§ 36. Jean CorstonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the role of the Prison Service in reducing re-offending. [38909]
§ Beverley HughesOne of the principal aims of the prison service is to reduce re-offending. In order to provide regimes which are effective at reducing re-offending the Prison Service increasingly draws upon research about "What Works" to develop a more evidence based approach to tackling offending behaviour and the factors which contribute towards re-offending. The recently launched What Works Strategy provides a clear direction for the Prison Service for the further development of constructive regimes to reduce the risk of re-offending. The Prison Service and the Probation Service have been set a challenging but achievable target of reducing the level of predicted reconvictions by five per cent. by 2004.
The What Works in Prison Strategy encompasses accredited Offending Behaviour Programmes, drug treatment programmes, increased eduction provision with a target of delivering 23,400 accredited education or vocational qualifications in 2001–02 and an associated Custody to Work Strategy, which is investing £30 million between 2001 and 2004 to improve resettlement outcomes.