monica Harding asking the Government what steps it is taking to support the rehabilitation of offenders. Labour MP Paul Davies also asks what the Department is doing to help reduce levels of reoffending. In response, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice, Sir Nicholas Dakin, acknowledges that nearly 80% of offending is reoffending, which has a significant cost to taxpayers and communities. He states that the Government is committed to addressing the rehabilitation needs of prisoners, despite the inherited difficulties of prison capacity. Bobby Dean follows up, noting that the lack of prison capacity means some prisoners are locked up for 22-23 hours a day, with many prisons ranked as insufficient or poor for delivering purposeful activities like education and training. He asks how the Minister plans to address this while the prison population remains high. Sir Nicholas Dakin responds that the Government is taking the necessary decisions to create more space and capacity in the prison system to address this issue, recognising that education and employment are crucial to reducing reoffending. Monica Harding echoes these concerns, citing the Chief Inspector of Prisons' findings that prisoners are often "banged up" for long periods and that education and training are not given the priority they need. She asks the Secretary of State if it is time to introduce a proper, workable plan to improve the rehabilitation of people leaving prison. Sir Nicholas Dakin agrees wholeheartedly that training and education are very important. Labour MP Paul Davies then highlights the importance of addressing literacy in UK prisons for successful rehabilitation, as it can empower inmates with better job prospects and aid their reintegration into society. He asks what comprehensive strategies are being implemented to address this. Sir Nicholas Dakin acknowledges the importance of literacy and numeracy, and states that he was pleased to see excellent best practice during a recent visit to HMP Humber. Finally, Labour MP Andy Slaughter raises the issue of sentencing policy as a key driver of rehabilitation and reoffending prevention. He notes that the Labour Party's manifesto promised a review of sentencing policy, and asks when this is likely to take place and whether it will consider the recent paper by former Lord Chief Justices on sentencing inflation. Sir Nicholas Dakin states that the Government is committed to a review of sentencing policy, which will commence as soon as possible, and that the paper in question is significant and should be considered by all members.