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| Mandatory post-release rehab courses for short-sentence prisoners unveiled | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Prisoners serving less than 12 months will have to agree to undertake a post-release rehabilitation programme as a condition of their release under legislation planned by the justice secretary, Chris Grayling. | Prisoners serving less than 12 months will have to agree to undertake a post-release rehabilitation programme as a condition of their release under legislation planned by the justice secretary, Chris Grayling. |
| The mandatory licence conditions for tens of thousands of short-sentenced prisoners would be a major change in the criminal justice system and will be used to facilitate the next steps in the government's "rehabilitation revolution". | The mandatory licence conditions for tens of thousands of short-sentenced prisoners would be a major change in the criminal justice system and will be used to facilitate the next steps in the government's "rehabilitation revolution". |
| The justice secretary also confirmed his intention to introduce a system of "payment by results" involving the private and voluntary sectors across the majority of community-based work with offenders, including the supervision of medium and high-risk offenders currently undertaken by the public probation service. | |
| Grayling is to publish detailed plans next month to open up the provision of post-prison services to "a whole host of new participants" on a payment by results basis spread right across rehabilitation by the time of the next election in 2015. | Grayling is to publish detailed plans next month to open up the provision of post-prison services to "a whole host of new participants" on a payment by results basis spread right across rehabilitation by the time of the next election in 2015. |
| He said he foresaw the public probation service becoming a more specialised organisation with a high level of expertise that dealt with high-risk offenders and public protection cases. | He said he foresaw the public probation service becoming a more specialised organisation with a high level of expertise that dealt with high-risk offenders and public protection cases. |
| The justice secretary also announced a series of urgent reviews into the availability of Sky television and mobile phones for some prisoners, the use of legal aid in high-profile cases such as that of the radical preacher, Abu Hamza, and the provision of education to children who are locked up in secure homes and secure training centres. | The justice secretary also announced a series of urgent reviews into the availability of Sky television and mobile phones for some prisoners, the use of legal aid in high-profile cases such as that of the radical preacher, Abu Hamza, and the provision of education to children who are locked up in secure homes and secure training centres. |
| Ministers said inmates in privately run jails were able to access paid-for Sky satellite channels at their own expense but that this would end soon under a shakeup of the incentives scheme to reward good behaviour throughout the prison system. | Ministers said inmates in privately run jails were able to access paid-for Sky satellite channels at their own expense but that this would end soon under a shakeup of the incentives scheme to reward good behaviour throughout the prison system. |
| New technology enabling prisons to black out a mobile phone signal without "spilling'' into neighbouring buildings is also to be used to deny prisoners access to mobile phones. | |
| "Those offenders who smuggle mobile phones into prisons and take pictures of themselves and their fellow inmates purporting to be having an easy time should take heed – they will face serious disciplinary consequences," said Grayling. His crackdown on phones and television in prison was the first announcement he made on succeeding Ken Clarke as justice secretary. | "Those offenders who smuggle mobile phones into prisons and take pictures of themselves and their fellow inmates purporting to be having an easy time should take heed – they will face serious disciplinary consequences," said Grayling. His crackdown on phones and television in prison was the first announcement he made on succeeding Ken Clarke as justice secretary. |
| The introduction of Grayling's "rehab revolution", under which prisoners will be forced to attend drug treatment and other courses, carries echoes of the "custody-plus" sentence that was put on the statute book a decade ago but never implemented for lack of resources for the probation service. | |
| The new scheme envisages that private finance, including social funds such as Big Society Capital, would invest along the lines of the Peterborough pilot scheme under way. | The new scheme envisages that private finance, including social funds such as Big Society Capital, would invest along the lines of the Peterborough pilot scheme under way. |
| The justice secretary said the introduction of payment by results across the country would not be done through the local probation trusts but instead through central national contracts with local authorities offering contracts for additional services to meet local needs. The payment by results scheme will be judge on a "black box" principle of the results achieved rather than how they are done. | The justice secretary said the introduction of payment by results across the country would not be done through the local probation trusts but instead through central national contracts with local authorities offering contracts for additional services to meet local needs. The payment by results scheme will be judge on a "black box" principle of the results achieved rather than how they are done. |
| The "through the gate" scheme for short-sentenced prisoners will include the use of reformed offenders as "mentors" for every released prisoner to ensure they get the help they need to prevent them reoffending. It will also mean companies and voluntary organisations providing training, rehab and mental health treatment lined up for them when they are released. | The "through the gate" scheme for short-sentenced prisoners will include the use of reformed offenders as "mentors" for every released prisoner to ensure they get the help they need to prevent them reoffending. It will also mean companies and voluntary organisations providing training, rehab and mental health treatment lined up for them when they are released. |
| Harry Fletcher of Napo, the probation union, said: "Over 50,000 short-term prisoners are released every year. They receive no assistance or help with rehabilitation. Providing mentors is therefore a sound idea. However, the scheme cannot be delivered for nothing; it must be resourced or it will fail. | Harry Fletcher of Napo, the probation union, said: "Over 50,000 short-term prisoners are released every year. They receive no assistance or help with rehabilitation. Providing mentors is therefore a sound idea. However, the scheme cannot be delivered for nothing; it must be resourced or it will fail. |
| "The privatisation of the majority of the probation service's work flies against all evidence and logic. The service hit or exceeded all its targets during 2011-12. Privatisation of probation is about reducing costs and adhering to the government's ideology. Selling off supervision will reduce standards, mean fewer staff and will compromise public protection," he said. | "The privatisation of the majority of the probation service's work flies against all evidence and logic. The service hit or exceeded all its targets during 2011-12. Privatisation of probation is about reducing costs and adhering to the government's ideology. Selling off supervision will reduce standards, mean fewer staff and will compromise public protection," he said. |