prisons – The Church of England in Parliament

Bishop of Newcastle stresses importance of regional outcomes for released prisoners

The Bishop of Newcastle spoke in a debate on partnership working to prevent homelessness for early-release prisoners on 16th July 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Newcastle: My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Farmer, for bringing this topic to our attention today, and I pay tribute to him for his tireless work in this area of concern. It is an honour to follow the noble Baroness, Lady Bottomley.

The north-east, where I live, offers both encouragement and challenge to the theme of our debate today. HMP Northumberland, Northumberland County Council, the probation services and voluntary organisations, which we have already heard quite a lot about, have developed strong partnerships to improve resettlement. Those partnerships deserve recognition, but they also raise the important question of how we are assessing their effectiveness. Success should not be measured simply by whether a referral has been made or a duty fulfilled. It should be measured by outcomes. As other noble Lords have asked, did someone leave prison with suitable accommodation? Were they still housed weeks and months later? Did they avoid rough sleeping? Were they able to access healthcare, treatment for substance misuse and, where appropriate, employment and training? Those outcomes are closely connected. Homelessness rarely exists in isolation. It intersects with poor mental health, addiction, unemployment and social exclusion.

Bishop of Manchester highlights links between homelessness and reoffending during debate on housing for early release prisoners

The Bishop of Manchester spoke in a debate on partnership working between prisons and housing authorities to prevent rough sleeping among early release prisoners on 16th July 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, I too thank the noble Lord, Lord Farmer, for securing this important debate, not least because it brings together two of my long-term concerns—homelessness and the rehabilitation of offenders. I declare my interests as the chair of the Church Housing Association and as a trustee of the Clink Charity, which works within and beyond prisons.

Homelessness is both a cause and a consequence of offending. Breaking this cycle requires an understanding of individual vulnerabilities and a “whole community” approach to rehabilitation. Without long-term, joined-up thinking that provides prison leavers with the tools to live independently, prisoners are trapped in a cycle of reoffending. This undermines their intrinsic human value. From these Benches, I would add “their God-given value”. In St Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus notably refers to concern for prisoners as one of just a handful of criteria determining a divine judgment.

Bishop of Gloucester asks about equality assessment of the prison and probation services

The Bishop of Gloucester received the following written answers on 15th July 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester asked His Majesty’s Government:

whether they conducted an Equality Impact Assessment of the prison service instruction and probation service instruction Security Vetting: PSI 07/2014, PI 03/2014 for (1) prisons, (2) HM Prison and Probation Service, and (3) providers of probation services.
whether they have conducted an Equality Impact Assessment of the prison service instruction and probation service instruction Security Vetting: PSI 07/2014, PI 03/2014; what assessment was made of the impact of the framework on women; and what conclusions were reached.
what assessment they made, during the development of the prison service instruction and probation service instruction Security Vetting: PSI 07/2014, PI 03/2014, of the potential impact on individuals already employed by (1) prisons, (2) HM Prison and Probation Service, and (3) providers of probation services.

Bishop of Gloucester asks about reoffending rates

The Bishop of Gloucester received the following written answer on 24th June 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester asked His Majesty’s Government how many prisoners in England and Wales received “two strike” sentences between 21 March 1997 and 4 April 2005; and how many of that number have (1) never been released, or (2) been recalled to prison following release.

King’s Speech Debate: Bishop of Gloucester speaks on criminal justice

The Bishop of Gloucester gave a speech in the King’s Speech debate on 18th May 2026, urging the government to take a long term and nuanced view on prisons and criminal justice:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: My Lords, it is a great privilege to speak today in response to His Majesty’s gracious Speech. It was a delight and privilege to hear the maiden speech of the noble Lord, Lord Case, and of course, that of my friend, the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich. She and I share a commitment to justice, and I refer to my interests stated in the register as Anglican Bishop for HM Prisons.

The gracious Speech set out the Government’s ambition for the UK to be

“a country fair for all and a place where every child is included in the nation’s highest aspirations”.

Bishop of Gloucester asks about compassionate release of prisoners

The Bishop of Gloucester received the following written answer on 25th March 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester asked His Majesty’s Government:

how many prisoners (1) applied for, and (2) were granted, early release on compassionate grounds in each of the past five years.
whether a three-month prognosis is required for a prisoner to be considered for early release on compassionate grounds.

Bishop of Gloucester asks about prisoners in hospice care

The Bishop of Gloucester received the following written answer on 19th March 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester asked His Majesty’s Government how many prisoners were moved into a hospice in each of the past five years.

Bishop of Gloucester asks about regional disparities in the imprisonment of women

The Bishop of Gloucester received the following written answer on 12th March 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester asked His Majesty’s Government, in regard to the women’s local data resources published by the Prison Reform Trust, what steps they are taking to address the regional disparities in the use of imprisonment for women.

Bishop of Gloucester speaks in debate on prison conditions

The Bishop of Gloucester took part in a debate on the Better Prisons: Less Crime Justice and Home Affairs Committee Report on 12th February 2026, advocating for reform of the conditions and culture inside prisons:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: My Lords, as Anglican Bishop for prisons, I wholeheartedly welcome this debate and this excellent report. It is also a privilege to follow two excellent maiden speeches.

I submitted evidence to the committee, and I will continue to bang the drum for reform. Better prisons will play a vital role, but they are not the end point or the complete answer to reducing reoffending. I agree with the reframing of this from rehabilitation, as rehabilitation implies that people were once at an acceptable place in life to which they can be rehabilitated, whereas for the majority of people in prison, this was never true in the first place.

Bishop of Gloucester asks about prisoner demographics and data

The Bishop of Gloucester received the following written answers on 26th January 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester asked His Majesty’s Government how many people of each ethnic group were in prison as of 30 September 2025 by religion.

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: