Committee publication · Correspondence · 7 July 2026
Correspondence from Lord Timpson, Minister for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending, dated 6 July 2026: Follow-up to the oral evidence session held on 16 June 2026
From: Justice Committee
Inquiry: Rehabilitation and resettlement: ending the cycle of reoffending
Summary
Lord Timpson, Minister for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending, responds to outstanding questions from the Justice Committee's 16 June 2026 oral evidence session on rehabilitation and resettlement. He addresses CCTV audio costs, women's mental health support, employment services restarts in 2027–28, women's centre funding totalling £32m, IPP sentence support, DBS criminal records functions, prison capital investment of £275m for fire safety, and higher education access for prisoners.
Key findings
- CCTV audio capability feasibility assessment underway; full costings pending completion of scoping work and legal review.
- North-East Health and Justice Hub (Aug 2023–Mar 2026) gathered data on remand for mental health; learning informing nationwide Mental Health Act 2025 reforms to end prison use as place of safety.
- Commissioned Rehabilitation Services ceased employment support in March 2024; new Future Community Support launching Summer 2027 (men) and Autumn 2028 (women), including 'Jobs and Skills' pathway.
- Women's community services funding: £26m Women's Diversion Fund (Jan 2027–Mar 2029) plus additional £10m over SR period, totalling £32m; 40 third-sector organisations listed as current grant recipients.
- IPP prisoners in appropriate establishments increased from 80% (Aug 2025) to 90% (Apr 2026), targeting 95%; Approved Premises pilot embedded across 14 locations with 16-week standard placement.
Tone
ProceduralTopics
Key actors
Lord Timpson, Andy Slaughter MP, Dame Lynn Owen, Paula Harriott, Unlock, Nacro, DBS, HMPPS
Notable line
“Housing remains a critical factor in successful reintegration. Based on unpublished operational information …”
Key Quotes
“Scoping work is currently underway as part of the response to Dame Lynn Owen's Review to assess the feasibility of implementing the recommendation to expand CCTV within prisons to include audio.”
“The overall aim of the Hub was to improve the support for remand prisoners with mental health needs and to inform plans to implement reforms under the Mental Health Act 2025 to end the use of prison as a place of safety and remand for own protection …”
“CRS ceased ETE support in March 2024 under the previous Government. However, new Future Community Support services will go live for men in Summer 2027 and for women in Autumn”
“Housing remains a critical factor in successful reintegration. Based on unpublished operational information, around 15.8% of people left prison homeless or rough sleeping in the year to April”
“… the proportion has increased from 80% (August 2025) to around 90% (April 2026). HMPPS continue to prioritise work to improve this figure to 95%.”
“DBS can give best practice information but cannot provide bespoke advice to people with criminal records or liaise between individuals and employers.”
“This includes a £275m allocation for fire safety improvements and a £35m commitment to deliver counter-drone grilles on the highest risk windows …”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗