Welcome to the May edition of the Clinks Policy Briefing. Let us know your thoughts about this newsletter, or any of the things it has covered by emailing the Policy team.
This month:
- Our Policy Work, including our continued promotion of the key findings from State of the Sector 2024, the remaining voluntary sector roundtables as part of Dame Anne Owers’ review into the handling of prison capacity, the future generation of CAS3 contracts, attendance at a ministerial roundtable on families, the recommissioning of CRS contracts, the publication of the RR3 Community Provision SIG’s report on community drug and alcohol services and the publishing of several Clinks committee responses.
- Latest Justice News, including the House of Commons Research Briefing on the Sentencing (Pre-Sentence Reports) Bill, Clinks’ blog on the new infrastructure grant, the publication of a range of Ministry of Justice quarterly and monthly statistics and the latest inspection report of HMP Parc, amongst other news.
- Parliamentary News, including the latest updates on the Sentencing Guidelines (Pre-sentence Reports) Bill, committee debates from the Crime and Policing Bill, the publication of the Home Affairs Committee’s report on the police response to the 2024 summer disorder, and the Lord Chancellor’s statement on the use of PAVA spray, amongst other news.
- Sector Insights, including reports on effective substance use treatment for women, the criminalisation of girls and women in contact with the criminal justice system, resetting the approach to women’s imprisonment, HM Inspectorate of Probation’s national report, and an article from Dame Vere Baird on pregnancy and prison, amongst a range of other sector insights and publications
- Get Involved, including Clinks' remaining local area criminal justice forums and June’s Women’s Network Forum.
Throughout April, we promoted the findings of State of the Sector 2024. This included a blog exploring the findings of a funders’ focus group that informed the final research. Over the course of April and May, we will be presenting the findings to our area-based Criminal Justice Forums. This year’s executive summary report can be found here.
We held the final in a series of roundtables as part of Dame Anne Owers’ review into the handling of prison capacity. This was focused on resettlement and enabled voluntary sector organisations to share their experiences of how prison capacity challenges have impacted upon the resettlement functions of prisons.
Additionally, we convened a session at the end of April that enabled organisations to hear more details from officials on the future generation of Community Accommodation Service-Tier 3 (CAS3) contracts.
Our Director of National Influencing & Networks, Sam Julius, attended a ministerial roundtable at the Ministry of Justice, led by Lord Timpson and Minister Daby (Minister for Children, Families and Wellbeing), that debated the identification of children impacted by parental imprisonment, the support that should be on offer to loved ones and families, and how connections can be maintained with family and loved ones.
Ahead of the recommissioning of the Commissioned Rehabilitative Services (CRS), we have published a blog that provides the sector with an update on the content of the contracts, timelines and how to engage in the process. Read the blog here.
The Reducing Reoffending Third Sector Advisory Group (RR3) Special Interest Group (SIG) on Community Provision has published its second report (the first report, on mental health, can be found here). This report focuses exclusively on community drug and alcohol services for people in contact with the criminal justice system.
We have also published a range of committee responses that we have submitted over the last few months. Our response to the Justice Committee’s inquiry on rehabilitation and resettlement can be found here. Our response to the Public Accounts Committee’s inquiry on prison estate capacity can be found here.
Publication of House of Commons Library Research Briefing on Sentencing Guidelines (Pre-Sentence Reports) Bill
The House of Commons Library has published a detailed briefing on the Sentencing Guidelines (Pre-Sentence Reports) Bill. The briefing includes a summary of the Bill, as well as an explainer on the guidelines and the Sentencing Council itself. It also details the changes to the guidelines proposed by the Sentencing Council, the Government’s response and extensive information on the background to the Bill. The Briefing contains Clinks’ original response to media coverage of the debate on the guidelines, in which we stated that progress had stalled on tackling racial disparities in the criminal justice system.
Meeting our sector’s need for infrastructure support
Clinks is delighted to have been awarded the HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) and Ministry of Justice (MoJ) grant for infrastructure support for small and medium-sized voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations 2025-29. In this blog we outline Clinks’ focus and the key areas of work the grant will enable us to deliver over the next four years.
HMPPS Professional Standards Review
Jennifer Rademaker, a MoJ Non-Executive Director, has published her report as part of HMPPS’s Professional Standards Review. The report looks at HMPPS’s organisational culture and how it applies to policies, procedures and practices relating to bullying, harassment and discrimination. HMPPS and the MoJ has responded to the report, here. The response accepts all 12 of Rademaker’s recommendations, noting that ‘for too long, there has been a problem with bullying, harassment, discrimination and victimisation’ in HMPPS. As a result, an independent central unit to receive and handle all staff complaints of BHDV will be set up, which will be overseen by an Independent Commissioner.
Quarterly statistics published on offender management, proven reoffending safety in custody and safety in the children and young people secure estate
The Ministry of Justice published its quarterly ‘offender management’ statistics, which includes data on prison receptions, prison releases, licence recalls and people under probation supervision. Key statistics include: there were 87,919 people in prison as of 31 March 2025, which is a 3% increase on the last quarter; there were 10,401 licence recalls between October and December 2024 – a 45% increase on the same quarter in 2023; the remand population, at 17,582, is 7% higher than in March 2024 and is the highest end of year figure in ‘at least’ the last fifty years; the population recalled to custody has increased by 10% relative to the total a year earlier; and in 2024, there were 401,514 incidences of ROTL, which is 4% lower than in 2023.
These statistics were released in parallel with data on the Standard Determinate Sentences 40% policy. The number of SDS40 releases between 10 September 2024 and 31 December 2024 was 16,231.
Also published were the proven reoffending statistics from April to June 2023. These highlight an increase of 1.7 percentage points in the overall proven reoffending rate from the same quarter in 2022, to 27.5%. Adults released from custodial sentences of less than 12 months had a proven reoffending rate of 59.2% - an increase of 3.2 percentage points from the same quarter in 2022.
The safety in custody quarterly update (to December 2024) showed an increase of 37% of deaths in prison custody, as well as a 10% increase in the rate of self-harm compared to last year. The rate of assaults on staff also increased by 13% compared to the previous 12 months.
The safety in the children and young people secure estate update (to December 2024) note a 23% increase in assault incidents and a 21% decrease in self-harm incidents, compared to the same period last year.
Reducing reoffending evidence synthesis
The MoJ have published an overview of evidence on ‘what works to reduce reoffending’, which is an update on work previously published in 2013 and 2014. The evidence is drawn primarily from a series of Rapid Evidence Assessments that have been conducted by academics working in the field of reducing reoffending. Sections include: accommodation; education; employment; finance, benefits and debt; and community ties. Key findings include that ‘overall, vocational training and employment programmes were associated with 9% fewer individuals reoffending.’ Further, it was found that there was a ‘37% reduction in reoffending between those who took part in prison-based drug treatment programmes and those who did not’ (based on an analysis of treatment programmes in Europe).
Use of Force – an exploratory analysis of use of force in prison
Research commissioned by HMPPS on the use of force in prison between April 2018 and March 2023 has been published. The key findings have been produced by bringing together research from a number of academics. These findings include that there are constructive initiatives in certain prisons such as those involving people in prison in forums to discuss use of force. Notable concerns were also raised, particularly that the use of force towards people in prison ‘appears to be linked with their age, gender, and ethnicity.’ As well as that ‘black men faced elevate rates of certain techniques’, which include use of PAVA spray.
HMI Prisons announced inspection of HMP Parc
HMI Prisons has published its report on HMP Parc following an unannounced inspection in January 2025. The report highlights a deterioration in standards at the prison, while also setting out areas of ‘recovery’ under the new director. Key findings include: a failure to tackle ingress of drugs leading to a series of deaths in custody; continuing high levels of violence and self-harm; and poor or not sufficiently good healthy establishment scores on safety, respect, purposeful activity and preparation for release.
First arrivals at HMP Millsike
HMP Millsike has now become operational as a Category C ‘resettlement’ prison. The prison is due to be the first of four new prisons, as part of the Government’s prison-building programme, set to add 14,000 extra prison places by 2031. The prison will be operated by Mitie Care and Custody, with PeoplePlus responsible for education and workplan training provision.
Recent Business
On Monday 14 April, Lord Timpson’s letter to the Lord Bishop of Gloucester regarding Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentences, was published.
On the same day, the Home Affairs Committee published its report on the police response to the 2024 summer disorder, here.
On Tuesday 15 April, the Justice and Home Affairs Committee (Lords) published its letter to Phil Copple (who was Director General of Operations, HMPPS, at the time) regarding Unlocked Graduates. The letter can be found, here.
On the same day, Minister Timpson responded to Lord Moylan’s question regarding the review of the sentencing framework, ‘two-strike’ life sentences, and imprisonment for public protection sentences. His response can be found here.
On Tuesday 22 April, Justice Questions took place in the House of Commons, enabling MPs to put questions to MoJ ministers. Topics covered included support for women in prison, the restraint of women during childbirth, residential alternatives to custody for women, alternatives to court proceedings for women, the effectiveness of the Sentencing Council, hyper-prolific offending, reoffending among young people, bail conditions in domestic violence cases, reoffending by people on probation, the SDS40 policy, and electronic tagging, amongst others.
On the same day, the House of Commons debated the Sentencing Guidelines (Pre-sentence Reports) Bill, at its Second Reading Stage. The Bill will now go to its Committee Stage on 30 April.
On Wednesday 23 April, the Mental Health Bill went through Third Reading - its final stage in the House of Lords. It will now return to the Commons.
On the same day, the Home Secretary made a statement to the House regarding police accountability and vetting.
Also on the same day, the Justice Committee Chair, Andy Slaughter, sent a letter to Lord Timpson regarding Channel 4’s programme on electronic monitoring. Lord Timpson’s response can be found, here.
On Thursday 24 April, the Lord Chancellor made a statement in the House of Commons announcing the decision to authorise the use of PAVA in the three public sector Young Offender Institutions (YOIs) for a 12-month period.
On the same day, the latest Committee Stage Debate of the Crime and Policing Bill took place. The latest notice of amendments to the Bill can be found, here.
On Friday 25 April, Sir Nic Dakin MP – Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the MoJ – answered Grahame Morris MP’s question regarding the rate of resignations among prison and probation officers.
On the same day, a letter was published from the Minister for Victims and Violence Against Women and Girls, Alex Davies-Jones MP, in response to the Victims’ Commissioner’s report into the Crown Court backlog
On Tuesday 29 April, Lord Timpson’s letter to Justice Committee Chair, Andy Slaughter MP, was published, setting out details of the changes to probation via the national rollout of IMPACT.
On Wednesday 30 April, the Lord Chancellor answered questions from the Joint Committee on Human Rights.
On the same day, the Sentencing Guidelines (Pre-sentence Reports) Bill was considered in Committee of the whole House, which enabled MPs to participate in line-by-line scrutiny of the Bill, as well as tabling and voting on amendments.
Also on the same day, the Crime and Policing Bill’s Ways and Means resolution was debated.
On Thursday 1 May, the Sentencing Guidelines (Pre-sentence Reports) Bill had its first reading in the House of Lords. The Bill then received its Second Reading on Wednesday 7 May.
On Wednesday 7 May, the Victims and Courts Bill received its First Reading.
Upcoming business
The Government response to the Public Accounts Committee’s report on prison estate capacity is due on Wednesday 14 May.
The Committee Stage of the Sentencing Guidelines (Pre-sentence Reports) Bill will take place on Monday 19 May.
On Tuesday 3 June, the next edition of Justice questions is scheduled to be held in the House of Commons.
Criminal justice system
The Times Crime and Justice Commission has launched its final report, following a year-long inquiry into the future of policing, courts, sentencing and prisons. Chaired by the Times journalist, Rachel Sylvester the Commission has drawn on evidence from over 500 experts, including chief constables, prison governors, judges and victims. The Commission found that every part of the system is under strain and that policing, courts, and prisons face mounting crises. Further, the report argues for treatment the system as a whole, as well as urging policymakers to move beyond rhetoric and to focused on evidence-based solutions to reduce crime and reoffending. Finally, it calls for the use of technology to modernise justice and to ‘match the pace of criminal innovation.’
Sentencing
The Prison Reform Trust has published its findings report following its commissioning of the Citizens’ Panel on sentencing in England and Wales at the end of 2024. The Panel was established to gain insights ‘on the overarching system of sentencing’ and was timed to provide insight on the publics’ views on sentencing whilst the Independent Review of Sentencing was ongoing. Panel members deliberated on what an effective sentencing system could look like and reached the following conclusions: that trust and accountability was seen as essential in building a fairer system which is understood by wider society; a reformed sentencing system should be efficient, modern and properly resourced; custodial sentences should only be given for the most serious crimes; and that the use of community sentencing should be increased for less serious offences.
The Centre for Social Justice has published a new report, making the case for a ‘different and better kind of custodial sentence.’ Its central recommendation is for a proposed alternative sentence in adult criminal courts in England and Wales – an ‘Intensive Control and Rehabilitation Order’ (ICRO). Wider in scope than any pre-existing community-based order, it would use an intensive package of monitoring requirements, together with periodic reviews before the court.
Substance use
The Centre for Justice Innovation has published new research exploring women’s perspectives of effective substance use treatment and support. In partnership with the Nelson Trust, they spoke to women accessing treatment in seven different locations and asked them about their experiences of treatment and what they wanted to see change. Six key characteristics of effective treatment were then established: it is holistic; compassionate and respectful; person-led and non-coercive; addresses the root-causes of substance use problems; trauma-responsive; and builds strength and resilience.
Women
Led by SHiFT Learning and Insights Lead, Ella Armstrong, this report looks at issues including the specific risks of exploitation and criminalisation faced by girls; the role of adultification and racism; the lack of gender-responsive, trauma-informed provision; and how the justice conversation is not complete without girls’ voices. Read the report, here.
The Prison Reform Trust has published a briefing, Resetting the approach to women’s imprisonment, which sets out the latest facts about women in contact with the criminal justice system. The briefing highlights how, as of 30 December 2024, 26% of all women in prison were being held on remand. It also details how in the year to September 2024, there were 2,063 recalls of women to custody, of which only 17% faced a further charge. Additionally, women serving a sentence of less than 12 months accounted for 61% of recalls. With regards to race and ethnicity, 17% of the sentenced women’s prison population are recorded as Asian or Asian British, Black or Black British, Mixed or ‘other ethnic group’, which increases to 22% of the remanded women’s population.
Dame Vera Baird, for the Centre for Women’s Justice, has written this blog on why ‘pregnancy and prison do not mix.’ Dame Vera notes that ‘twenty-two percent of pregnant prisoners miss midwifery appointments’, as well as highlighting insufficient medical facilities, a lack of midwives or doctors in prisons at night, and that ‘one in ten prisoners do not get to hospital in time, and give birth in transit.’ The blog also references that the NHS ‘now says that due to the complexities for women in detaining settings, all pregnancies are high risk.’
Health and Justice
As part of her role as the mental health seat holder on the RR3, Together for Mental Wellbeing’s Matina Marougka has written this blog exploring the findings of the recent RR3 publication on mental health services for people in contact with the criminal justice system.
Youth Justice
The Alliance for Youth Justice have coordinated a statement, supported by 37 organisations and individuals working to represent the views of, or deliver services to children, along with other organisations, condemning the Government’s decision to introduce PAVA spray in Young Offender Institutions (YOIs). The spray is an incapacitant similar to pepper spray. The statement calls the decision a ‘significant escalation in the use of force that is permitted against children.’ It goes on to note that ‘normalising the use of violence in this way risks making conditions even worse for those living and working in prison. It is also inconsistent with the Government’s Child First approach.’
The Ministry of Justice statement on the rollout of PAVA spray can be found, here.
The Youth Justice Board (YJB) has published its Serious Incidents Annual Report, 2023 to 2024, that analyses the serious incidents that the YJB has been notified of in the past year. It covers 438 serious incidents of which the YJB was notified of.
The Institute of Education – University College London’s (UCL) Faculty of Education and Society – has joined with Justice Futures CIC to explore the role of further education colleges in supporting people leaving prison and on probation to enter careers in the digital, sports and creative sectors. In this blog by Nina Champion, Co-director of Justice Futures, she explores what FE colleges can do to help people leaving prison to rehabilitate and build meaningful careers.
Probation
HM Inspectorate of Probation has published its national inspection report, which examined the ‘sufficiency of national arrangements across HMPPS to support, enable, and drive the effective delivery of probation services within regions and probation delivery units (PDUs).’ The inspectorate rated these arrangements as ‘requires improvement’, with a gap between national arrangements and frontline operational need. The report also noted that ‘there will need to be significant change to ensure sufficient capacity within the Probation Service to meet operational demand and improve the quality of services.’
Charities
The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) has published a new report that explores the power of small voluntary organisations, alongside the barriers that can limit their effectiveness. The Power of Small identifies four key barriers consistently faced by small organisations: broken funding systems: a lack of unrestricted, multi-year funding; culture and power: small organisations feel underrepresented and excluded from decision-making; practical support: many small organisations struggle to navigate the support that is available; and policy and advocacy: there is a need for a strong voice in policy development.
Clinks events
Clinks is continuing its series of online local area criminal justice forums. Details of all the forums are available on the Clinks events page. The dates for the upcoming forums and links to book places are available below:
- London, 14 May, 10:00-12:00
- South West/South Central, 14 May, 14:00-15:30
- North East and Yorkshire and the Humber, 15 May, 10:00-12:00
- Wales, 15 May, 14:00-15:30
- South East and East, 20 May, 14:00-15:30
- Midlands, 22 May, 10:00-11:30
The next Women’s Network Forum is being held on Tuesday 3 June. Book your place here.
Wider sector events
Nesta is holding an event on Tuesday 20 May, from 17:30-18:30, titled ‘Reducing reoffending: lessons from Little Scandinavia.’ The event is taking place in person, at 58 Victoria Embankment, but you can also attend online.
The Centre for Justice Innovation is launching new research on criminal justice involvement of children in contact with the social care system. The event will take place online, on Thursday 22 May from 12:00–13:30 and is free to attend.
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This month's edition was written by Sam Julius (Director of National Influencing & Networks)
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