Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many offences were committed by prisoners on temporary release in the last 12 months.

Evidence shows the vast majority of offenders released on temporary licence abide by their ROTL conditions, with the compliance rate standing at well over 99%. Non-compliance is dealt with robustly and the prisoner faces being returned to closed conditions and serving long additional periods in custody as a result.

In 2016, the latest year for which the relevant data is available, there were 351,290 releases on temporary licence and in 17 instances there was a reported failure where the reason for the failure was alleged offending.

ROTL is used to prepare prisoners for their eventual release from custody and helps with finding work and stable accommodation, and to build and maintain family ties, all of which helps reduce reoffending. All offenders must meet strict criteria and pass a full-risk assessment before being considered for Release on temporary licence (ROTL).