Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the statistical analysis of prison leavers in England entitled Prison leavers in substance misuse treatment: 4-week outcomes – report, published 23 April 2026.

The Department of Health and Social Care’s analytical report on Prison Leavers in Substance Misuse Treatment: 4-week outcomes provides valuable data on the early outcomes of prison leavers receiving substance misuse treatment, including mortality and reincarceration rates, and differences in treatment engagement for different cohorts. We recognise that the first few weeks after release are high-risk for relapse, overdose and reoffending, and we are determined to ensure prison leavers have a smooth transition into the community, with swift access to care and treatment.

In England, improving health outcomes for people in prison and on probation is a shared priority across the Ministry of Justice, Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England. We have recruited over 50 Health and Justice Partnership Coordinators to strengthen links between prison, probation and treatment providers. We are improving information sharing between treatment providers and probation and enabling virtual pre-release appointments with community treatment providers via secure laptops. NHS England’s RECONNECT service also supports prison leavers with identified health needs to engage with the right health services in the community through referrals and peer support.

The report indicates that people in prison for shorter periods were less likely to be in treatment. This aligns with the rationale for key provisions within the Sentencing Act 2026, including the introduction of a presumption for the courts to suspend short sentences of 12 months or less. Around 60% of adults sentenced for under a year reoffend within 12 months. This is unacceptably high for victims and the public. The evidence shows that those given a community order or suspended sentence reoffend less than similar offenders given a short prison sentence.

We have also made changes to fixed term recall. The Independent Sentencing Review found the previous shorter 14 and 28 day fixed-term recalls did not provide enough time for offenders to address their criminal behaviour. 56 days provides more time to undertake a risk assessment and a thorough review of risk management plans to ensure offenders can be safely managed in the community.