The Bishop of Gloucester tabled a question on interventions to prevent reoffending among those convicted of domestic abuse on 24th February 2025:
The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: To ask His Majesty’s Government what programmes and interventions are used to reduce re-offending among domestic abusers in the community; and what are the re-offending rates of those who participate.
Continue reading “Bishop of Gloucester asks about prevention of reoffending in domestic abuse cases”On 26th July 2024, the Bishop of Newcastle spoke in a debate on a report from the Justice and Home Affairs Committee, ‘Cutting crime: better community sentences (1st Report, Session 2023–24, HL Paper 27)’, on the topic of community sentences and the opportunity for reform of the justice system towards a more rehabilitative model:
The Lord Bishop of Newcastle: My Lords, I am glad to take part in this debate and I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Hamwee, for enabling the report on community sentencing to be discussed in this House. It is an honour to follow the noble Baroness, Lady Prashar, and I commend her point about changing the public narrative.
I also welcome the Minister to his new role and commend his excellent maiden speech, delivered on Wednesday, for which I was pleased to be present, and the wisdom and expertise that he brings to his new role. I wish him very well indeed. I also commend him on the way he dealt with repeating a Statement from the other place and taking questions before he had delivered that maiden speech. If I may use a word borrowed from my primary field of expertise, this was a baptism-by-fire experience.
Continue reading “Bishop of Newcastle raises potential of community sentences for reform and rehabilitation in the justice system”The Bishop of Gloucester gave a speech on the topic of justice and prison reform during the Kings Speech Debate on 24th July 2024, calling for a new and joined up approach to criminal justice and rehabilitation:
The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: My Lords, I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Timpson, on his superb maiden speech, and I refer to my interest as stated in the register as Anglican bishop for prisons.
The gracious Speech began with the principles of
“security, fairness and opportunity for all”.
What does that mean for our criminal justice system? Much mention has been made of overcrowded prisons, an overflowing remand population and a void of rehabilitation leading to reoffending. In the past year I have convened cross-party, round-table discussions with key people in this and the other place, plus academics, those with lived experience and prison reformers. We are all agreed that we need a legislative definition of the purpose of imprisonment, and we need to improve the public’s understanding of sentencing. The concepts of punishment and vengeance are strong in the public narrative.
Continue reading “King’s Speech Debate: Bishop of Gloucester calls for new approach to justice and rehabilitation”On 12th March 2024, the House of Lords debated the Victims and Prisoners Bill. The Bishop of Leicester spoke in support of amendments 165 & 166 to the bill, which would ensure provision of aftercare for those subject to IPP (Imprisonment for Public Protection) sentences:
The Lord Bishop of Leicester: My Lords, I support this group of amendments and it is a pleasure to follow noble Lords and benefit from their considerable wisdom—I am in awe of the learning and wisdom on display this evening. I do not want to repeat a lot of what has been said, so I will keep my speech very short.
I have one or two reflections on Amendments 165 and 166, to which my right reverend friend the Bishop of Gloucester has added her name. She is a regular visitor to prisons across the country and supports the network of chaplains in our prisons who have direct evidence in relation to the mental health of prisoners.
Continue reading “Victims and Prisoners Bill: Bishop of Leicester supports aftercare provision for IPP prisoners”The Bishop of Gloucester asked a question on steps being taken to increase release of prisoners on temporary licence to encourage rehabilitation and help with finding work, during a discussion on employment of people with criminal convictions on 26th February 2024:
The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: My Lords, from these Benches I add our own sadness at the death of Lord Cormack. His contributions to this House and to the Church will be sorely missed.
As has been said, there has been a serious decline in rehabilitation and release planning services in recent years. Prisoners need to be engaged with purposeful work; there needs to be planning ahead of their release—including release on temporary licence—to secure employment, if we are to prevent reoffending. What steps are the Government taking to increase release on temporary licence?
Continue reading “Bishop of Gloucester asks about release of prisoners on temporary licence”
The Bishop of Gloucester received the following written answers on 30th January 2024:
The Lord Bishop of Gloucester asked His Majesty’s Government how many, and what proportion of, people reoffended within one year of release from prison by accommodation status at (1) release, and (2) three months post-release, in each of the last three years.
Continue reading “Bishop of Gloucester asks about rate of reoffending among those released from prison”The Bishop of Sheffield asked a question a question on support for faith communities’ projects to help newly released prisoners, following a government statement on prison capacity on 17th October 2023:
The Lord Bishop of Sheffield: My Lords, nine days ago it was my privilege to lead Sunday worship at HMP Doncaster, where I was reminded by the chaplain that many faith communities and charities do excellent work supporting newly released prisoners as they resettle into their communities, with a demonstrably positive impact on reoffending rates. What more can be done to support such projects?
Continue reading “Bishop of Sheffield highlights work done by faith communities and charities to support newly released prisoners”The Bishop of Gloucester asked a question on the rhetoric used emphasising arrest and imprisonment, rather than rehabilitation, during a debate on the promised uplift in numbers of police on 2nd May 2023:
The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: My Lords, it is very good to hear the Minister speak about police uplift. I am certainly not asking for more and more but I am asking for more join-up. I am really concerned about the “we are coming for you” rhetoric being part of the solution, and the sense that if we simply arrest more people and send more people to prison, we will reduce reoffending. There was nothing in the data about the high rate of reoffending. Unless we look at what is going on in our prisons, at how we rehabilitate people and address some of the systemic issues relating to why people offend in the first place, we will not be doing that join-up across the criminal justice system. I am really concerned about the rhetoric whereby, if you arrest more people and lock them up for longer, our streets will be safer; the data simply does not reflect that. Will the Minister say more about the join-up across the whole of the criminal justice system?
Continue reading “Bishop of Gloucester questions rhetoric surrounding criminal justice”On 21st April 2023, the Bishop of Leeds spoke in support of the Offenders (Day of Release from Detention) Bill, which would ensure that people are not released from prison on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday in order to ensure proper access to services and support:
The Lord Bishop of Leeds: My Lords, I am grateful for the opportunity to rise in the gap to sing from the same hymn sheet and welcome this Bill. I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Bird, on his inspirational work and commitment to these matters. We need an urgent change in practice for those who leave prison. I know that my friend the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Gloucester, who is not able to be here today but leads for the Church of England on prisons, also welcomes this Bill.
Continue reading “Offenders (Day of Release from Detention) Bill: Bishop of Leeds speaks in favour of changes to prison release procedures”
The Bishop of Derby received the following written answer on 17th March 2023:
The Lord Bishop of Derby asked His Majesty’s Government when the pilot trial changes to Youth Rehabilitation Orders with Intensive Supervision and Surveillance will commence; and when they will report on their findings.
Continue reading “Bishop of Derby asks when changes to Youth Rehabilitation Orders will commence”
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