Transforming Rehabilitation? Critical Commentaries on a Strategy of Criminal Justice Reform in England and Wales

Session Submission Type: Complete Thematic Panel

Abstract

The Transforming Rehabilitation (TR) agenda, the details of which were published by the Ministry of Justice on 19th September 2013, represents a far-reaching reform programme to the structures and processes of the management and supervision of (ex-)offenders in England and Wales. It is an agenda for change that has two clearly stated drivers; firstly, that supervision needs to be extended to the estimated extra 45,000 offenders a year who are released from short prison sentences of less than 12 months who are not routinely provided with post-sentence support, and secondly, that opening up the market of rehabilitation providers to partners from the private, voluntary and social sectors to engage this and other groups managed in the community will facilitate more flexible, innovative and efficient probation service provision (Ministry of Justice 2013). This thematic panel will bring together a number of empirical studies which have documented this ‘step-change’ (Grayling, 2013) and offer critical commentary around the transformation of organisational structures and service delivery during this period of transition.

Sub Unit

• Area VII: Criminal Justice Policy and Practice / 35: Challenging Criminal Justice Policies

Individual Presentations

• Transforming Rehabilitation in England and Wales: The First Two Years - Lol Burke, Liverpool John Moores University, UK

• Transforming Rehabilitation and Through The Gate: Research from a Resettlement Prison - Stuart Taylor, Liverpool John Moores University, UK; Lol Burke, Liverpool John Moores University, UK; Matthew Millings, Liverpool John Moores University; Ester Louisa Ragonese, Liverpool John Moores University

• A Land of Opportunity or Empty Promises? Payment by Results in a Therapeutic Community for Substance Use - Helena Gosling, Liverpool John Moores University, UK

Chair

• Matthew Millings, Liverpool John Moores University

Discussant

• George Mair, Liverpool Hope University