HM Prison and Probation Service aims to reduce reoffending by rehabilitating the people in its care through education and employment. However, reoffending in England and Wales remains high. For the year ending December 2023, 78% of all offenders cautioned or convicted for an indictable offence in 2023 had at least one prior caution or conviction. 

The Committee has decided to investigate the journey of an offender through the criminal justice system and examine what offer of rehabilitation and resettlement the offender has the ability to engage with, to prevent future reoffending. 

The inquiry sets out to look at what the regime offer is in different prisons and for different prisoner cohorts. It will also look at services in prison and whether they encompass principles of desistance and purposeful activity. The inquiry will also investigate governance in prisons, including staffing and contracting, and to what extent it impacts the ability to deliver rehabilitative services in prison. 

The inquiry will also look at what support is available for ex-offenders’ post-release, and whether there is sufficient join up, data sharing and capacity of these services to deliver effective resettlement services. The inquiry will also consider alternatives to custody, and what impact licence recall conditions have on promoting resettlement, and the role of community sentencing. 

Read the terms of reference for more detail about the inquiry, and to submit evidence. 

The inquiry will look into the supply of drugs into prisons, the involvement of organised criminal gangs in the distribution and trafficking of drugs in prisons, plus the use of technology including drones and mobile phones in facilitating the process. It will also analyse the effectiveness of current measures to tackle the issue, including drug testing and drug treatment for prisoners, substance-free wings and screening tools.