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Brendan O'Friel
Some Prison Service Developments since July 2024

The arrival of the Labour Government in July 2024 appears to be having a number of potentially interesting developments for the Prison Service. As most readers will know – the Service has been struggling with rising prisoner numbers, staff shortages and financial pressures – as well as the many issues created by prisoner misbehaviour – the use of drones to deliver drugs for example. Some of us might reflect – what changes over the decades!

One of the more unusual appointments in the first days of the Labour Government was that of James Timpson as Prisons Minister – with a seat in the House of Lords. Lord Timpson had extensive experience of employing ex-prisoners in his family businesses and is therefore the first Prisons Minister with considerable knowledge of the opportunities and problems of working with prisoners.

The new Government was faced with the crisis of the Service running out of space and agreed to early release considerable numbers of prisoners in the autumn. Many of those are – perhaps not surprisingly but unfortunately - already back in custody.  

The new Government also had to face the unexpected summer riots and the consequences for the whole of the criminal justice system in dealing with the considerable number of extra cases coming before the courts – many receiving custodial sentences. Having sufficient prison places clearly went up the political priority list.

Towards the end of the year, the Government set up a Review of Sentencing Policy under the former Justice Secretary, David Gauke. That was given wide terms of reference and asked to report in the first half of 2025. The possibility of trying to match sentencing to the capacity of the system was clearly being taken account of.

The Government also set up an independent review of the Criminal Courts under Sir Brian Leveson. This also had wide terms of reference looking to find some way of dealing with a huge backlog of cases – and for the Prison Service a huge number of remand prisoners.

Early in 2025, a further review was set up – under the former Chief Inspector of Prisons Dame Anne Owers to review the “handling of prison capacity”. Towards the end of 2024, the Government had committed to publishing annually a statement of prison capacity.

Meanwhile the House of Lords Justice and Home Affairs Committee had started hearings to examine “Prison Culture, Governance, Leadership and Staffing”. The PGA was involved in giving evidence to the Committee.

Many of us have seen new administrations make an energetic start on the problems of the prisons – this does feel a little different and in some ways more radical than previous attempts. 

But the proof of the pudding - as we all know – will be in the outcomes – what is recommended and then crucially what the politicians decide to do – if anything.



Brendan O’Friel 

February 2025