Committees

Prison reform inquiry

Inquiry

The Justice Committee issues a report giving its views on Part 1 of the Prisons and Courts Bill, which contains those parts of the prison reform agenda which the Government considers need to be pursued through legislation.

The Bill was introduced in the House of Commons on 23 March 2017, and, following the House's agreement to the holding of an early general election, will not be proceeded with in this Parliament. The Public Bill Committee charged with considering the Bill did not proceed to consider all parts of the Bill, although it did finish debating Part 1 of the Bill before Easter.

The Justice Committee issued an initial call for evidence on 27 July 2016.

As details of the reforms were still emerging, we posed high-level questions in our inquiry's terms of reference. In doing so we wish to seek overall views which will be followed up in greater detail with a series of sub-inquiries on the White Paper.

Governor empowerment and prison performance

The Committee's first sub-inquiry focused on the policies on governor empowerment and prison performance announced in the Ministry of Justice's Prison Safety and Reform White Paper.

The Committee welcomed the principle of governor empowerment, but noted that greater clarity about the practical implications of these policies was required and risks would need to be mitigated.

Government Response

Estate modernisation

The Committee's second sub-inquiry focuses on Estate modernisation. The Government has announced it is closing some prisons and building new ones; the Committee seeks views on the Government's approach to estate modernisation within the context of its wider prison reform programme.

Reports, special reports and government responses

View all reports and responses
2nd Special Report - Government Responses to the Committee’s Reports of Session 2016–17 on (a) Prison reform: governor empowerment and prison performance (b) Prison reform: Part 1 of the Prisons and Courts Bill
Inquiry Prison reform inquiry
Open PDF
Opens in new window
Open HTML
Opens in new window
HC 491
Special Report
14th Report - Prison reform: Part 1 of the Prisons and Courts Bill
Inquiry Prison reform inquiry
Open PDF
Opens in new window
Open HTML
Opens in new window
HC 1150
Report
12th Report - Prison reform: governor empowerment and prison performance
Inquiry Prison reform inquiry
Open PDF
Opens in new window
Open HTML
Opens in new window
HC 1123
Report

Correspondence

View all correspondence
Letter dated 28 March 2017 from Sam Gyimah MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice, to Bob Neill MP, Chair, Justice Committee, on prison safety and reform
Inquiry Prison reform inquiry
Open PDF
Opens in new window
Correspondence
Letter dated 28 February 2017 and annexe from Sam Gyimah MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice, to Bob Neill, Chair, Justice Committee, on prison safety and reform
Inquiry Prison reform inquiry
Open PDF
Opens in new window
Correspondence

Oral evidence transcripts

View all oral evidence transcripts
28 February 2017
Inquiry Prison reform inquiry
Witnesses Janine McDowell, Chief Operating Officer, Justice UK and Ireland, Sodexo, Jerry Petherick, Managing Director Custodial and Detention Services,G4S, Julia Rogers, Managing Director, Justice and Immigration, Serco, Nigel Taylor, Managing Director, Carillion ServicesSam Gyimah MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Justice
Open PDF
128KB
Open HTML
128KB
Oral Evidence
21 February 2017
Inquiry Prison reform inquiry
Witnesses Amy Rice, Deputy Director, Prison Safety and Reform lead on Empowerment and Accountable Governors, Ministry of Justice, Nina Champion, Head of Policy, Prisoners' Education Trust / Prisoner Learning Alliance, Nathan Dick, Head of Policy and Communications, ClinksKate Davies,Director of Public Health, Armed Forces and their Families and Health & Justice, NHS England, Dr Rachael Pickering, Co-chair, BMA Forensic Medicine Committee, Dr Eamonn O'Moore, Public Health England and Director, the UK Collaborating Centre to the WHO Health in Prisons Programme
Open PDF
123KB
Open HTML
123KB
Oral Evidence
31 January 2017
Inquiry Prison reform inquiry
Witnesses Helen Boothman, Secretary, Association of Members of Independent Monitoring Boards, John Thornhill, President, National Council of Independent Monitoring Boards, Elizabeth Moody, Deputy Ombudsman Complaints (Office of the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman)Peter Clarke, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, HM Inspectorate of Prisons, John Wadham, Chair, National Preventive Mechanism
Open PDF
113KB
Open HTML
113KB
Oral Evidence

Written evidence

View all written evidence
A serving prisoner, HMP Wakefield (PRF0154)
Open PDF
43KB
Open HTML
43KB
Ms Felicity Green QC and Lyndon Harris (PRF0180)
Open PDF
32KB
Open HTML
32KB
a serving prisoner HMP Swaleside (PRF0162)
Open PDF
20KB
Open HTML
20KB

Other publications

No other publications published.

Contact us