Glyn Davies, MP for Montgomeryshire, has welcomed the Ministry of Justice’s recent successes in reforming rehabilitation in the UK.
The reforms, which form part of the Offender Rehabilitation Act 2014 and aim to tackle stubbornly high reoffending rates, will engage a wide range of public, voluntary and private sector organisations to provide innovative and ‘joined up’ support to offenders. Both national and local organisations are to partner with the Ministry of Justice and the newly created National Probation Service (NPS).
The NPS will conduct an initial risk assessment on every offender and is also responsible for taking enforcement action against those who breach their terms. Medium and low risk offenders are now managed by 21 publicly-owned Community Rehabilitation Companies.
Whilst the management of offenders who pose the highest risk of serious harm will remain with the public sector, the reforms allow charities and other organisations the opportunity to revitalise the provision of rehabilitation services. A diverse mix of 50 organisations have been shortlisted as lead providers, including innovative partnerships between private and social sector providers; alongside 980 smaller providers interested in playing a supporting role.
Commenting on the reforms, Glyn Davies MP said:
“In Britain we spend £3billion a year on prisons plus another £1billion every year in the community. Despite this huge sum, overall reoffending rates have barely changed over the last ten years. An important objective of our prison service should be to discourage criminals from returning to a life of crime after they are released. Prison is about more than just punishment – the most effective way to reduce the cost of crime is to reduce crime itself. I am very keen that rehabilitation should be as effective as possible.
“Something radical needed to be done, particularly when Government faced severe budgetary pressure. We needed to enlist the help and expertise of those who have been working hard in the community and in prisons to improve rehabilitation services and reduce reoffending levels. This process has further to go.
“I have been encouraged by the smoothness of the changes we have already introduced. I hope to see more innovation in this sector in coming years. The more offenders we can help to get their lives back on track is better for them, better for us and better for the public purse.”
Glyn’s comments follow his recent welcoming of Lord Carlile QC’s review of young offenders in the criminal justice system, including a recommendation that low level offenders should have the opportunity of a ‘clean slate’ once they reach 18.
