Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the cost of returning people to prison following breaches of their licences during the last 12 months.

The recall of offenders who are serving their sentence on licence and in the community is a preventative measure. It is instigated by the probation services only when the offender’s behaviour or non-compliance with their licence conditions suggest that they present as an increased risk of harm to the public or an increased risk of committing further offences.

There has been no estimate of the cost to the various agencies of recalling offenders on licence during the last 12 months, but any such cost would have to be offset by the potential costs arising from the offender remaining in the community and committing further offences.