Prison System: Call for Evidence

Independent review of the prison system in England and Wales: Call for Evidence – Our Response

In August, we submitted our response to the Ministry of Justice’s ‘Independent review of the prison system in England and Wales: Call for Evidence’, commissioned by the Rt Hon David Lammy, who was then the Deputy Minister and Lord Chancellor.

The state of prisons in England and Wales, including the issue of capacity, sentencing, etc has become a huge point of discussion for the public and media alike. We write this as there is a storm of questions of whether those being released under the new Sentencing Act 2026 powers are truly ready or prepared to re-enter the community, let alone be guaranteed a roof over their head, and find employment, all things that reduce the likelihood of recidivism.

Which is why, when we get the opportunity to share our own knowledge, ideas and solutions, we will… and did, in our response to this call for evidence for the Independent Review of the Prison System in England and Wales.

In addition to speaking about our practitioners’ experiences of the prison system, we also spoke loudly about the successes of our OUT Spoken, OUT Side OUT Spoken, ISVA and We Are Listening services.

Our practitioners raised that overcrowding on the wings increased stress and anxiety for both prisoners and officers, especially in the older Victorian estates. This makes it much tougher for our practitioners’ to create an environment that is caring, safe, and ultimately rehabilitative. The lack of available rooms and spaces to conduct therapy sessions, for example, makes it harder to create such a space for prisoners to speak about their trauma and experiences – though not impossible, as we have proven across all prisons in the north west. But there are challenges that we shouldn’t have to deal with.

On a related note, practitioners said that capacity issues created an unpredictable environment, which has a compound effect on treating and working with male victims/survivors of sexual harms. Judith Herman’s ‘Three-Stage Recovery Model’, which we adopt across our services, comprises ‘Safety and Stabilisation’, ‘Remembrance and Mourning’, then ‘Reconnection and Integration’. When prisons are at capacity, with our clients feel ‘activated’ as an over-populated wing closes in on them, agitation being felt in staff as much as in prisoners themselves, it is difficult enough to reach stage one!

The prospect of early release can be a misleading thing, especially in the context of the prison crisis as it stands, as well as for the wellbeing of victim/survivors.

Last year, our OUT Spoken Therapy service already saw 24.2% of referrals closed due to unexpected release. The prospect of early releases under the Sentencing Act will only create more disruption for prisoners’ reintegration back into the community. Again, on the point of harbouring a place of safety and predictability, a sudden end to a course of therapy raises the risk of re-traumatisation, triggering feelings of abandonment and grief.

However, this is where our OUT Side OUT Spoken service truly shines. Upon notification that a prisoner is due for early release, our practitioners can help clients through-the-gate, with their bespoke offering of wellbeing and resettlement support, further ensuring they continue to receive therapy and ISVA services in the community should they like.

One thing raised by our practitioner teams has already been accounted for by the government. That IPP prisoners (Imprisonment for Public Protection) have suffered having been in prison for long beyond their tariff time, feeling hopeless and lost in the system. IPPs in our services have struggled to focus on their own trauma, as they feel dominated by the question of whether they will ever be released. While no new IPP sentences have been given since it’s scrapping in 2012, there are still many people whose time spent in prison now far outweighs the severity of their crime.

In late August, Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, pledged to end indefinite jail terms, “ending the injustice.” You can read more on this announcement here. However, many eyes have been cast over the news as the government is overseeing the release of thousands of prisoners early to curb this capacity problem. You can read more here.

We Are Survivors hope that our submission to the Ministry of Justice will provide a trauma-informed and survivor-led context to this policy initiative, and to the running of prisons and the probation service going forward in this new government. Victims/survivors in prison are a key population we must not allow to remain in silence, if we wish the estate to be one built around rehabilitation, and in pursuing our Vision of ‘a society where no male survivor is left behind’.