Launch of NAO report on short-sentence prisoners

The National Audit Office today published their report, Managing offenders on short custodial sentences. The report considers the needs of short-sentenced adult offenders and examines how successful NOMS is at meeting these needs and reducing re-offending by this group.

The vision of the National Audit Office is 'to help the nation spend wisely'. It estimates that:

- in 2008-09, the cost of looking after short-sentenced prisoners, not including education and healthcare, was £286 million.

- in 2007-08, as much as three-quarters of the cost of re-offending by all recent ex- prisoners can be attributed to former short-sentenced prisoners: some £7 billion to £10 billion a year.

The report highlights NOMS' notable achievement in keeping the vast majority of these prisoners safe and well in the context of overcrowding. However, it concludes that NOMS is failing to provide value for money by inadequately addressing re-offending by short sentenced prisoners.

The key findings of the report include:

• 'wasteful repetition' in assessment of needs
• a 'failure to match individual prisoners with appropriate assistance'
• 'limited and inconsistent' attempts to link these prisoners to community services
• a level of mental health need which 'outstrips the supply of care'

- although the report acknowledges that the recently published Offender Health Strategy seeks to improve the access to health services including those for mental health and alcohol needs.

Revolving Doors currently have a number of prison-based projects that attempt to address these problems - at HMP Lewes, HMP Styal and HMP Everthorpe. Additionally, Revolving Doors Agency is currently developing a cost-benefit case for effective interventions for the Department of Health. We hope that this work may, in future, assist the Department of Health, NOMS and other government departments in achieving the aim of providing value for money.

To find out more about the National Audit Office, or to download the report in full, please follow the links to their website.