Committee publication · Correspondence · 7 July 2026
Correspondence from Chris Parsons, Project Director at LandWorks, dated 1 July 2026: Rehabilitation and Resettlement
From: Justice Committee
Inquiry: Rehabilitation and resettlement: ending the cycle of reoffending
Summary
Chris Parsons from LandWorks, a rehabilitation charity, writes to the Justice Committee to provide updated evidence for its Rehabilitation and Resettlement inquiry. He highlights independent Justice Data Lab analysis showing LandWorks participants had a 13% one-year reoffending rate versus 21% for a comparison group, and argues effective rehabilitation requires sustained, holistic, relationship-based support addressing multiple interconnected challenges rather than fragmented interventions.
Key findings
- Justice Data Lab analysis of 90 LandWorks participants (2013–2023) found a one-year reoffending rate of 13% compared with 21% for matched comparison group
- Rehabilitation effectiveness depends on sustained relational work building trust, stability, hope and non-criminal identity, not single interventions
- LandWorks model combines purposeful work, personal development and resettlement support delivered through consistent relationships in a safe, non-judgemental environment
- Current criminal justice system fragmentation—including service changes and supervision discontinuity—impedes engagement; long-term relationships and continuity create conditions for genuine rehabilitation
- Support extending beyond formal programme or sentence end is critical, as desistance is non-linear and crises may arise years into recovery
Tone
SupportiveTopics
Key actors
Chris Parsons, LandWorks, Andy Slaughter MP, Justice Committee, Ministry of Justice, Justice Data Lab
Notable line
“… rehabilitation is rarely the result of a single intervention. Rather, it is the product of sustained relational work that helps people stabilise their lives, build trust, develop hope …”
Key Quotes
“The one-year reoffending rate for LandWorks participants was 13%, compared with 21% for the comparison group”
“… rehabilitation is rarely the result of a single intervention. Rather, it is the product of sustained relational work that helps people stabilise their lives, build trust, develop hope, and create a new non-criminal identity.”
“… people are most likely to change when they experience consistent relationships, practical support, genuine opportunities and hope for the future.”
“… bringing support together, reducing barriers to engagement and maintaining continuity over time creates the conditions in which genuine rehabilitation can occur.”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗