Committee publication · Correspondence · 19 May 2026
Correspondence from Lord Timpson, Minister for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending, dated 30 April 2026 relating to purposeful activity within prisons
From: Justice Committee
Summary
Lord Timpson outlines progress on purposeful activity in prisons following the Justice Committee's drugs crisis report. The letter covers improvements across education and skills, health services, drug recovery support, and physical activity, alongside structural changes to prison regime delivery. The Minister emphasises purposeful activity as integral to rehabilitation and reducing reoffending.
Key findings
- 90% of prisons now have in-cell digital technology; Digital Education Platform expanding access to learning alongside National Year of Reading campaign
- HMPPS approved new healthcare appointment attendance metric (live April 2026) to prioritise drug-treatment appointments and formalise Governor responsibility for monitoring
- 88 prisons funded for Incentivised Substance Free Living units; ambition to expand Mutual Aid groups to meet weekly across estate with Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous and Gambling Anonymous
- Working Week project live in three of five pilot sites, increasing purposeful activity hours and providing insights for estate-wide improvement
- Purposeful Activity Toolkit developed with facilitated workshops to identify operational barriers; Area Executive Directors trained and accountable for performance monitoring
Tone
SupportiveTopics
Key actors
Lord Timpson, Andy Slaughter, HMPPS (Her Majesty's Prison and Probation Service), Drug and Alcohol Recovery Expert Panel, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, Lee Child, 1st InRail, GXO, Greene King
Notable line
“Purposeful activity is not a single intervention, but a combination of mutually reinforcing elements that together support recovery and rehabilitation.”
Key Quotes
“Purposeful activity is not a single intervention, but a combination of mutually reinforcing elements that together support recovery and rehabilitation.”
“The evidence is clear that prisoners who are meaningfully occupied are less likely to be involved in drug use or violence while in custody and more likely to secure employment on release, reducing the risk of reoffending.”
“I want a system that supports progression from basic literacy and numeracy through to accredited skills and real work experience, aligned with the needs of employers and the labour market.”
“My ambition would be to have MA groups meeting every week in prisons and we are increasing the number of MA sessions delivered by Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous and Gambling Anonymous.”
“I value the Committee's scrutiny of this critical issue and look forward to sharing further updates as our work progresses.”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗