§ Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what preventive measures he is proposing to reduce(a) the number of people entering prisons and (b) the number of prisoners re-entering the prison system. [18214]
§ Mr. Michael ForsythWithin the legislative framework provided by Parliament, it is for the courts to decide which individuals should be remanded into custody and which should be given custodial sentences. The Government do not believe that the courts should be prevented from sending to prison those who in their view ought to be there.
Two of the six gaols in the Prison Service three-year corporate plan relate to rehabilitation. These are to provide positive regimes which help prisoners address their offending behaviour and allow them as full and responsible a life as possible; and to help prisoners prepare for their return to the community. In working to achieve these goals, the Prison Service provides inmate development and pre-release training; sex offender treatment programmes; a more general programme addressing offending behaviour; jobsearch preparation courses and prison jobclubs; training for a wide range of national vocational qualifications; other constructive activities in prison workshops; and opportunities for work experience through the pre-release employment scheme.