Committee publication · Correspondence · 16 June 2026
Correspondence from Lord Timpson, Minister for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending and Jake Richards MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Sentencing, dated 10 June 2026: Publication of the IMB National Annual Report 2025
From: Justice Committee
Summary
Lord Timpson and Jake Richards notify the Justice Committee that the Independent Monitoring Boards' 2025 annual report will be published on 10 June 2026. The IMB report identifies progress in vocational training and in-cell technology but raises concerns about population pressures affecting safety and regime delivery. The Government states it is addressing these through 14,000 new prison places by 2031 (£4.7 billion investment), sentencing reforms expected to reduce the prison population by 7,500 by February 2028, and improvements to mental health services, resettlement support, and youth custody practices.
Key findings
- IMB National Annual Report 2025 identifies progress including expanded vocational training in youth estate and positive reception to in-cell technology, but raises concerns about population pressures impacting safety, regime delivery and prisoner progression
- Government is delivering 14,000 additional prison places by 2031 with £4.7 billion investment and has opened 3,000 places since July 2024
- Sentencing Act 2026 reforms are expected to reduce prison population by 7,500 by February 2028 while maintaining public protection
- Government acknowledges concerns about time out of cell, access to purposeful activity, and resettlement support, with plans to improve regime delivery and education/employment opportunities
- Government is developing Older Prisoners Strategy and working on Mental Health Act reforms to improve vulnerable prisoner care; Youth Custody Service strengthening behaviour management and resettlement arrangements
Tone
ProceduralTopics
Key actors
Lord Timpson, Jake Richards MP, Jane Leech, Andy Slaughter MP, Independent Monitoring Boards, Youth Custody Service, Ministry of Justice
Notable line
“The Government recognises these challenges and is taking action to address them.”
Key Quotes
“I am grateful for the important independent scrutiny IMBs provide across the custodial estate.”
“The report identifies a small number of areas of progress, including the expansion of vocational training in the youth estate and the positive reception to in-cell technology in some establishments.”
“However, it also raises a number of interrelated concerns, particularly regarding population pressures and the impact this continues to have on safety, regime delivery and prisoner progression.”
“We are working to put the prison population on a more sustainable footing through a combination of capacity expansion and sentencing reform.”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗