Welcome to the September 2025 edition of the Clinks Policy Briefing. Please let us know if you have any thoughts on this newsletter or any of the things it has covered by contacting the Policy team.
This month:
- Our Policy Work, including continued engagement with the Independent Sentencing Review through several roundtables on the implementation of its recommendations, blogs on next steps on the Review, a summary of key points in the Sentencing Bill and the latest in our Evidence Review series on problem-solving courts for women.
- Latest Justice News, including knife and offensive weapon statistics, the effects of arts and culture programmes on youth crime, the Justice Secretary introducing a ‘democratic lock’ on the Sentencing Council (as part of the Sentencing Bill) and an expansion to electronic monitoring (also part of the Sentencing Bill), amongst other news.
- Parliamentary News, including questions about the Independent Review of Criminal Courts, prosecuting domestic abuse, remand in custody, circumstances of disadvantage, bail, prisoners’ education and prison accommodation and updates on the Sentencing Bill, amongst other news.
- Sector Insights, including reports on the conditions of the first secure school, the benefits of providing tailored support to people in the criminal justice system with an acquired brain injury, flaws in the new prison education contracts in England, and experiences of people released from the longest sentences and returning to the community, amongst a range of other sector insights and publications.
Across August, we continued facilitate opportunities for the voluntary sector to engage with the next phase of the Independent Sentencing Review. We hosted three roundtables on the implementation of the Review’s recommendations, where we Clinks members provided practical recommendations for ISR implementation covering: the probation service and working with the voluntary sector; resettlement and through-the-gate provision; and diversion and alternatives to custody.
We subsequently published a blog which details key takeaways from these sessions, and next steps on the Sentencing Review. We also published a further update on the Sentencing Bill covering its key clauses.
We have also published a report on problem-solving courts for women as part of our Evidence Library series.
Live Facial Recognition technology to catch ‘high-harm offenders’
On Wednesday 13 August, the Home Office announced that live Facial Recognition technology will be used to catch ‘high-harm offenders’ and will be assigning named local police officers to boost public safety.
HM Prison and Probation Service workforce quarterly: June 2025
On Thursday 21 August, HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) published their official quarterly workforce statistics for the period ending June 2025.
Knife and Offensive Weapon Sentencing Statistics: January to March 2025
On Thursday 21 August, the MoJ published statistics on the trends in cautioning and sentencing of knife and offensive weapon offences.
‘Criminals’ to face football, travel, club and pub bans
On Saturday 23 August, the MoJ announced that ‘criminals’ will be barred from pubs, concerts and sports matches under new sentencing powers (which will be legislated for in the Sentencing Bill).
The effects of arts and culture programmes on youth crime
On Thursday 28 August, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport published an evidence review of the effects that arts and culture-based interventions can have on reducing serious youth violence.
Electronic Monitoring MI Publication, June 2025
On Thursday 28 August, the MoJ published official statistics which cover the use and delivery of electronic devices, including location monitoring devices and alcohol monitoring devices, for England and Wales.
Impact evaluation of the acquisitive crime project: 12 month+ cohort
On Thursday 28 August, the MoJ published a report which contains the findings of the impact evaluation undertaken for the 12 month+ cohort of the acquisitive crime electronic monitoring project.
The COMPASS model – a holistic approach for working with people on probation
On 29 August, HM Inspector for Prisons published a report on the COMPASS model, which is a holistic, person-centred framework for supporting probationers, drawing on compassion-focused therapy, positive psychology, and desistance theory.
Faster support for child exploitation victims in expanded pilot
On Tuesday 2 September, the Home Office announced that eight new areas will join the pilot scheme, which will reduce child trafficking victim decision times from 471 to 101 days and help children access support faster.
Economic Crime Plan 2: outcomes progress report
On Tuesday 2 September, the Home Office published a report which sets out progress to monitor delivery of outcomes and data development initiatives linked to the Economic Crime Plan 2 (ECP2).
Justice Secretary introduces democratic lock over Sentencing Council
On Tuesday 2 September, the MoJ announced that the Sentencing Council will be unable to issue new guidelines without the approval of the Justice Secretary.
Sentencing Bill
On Tuesday 2 September, the Sentencing Bill was brought before parliament.
Expansion of Electronic Monitoring
On Tuesday 2 September, the MoJ announced that more people will be tagged and monitored as part of the Sentencing Bill.
Outcome of unduly lenient sentence referrals
On Wednesday 4 September, the Attorney General’s Office published transparency data on recent sentences they examined under the Unduly Lenient Sentence Scheme
Recent business
Parliamentary questions:
- The Lord Chancellor was asked about several key issues, including:
- Parental responsibility when in cases of parental homicide, the Independent Review of the Criminal Courts, prosecuting domestic abuse, the voting rights of young people who have offended, disadvantage, community orders for reducing reoffending, bail, remand in custody (here, here, here and here), prisoners’ education, prison sentences, prisoners’ basic skills, prison accommodation, police interviews, prisoner escorts, and rehabilitation (here and here).
Bill Updates
Sentencing Bill
- Tuesday 2 September, First Reading in the House of Commons
- Tuesday 16 September - (expected) Second Reading in the Commons
Youth
In a guest blog for Russell Webster, Rob Allen wrote about the conditions of the first secure school, the Secure School Oasis Restore, which is temporarily closing due to faulty infrastructure, raising serious concerns about oversight and leadership in youth custody. The blog post explains that this setback casts doubt on the future of secure schools as a viable alternative to traditional youth detention facilities.
Health
Brainkind published a report which demonstrated that providing tailored support to people in the criminal justice system with an acquired brain injury could help to enhance rehabilitation, improve mental health, and support positive engagement with the prison regime.
The Hepatitis C Trust has published a report on achieving and maintaining Hepatitis C elimination in England. It emphasizes the urgent need to expand testing, treatment, and harm reduction services within the criminal justice system, particularly in prisons where prevalence is significantly higher. The report also calls for improved data integration and continuity of care for individuals transitioning from custody to community settings through initiatives like NHS England’s RECONNECT scheme.
Education
In a guest blog for Russell Webster, Jon Collins, the Chief Executive of the Prisoners’ Education Trust, argues that despite the introduction of new prison education contracts in England, the changes largely maintain the status quo, with the same providers, similar structures, and reduced funding, which raises concerns that the reforms may fail to significantly improve prison education outcomes.
Women
In a guest blog for Russell Webster, Professor Simon Pemberton of the University of Birmingham introduces the UK validation of the Women’s Risk Needs Assessment (WRNA), a comprehensive, gender-responsive tool designed to better support justice-involved women by addressing their complex needs and promoting effective community-based alternatives to prison. The Henry Smith Foundation and The JABBS Foundation for Women and Girls have announced £3m funding to expand the Effective Women’s Centres Partnership, which uses this tool.
Prison
The Prison Reform Trust have published a report detailing the experiences of people released from the longest sentences and returning to the community, which reveals that they face significant and enduring barriers to reintegration, such as stigma, lack of support, and restrictive licence conditions, that often leave them feeling unprepared and unsupported.
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This month's edition was written by...
Clinks Specialist Policy and Communications Officer, Elizaveta Strelnikova
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