Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the number of reoffenders for each year since 2010.

Her Majesty’s Prisons and Probation Service (HMPPS), does not calculate separately the annual cost of prisoners who have reoffended. However, recent studies show that reoffending costs £15 billion to society and we are committed to rehabilitating offenders to reduce reoffending and create fewer victims.

We are clear that prisons must become places of discipline, hard work and self-improvement. Our reforms will help deliver a system that is focused on getting prisoners the education and training they need to live law-abiding lives when they are released.