Ev 64 Justice Committee: Evidence26 March 2013 Helen Grant MP, Ian Porée and Michael Spurrobviously, that would involve women as well. That isone of <strong>the</strong> reasons for having Cathy Robinson’s reviewof <strong>the</strong> estate at <strong>the</strong> minute.Q315 Jeremy Corbyn: Do you all accept that <strong>the</strong>absolute key area is when a woman prisoner, in thiscase, is released? If anything goes wrong in thoseimmediate moments and first few days, it can destroyan awful lot of <strong>the</strong> work that has been achieved in <strong>the</strong>past during whatever time <strong>the</strong> sentence has been.Michael Spurr: Yes, absolutely.Helen Grant: Yes, we do.Ian Porée: There are two very important moments.There are <strong>the</strong> first few days and weeks in custody when,if someone checks a whole range of things about yourfamily, accommodation and benefits arrangements andthose are sorted out very well up front, it can reducesome of <strong>the</strong> harms later on. Then, as you say, <strong>the</strong>re isthat moment of transition from within custody backinto <strong>the</strong> community. That process pre-release andpost-release is an essential transition. Paying attentionto both of those areas will be essential in <strong>the</strong> futurereforms to try to improve <strong>the</strong> overall performance of<strong>the</strong> system.Q316 Steve Brine: You mentioned <strong>the</strong> large andsmall providers. Are you switched on to <strong>the</strong> fact thatsmall providers bring an awful lot to <strong>the</strong> table, but<strong>the</strong>re are simple issues with <strong>the</strong>ir being paid by results,which takes time? It is a simple matter of cash flow forsmall firms, which will simply not be able to deal with<strong>the</strong> parameters that PBR puts in <strong>the</strong>ir way, whereasobviously a publicly funded probation service does nothave that concern.Ian Porée: We have spent a lot of time in <strong>the</strong>consultation on “Transforming Rehabilitation” talkingto <strong>the</strong> whole range of providers, large and small. Thepoint you make is essential. If <strong>the</strong>re is going to be asustainable but very diverse market, where we get <strong>the</strong>benefit of <strong>the</strong> financial strength of large organisationsbut also <strong>the</strong> intimacy or engagement of very smalllocal organisations, we will have to embed market________________stewardship principles in <strong>the</strong> new market that insiston transparency and sustainability. It would not beappropriate to transfer financial risk to very smallorganisations because that is simply not sustainable—<strong>the</strong>y do not have <strong>the</strong> balance sheet to cope with it. Themarket model will need to ensure that we pay attentionto those stewardship principles so that we get <strong>the</strong> verybest out of each sector— public, private and voluntaryor community.Q317 Chair: Yesterday at Adelaide House it wasquite striking to us that here was a facility providedby an agency of <strong>the</strong> Church of England diocese ofLiverpool operating on a small scale; it had someo<strong>the</strong>r projects, too. It was very challenging, but reallyit was only achievable at all because it was on thatsort of scale—not <strong>the</strong> very grand scale, for example,that was suggested for <strong>the</strong> original reorganisation ofprobation areas into huge contracting areas. Are youconscious that you must not lose <strong>the</strong> ability to bring inorganisations like this?Helen Grant: Yes.Ian Porée: For <strong>the</strong>se reforms to succeed, it is essentialthat we have both very effective local deliverystructures and community-based provision and <strong>the</strong>overarching disciplines of managing at scale supplychains and <strong>the</strong> financial risk we have been talkingabout. We would be looking to put in place that fullrange of provision and offering some of <strong>the</strong> oversight,as <strong>the</strong> commissioner, so that <strong>the</strong> Ministry of Justicegets <strong>the</strong> benefit of both of those things. In <strong>the</strong> end, <strong>the</strong>incentive will be to reduce reoffending. It would becompletely strange for an organisation that will be paidby effective results to get rid of very effective servicesat a local level, because <strong>the</strong>y will benefit from <strong>the</strong>quality of that service provision. That is what we willneed to protect in <strong>the</strong> system, along with <strong>the</strong> financialincentives.Chair: Minister, Mr Spurr and Mr Porée, thankyou very much for your evidence. This was <strong>the</strong> lastevidence session in relation to this subject, so we willset to work to prepare a report.
Justice Committee: Evidence Ev 65Written evidenceWritten evidence from <strong>the</strong> <strong>Corston</strong> Independent Funders Coalition and 16 o<strong>the</strong>r voluntary sectoragenciesWe welcome <strong>the</strong> Justice Select Committee Inquiry into women and <strong>the</strong> CJS. Many of <strong>the</strong> signatories of thisletter will be making individual submissions to assist <strong>the</strong> Committee in its consideration of evidence; but wehave come toge<strong>the</strong>r here as “one voice”, confirming <strong>the</strong> strength of support for <strong>the</strong> implementation of <strong>the</strong><strong>Corston</strong> <strong>Report</strong> recommendations. We wish to highlight some key shared concerns and to stress our belief that<strong>the</strong> Inquiry provides a real opportunity for <strong>the</strong> Committee to assist ministers in <strong>the</strong>ir stated aim to build on <strong>the</strong>previous progress made in delivering <strong>the</strong> <strong>Corston</strong> agenda.The <strong>Corston</strong> <strong>Report</strong> provided a route-map for reform and presented a golden opportunity to provide anintegrated, cross-government response to addressing appropriately <strong>the</strong> multiple complex needs of women<strong>offenders</strong> and women at risk of offending. Baroness <strong>Corston</strong> always intended that <strong>the</strong> agenda should stretchbeyond criminal justice so that her changes would benefit women with multiple vulnerabilities in <strong>the</strong>community (and <strong>the</strong>ir children). It was stated clearly in <strong>the</strong> early stages of <strong>the</strong> response to <strong>the</strong> <strong>Corston</strong> <strong>Report</strong>that <strong>the</strong> work was <strong>the</strong> start of what was necessarily a long-term, sustainable strategy: <strong>the</strong>re was no “quick fix”in achieving improvements and change.We welcome <strong>the</strong> fact that <strong>the</strong> current government has continued <strong>the</strong> funding for <strong>the</strong> women’s communityprojects for this year; but are dismayed to have drawn <strong>the</strong> worrying conclusion, despite Ministers’ assertionsto <strong>the</strong> contrary, that over <strong>the</strong> last three years <strong>the</strong> impetus for real change appears to have been lost and progresshas stalled. It is of particular concern that:1. The dismantling of <strong>the</strong> infrastructures put in place to secure an integrated approach acrossGovernment, (<strong>the</strong> Inter-Ministerial Group on <strong>Women</strong> and <strong>the</strong> cross-departmental CJS <strong>Women</strong>’sStrategy Team), has resulted in a loss of any real focus on “women at risk” and a return to <strong>the</strong>problematic, “silo-thinking” and actions identified by Baroness <strong>Corston</strong>.2. There is an apparent “loss of corporate memory”, perhaps as a result of <strong>the</strong> reorganisationwithin MoJ, on previous progress made in implementing <strong>the</strong> <strong>Corston</strong> recommendations andwhat is needed to build on that progress. Dialogue with current officials has failed to elicit detailon any transparent, proactive work underway on a joined-up cross-departmental strategy—astrategy against which progress can be evidenced and judged.3. The inexplicable delay in delivering on <strong>the</strong> commitment made by Lord McNally on 20 Marchin <strong>the</strong> House of Lords, to publish MoJ’s “Strategic Priorities on <strong>Women</strong> Offenders” on <strong>the</strong> MoJwebsite. <strong>Report</strong>ing on work underway would surely take days ra<strong>the</strong>r than months, to set out?4. The Justice Select Committee’s <strong>Report</strong> on Probation (June 2011) and <strong>the</strong> Joint ThematicInspection of probation Equal but Different (October 2011), both identified concerns andprovided <strong>the</strong> opportunity to drive improvements in Probation Trusts’ practice in addressingwomen <strong>offenders</strong>’ specific profiles and needs. The lack of any formal responses is concerningand disappointing. NOMS’ assurance that <strong>the</strong>y are seeking Probation Trusts’ CommissioningIntentions for women is welcome, but does not address <strong>the</strong> issue of improving practice andconsistency across <strong>the</strong> piece.5. Previous progress on <strong>the</strong> expansion of provision of women-specific community projects was areal achievement; but despite strong and growing evidence of <strong>the</strong>ir effectiveness <strong>the</strong>ir futureremains precarious and gaps in provision remain. There is a lack of any narrative of substanceon how local commissioning will work and structures are not yet in place for women’s projectsto approach to broker future sustainability of services. Time is already running out for <strong>the</strong>projects whose funding ends in March 2013. It is a pity perhaps that <strong>the</strong> good practice shownby <strong>the</strong> HO in funding Rape Crisis Centres for three year periods and retaining central oversighthas not been emulated by <strong>the</strong> MoJ.6. The net result of <strong>the</strong> failure to make sustained progress in all <strong>the</strong>se areas is that <strong>the</strong> size andcharacteristics of <strong>the</strong> women’s prison population remain largely unchanged. The deaths of sixwomen in HMP Styal prompted <strong>the</strong> <strong>Corston</strong> <strong>Report</strong>, it is <strong>the</strong>refore particularly disturbing thatin <strong>the</strong> prison’s most recent inspection report published in January this year, Her Majesty’s ChiefInspector commented that it was “disappointing to find, and to be told of by <strong>the</strong> governor, toomany cases of women, some of whom were clearly mentally ill, serving very short prisonsentences which served little purpose except to fur<strong>the</strong>r disrupt sometimes already chaotic lives”.We would stress our conviction that this Inquiry presents a real opportunity for <strong>the</strong> Committee to set out toministers <strong>the</strong> realistic and achievable steps required to get progress in delivering on <strong>the</strong> <strong>Corston</strong> agenda backon track. The areas specified as in scope for <strong>the</strong> Inquiry are comprehensive and most welcome. There are key,crucial elements needed to underpin <strong>the</strong> drive for tangible improvements and progress:7. A clear cross-departmental strategy, reported on annually to maintain momentum, supported bysome sort of infrastructure arrangement at both ministerial and official levels and incorporatingclear direction from <strong>the</strong> centre in driving change at <strong>the</strong> local level.