Prisoners are able to access interventions designed to promote successful rehabilitation.

86. Appropriate interventions are provided to address the risk of harm, reduce the likelihood of reoffending and promote successful reintegration.

The following indicators describe evidence that may show this expectation being met, but do not exclude other ways of achieving it.

  • Prisoners can access accredited offending behaviour programmes that help them evidence changes in their attitudes, thinking and behaviour.
  • Staff can conduct offence-related work on a one-to-one basis.
  • Non-accredited interventions are carefully managed and their effectiveness is monitored.
  • Prisoners know what interventions and services are available and can access them easily.
  • Prisoners, especially those on indeterminate sentences, have opportunities to practise necessary life skills such as cooking and IT in preparation for independent living.
  • In category C and D prisons, release on temporary licence (ROTL) is a key part of the rehabilitation strategy.

87. Prisoners are offered advice and help to manage their financial commitments while in custody.

The following indicators describe evidence that may show this expectation being met, but do not exclude other ways of achieving it.

  • Newly arrived prisoners receive help and advice during induction to manage existing rental/housing agreements.
  • Unconvicted prisoners are able to retain their entitlement to state benefits, including housing and incapacity benefit and retirement pension.
  • Prisoners have ongoing access to debt advice.
  • Prisoners can attend money management courses.
  • Prisoners have access to specialist services providing advice and information about benefits/pension entitlements and are helped to make claims in advance of release.
  • Prisoners have appointments with the job centre on release, where appropriate.
  • Prisoners are encouraged to save money for their release and are assisted to open a basic bank account.
  • Prisoners receive details of insurance companies that can provide house, car and public liability insurance on release.

88. Prisoners receive advice on managing their housing and have suitable and sustainable accommodation on release.

The following indicators describe evidence that may show this expectation being met, but do not exclude other ways of achieving it.

  • Newly arrived prisoners receive help and advice to manage existing rental/housing agreements.
  • Every effort is made to ensure that prisoners, including those on remand, have appropriate accommodation on release.
  • Housing advisors are suitably trained and demonstrate the level of knowledge required to effectively address the wide range of accommodation issues facing prisoners.
  • Prisoners wishing to relocate are assisted to do so.

89. Prisoners who have been victimised, who have particular vulnerabilities or who have been abused are supported appropriately.

The following indicators describe evidence that may show this expectation being met, but do not exclude other ways of achieving it.

  • Prisoners are supported to disclose any experience of domestic violence, rape or abuse. Disclosure is managed sensitively by appropriately trained staff.
  • There are specific interventions to support those who have experienced abuse and these are well-known to staff and prisoners.
  • Staff work closely with external organisations to provide support for specific groups of prisoners.
  • Prisoners receive information on the specific support services available to them in the communities to which they are being released.
  • Staff are aware of issues around human trafficking and how to identify and support potential victims.
  • Specialist support is available for victims of human trafficking.
  • Prisoners who have been involved in the sex industry have easy confidential access to support from specialist community organisations.

Further resources

Release on Temporary Licence (ROTL) Failures

A review by HM Inspectorate of Prisons (July 2015)

Resettlement provision for adult offenders: accommodation and education, training and employment

A joint thematic review by HM Inspectorate of Prisons, HM Inspectorate of Probation and Ofsted (September 2014).

Facing up to offending: Use of restorative justice in the criminal justice system

A joint thematic inspection by HMIC, HMI Probation, HMI Prisons and the HMCPSI (September 2012)

Human rights standards

Human rights standards focus on planning for the prisoner’s release from the beginning of their sentence, through sentence planning, encouraging and assisting relationships with those outside the prison, and pre-release programmes. See SMR 87, 107; EPR 25.4, 103, 107.3. In addition, jurisprudence from the European Court of Human Rights and the UK Supreme Court confirms the relevance of ECHR Article 5(1) (the right to liberty and security of person) to matters of sentence progression. See James, Wells and Lee v. UK (ECtHR 2012) and Haney, Kaiyam and Massey v. SSJ.