MPs probe Justice Ministry on probation, prisons and courts
The Justice Committee is holding one of its regular sessions with senior officials in the Ministry of Justice to scrutinise the Ministry’s work and accounts.
Meeting details
MPs will ask officials about recent reports from His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation, including those on the cases of Jordan McSweeney and Damien Bendall. They are also likely to ask wider questions about the shortage of probation officers.
The Committee may also ask about delays in court cases and the effectiveness of actions undertaken to electronically monitor (or ‘tag’) offenders. The MPs also plan to probe plans to build new prisons, organise efficient IT systems and question how delays in appointments to bodies dependent on the Ministry can be dealt with.
The Annual Report and Accounts for 2021-22 was published in December 2022. The Committee will explore the impact of inflationary pressures on the department’s budget, including on the rollout of previously announced plans to build 20,000 new prison places. Concerns about overcrowding and other conditions in prisons that reduce the prospects for prisoner rehabilitation will also be discussed.