§ Mr. BurnettTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the(a) standard and (b) future of post-release supervision programmes for former prisoners. [25983]
§ Ms QuinThe Probation Service is currently expected to supervise prisoners released on licence in accordance with the 1995 National Standards. Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Probation review the quality and effectiveness of this work as part of the process of inspecting each area probation service in England and Wales. All reports are placed in the Library. The general conclusion from recent reports is that in most cases the overall quality of supervision was satisfactory, although more could and should be done to improve compliance with the 1995 Standards.
Her Majesty's Inspectorate will shortly be publishing guidance on effective supervision programmes, drawing on the results of inspection and of research. This will apply both to supervision following release and to supervision under community sentences. All probation services will be expected to make use of this guidance. In addition, we shall be considering possible changes to the 1995 National Standards in the light of experience of their operation: legislative and other changes since their issue: and the outcome of the prisons/probation review.