Asked by: Mark Pawsey (Conservative - Rugby)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
What steps his Department is taking to increase the number of court sitting days.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
We have finalised increased sitting days in the coming financial year, with an increase to a record level in total across all jurisdictions.
This will maximise the system - we will run our Crown Courts to the fullest possible extent, with no limit on sitting days, using up every room and judge, alongside more days in Civil and Family Courts, and the Employment Tribunal.
Asked by: Mark Pawsey (Conservative - Rugby)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
What steps his Department is taking to reform the sentencing system.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Sentencing White Paper I published in September 2020 set out my plans for a new, smarter approach to sentencing. A system that protects the public, as well as one which the public understand and have confidence in.
These reforms will ensure dangerous criminals are kept in prison for longer, while new measures aim to tackle the underlying causes of criminal behaviour and improve the rehabilitation and supervision of offenders in the community.
Asked by: Mark Pawsey (Conservative - Rugby)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
What assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of offenders participating in work in the community on reducing rates of reoffending.
Answered by Rory Stewart
Offenders leaving prison who find a job in the community are between 6 and 9 percentage points less likely to reoffend than those who do not.
Furthermore, community orders have a more positive impact on reoffending than short custodial sentences (3 percentage points lower over a one year follow-up period) and orders which include an unpaid work requirement are in line with this general trend.
All of the above findings were taken into account when created our employment and education strategy which was launched on 24 May. This strategy aims to ensure that as many offenders as possible get the chance to partake in work both in prison and in the community.