Tag: Ministry of Justice

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 25 April 2025.

The Lord Chancellor has approved the appointment of Alexandra Marks CBE as the Chair of the Parole Board for a 5 year term from 18 July 2025.

The Parole Board is an Executive Non-Departmental Public Body sponsored by the Ministry of Justice (MOJ). It works with its criminal justice partners to protect the public by risk assessing prisoners to decide whether they can be safely released into the community. It was established by the Criminal Justice Act 1967.

Appointments and re-appointments to the Parole Board (with the exception of Judicial members) are regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments.

Biography

Alexandra Marks CBE has been the Chair of RICS’ Regulatory Tribunal since 2023. A Recorder since 2002 and Deputy High Court Judge since 2010, she has also served as a First Tier Tribunal Judge of the General Regulatory Chamber since 2018.

Alexandra was previously a Commissioner at the Criminal Cases Review Commission (2013 to 2018) and a Judicial Appointments Commissioner (2012 to 2018). She was also previously Chair of Prisoners’ Education Trust (2012 to 2018).

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 24 April 2025.

Frontline officers and young people in custody will be better protected under plans to equip specially selected and trained staff with synthetic pepper spray, the Government has announced today.

• Specially selected, trained staff to be equipped with synthetic pepper spray
• Response to rising violence in young offender institutions
• Rate of assaults on staff 14 times higher than in adult prisons

Amid rising levels of violence, the decision will help keep both staff and young people safe and reduce the severity of incidents in young offender institutions.

Over the last few years, more and more frontline officers have been forced to put themselves in danger to protect young people in custody from attack and fend off homemade weapons.

PAVA, a synthetic pepper spray which temporarily incapacitates those it is sprayed upon, will now be available to specialist staff in young offender institutions to help de-escalate and diffuse violent situations.

Today’s announcement comes as new figures show the rate of assaults in public youth offender institutions is around 14 times higher than in adult prisons.

By giving staff the tools they need to keep young people in custody safe, they will be able to focus on rehabilitation and help them turn their lives around. Reducing reoffending is fundamental to the government’s pledge to keep our streets safe, part of its Plan for Change.

Minister for Youth Justice Sir Nic Dakin said:

This government inherited a criminal justice system in crisis. The unacceptable levels of violence faced by our brave frontline officers in young offender institutions is yet another symptom of that.

This is not a decision we have made lightly, but our overarching duty is to keep staff and young people in custody safe. This spray is a vital tool to prevent serious violence, helping staff to focus on rehabilitation as part of our Plan for Change.

The number of young people in custody has fallen significantly in recent years. Those now held in young offender institutions are mostly older teenage boys, aged 16 to 18 years of age, and over two-thirds of all young people are there for violent offences such as murder, attempted murder and grievous bodily harm.

Recent incidents have seen young people in custody sustain serious injuries while staff have experienced fractures, dislocations, puncture wounds and lacerations.

The PAVA rollout will allow staff to respond to these incidents more effectively and restore order more quickly.

It will only be deployed in limited circumstances by specially trained individuals where there is serious violence or an imminent risk of it taking place. It has previously been used in young offender institutions when National Tactical Response Groups have been called to deal with serious incidents, but this change will mean it can be used more quickly to diffuse situations. It is already used by police in the community and by prison officers in the adult estate to reduce the risk of serious harm to staff and prisoners alike.

To keep both staff and young people safe, use in the youth estate will have strict controls, with each use of PAVA being reviewed by an independent panel and reported to ministers for further scrutiny. Ministers will also review its operation and impact after 12 months including to address any disproportionate use.

Today’s announcement follows extensive research and evidence gathering with specialists including subject matter experts and NHS England.

The Government has also recently taken action to end the practice of placing girls in young offender institutions following recommendations from Susannah Hancock’s independent review into the placement and care of girls in youth custody.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 23 April 2025.

The first prisoners have been locked up at a new jail that will create nearly 1,500 prison places, helping to cut crime and make streets safer today as part of the Government’s Plan for Change (23 April).

• New prison built to cut crime and keep dangerous offenders locked up
• Part of Government’s Plan for Change to make streets safer
• 2,400 prison places already delivered since July

HMP Millsike in Yorkshire is now operational, making it the first of four new jails to be opened as part of the pledge to create 14,000 extra prison places by 2031, keeping dangerous offenders locked up.

This extra capacity will help keep the public safe by making sure the country never runs out of space again.

As a Category C “resettlement” prison, HMP Millsike has been designed with a clear aim – cutting crime and reducing reoffending. It includes 24 workshops and training facilities aimed at getting offenders into work on release and away from crime for good, so fewer people become victims in the future.

Minister for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending, James Timpson, said:

HMP Millsike is a vital part of our Plan for Change, building 14,000 new prison places by 2031.

This modern prison has been designed to cut crime. This prison will force offenders to turn their backs on crime, delivering safer streets and ensuring there are fewer victims in the future.”

The prison is the size of 39 football pitches and comes fitted with security technology to combat the drugs, drones and phones that have plagued prisons in recent years and risked the safety of frontline officers.

This includes reinforced barless windows to deter drone activity, hundreds of CCTV cameras, and X-ray body scanners to spot and stop contraband entering the prison.

The prison will be operated by Mitie Care and Custody. Education and workplace training provider PeoplePlus will give offenders the tools they need to find work on release and stay on the straight and narrow.

Russell Trent, Managing Director, Immigration and Justice, Mitie Care & Custody said:

As the first prisoners arrive at HMP Millsike, our focus is on building safer communities by creating an environment that promotes problem solving and self-determination to help the rehabilitation process enabling prisoners to break the cycle of reoffending.

As a resettlement prison, every element including the design, facilities and technology is purposefully structured so that prisoners leave HMP Millsike qualified, employable and ready to integrate and contribute to society.”

With the country still using many of its Victorian prisons, HMP Millsike has been built to also stand the test of time. Its use of modern materials and fittings will keep running and repairs costs to a minimum for taxpayers.

Its opening is a major milestone in the government’s 10-year prison capacity strategy published in December. This plan includes 6,400 places through new houseblocks and 6,500 places via new prisons. One thousand rapid deployment cells will be rolled out across the estate while more than 1,000 existing cells will be refurbished.

It follows a £2.3 billion investment to deliver these prison builds, with a further £500 million going towards vital building maintenance across prisons and the probation service by the end of March 2026. The strategy will work alongside the Independent Sentencing Review to ensure the most serious offenders can always be sent to prison to protect the public.

Background information

• The first prisoners arrived today, and the population will steadily increase each week to ensure a safe and stable ramp-up process.
• Ramp up will be strictly monitored and can be adjusted or paused should the safety or stability of the prison require it.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 17 April 2025.

The Lord Chancellor has approved the reappointment of Mark Rawlinson as the Ministry of Justice Lead Non-Executive Director for  12 months from 4 March 2025 to 3 March 2026.

The Lead Non-Executive Director is a senior figure from outside the department who brings expertise and skills from outside of the department. They:

• support the Secretary of State in their role as Chair of the Board
• give guidance and advice to MOJ leaders and ministers
• support and challenge management on the department’s strategic direction
• provide support in monitoring and reviewing progress

The appointment of the Lead Non-Executive Director is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments and the reappointment process complies with the Cabinet Office Governance Code on Public Appointments.

Biography

Mark Rawlinson was first appointed Ministry of Justice Lead Non-Executive Board Member on 4 June 2018.

Mark has over 30 years of commercial experience as an adviser – from 2016 to 2021 as Chairman of UK Investment Banking at Morgan Stanley and prior to that as a corporate partner for 25 years at international law firm, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 15 April 2025.

The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State has approved the extension of the tenure of Rohan Sivanandan as a member of the Board of Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass).

The Secretary of State has approved the extension of tenure of Rohan Sivanandan as a member of the Board of the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass) from 1 July to 31 December 2025.

Rohan Sivanandan

Rohan Sivanandan worked as an economist and senior executive in the private sector before moving into the education field. He has held a number of board, non-executive and trustee positions. Currently, he is: a non-executive director for Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust where he chairs the Workforce and Education committee; a lay member of the Independent Reconfiguration Panel which provides advice to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care; an independent member of the Greater London Authority on Mayoral appointments; an investigation panel member for the Nursing and Midwifery Council and; a panel chair of NHS Mental Health Act hearings.

Rohan did not declare any political activity.

Cafcass is the statutory body that safeguards and promotes the welfare of children in Family Court proceedings.

Appointments to the Cafcass Board are made by the Secretary of State for Justice. Appointments are regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments and recruitment processes comply with the Governance Code on Public Appointments.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 1 April 2025.

The government will introduce new legislation to stop Sentencing Council’s guidelines coming into effect.

• The Lord Chancellor will today introduce legislation to stop guidelines coming into effect that single out differential treatment of ethnic minority offenders in sentencing
• Parliament will debate the legislation, and it will become law as quickly as possible

New sentencing guidelines that would mean differential treatment for different races and religions will be blocked under new legislation set to be introduced today, the Lord Chancellor has announced.

The government will work with Parliament to fast-track this legislation, which will clarify that guidance relating to sentencing reports should not single out specific cohorts for differential treatment when it comes to ordering Pre-Sentencing Reports, which help judges make decisions on sentencing.

This follows formal objections raised by the Lord Chancellor to the Sentencing Council regarding sections of the guidelines due to come into effect on 1 April.

The Lord Chancellor, Shabana Mahmood said:

These guidelines create a justice system where outcomes could be influenced by race, culture or religion.

This differential treatment is unacceptable – equality before the law is the backbone of public confidence in our justice system.

I will change the law to ensure fairness for all in our courts, and I’m grateful to the Sentencing Council for delaying implementation while Parliament considers the Bill.

The Sentencing Guidelines (Pre-sentence Reports) Bill will be introduced into the House of Commons tomorrow, and the Government will seek to get Royal Assent as quickly as possible.

Further Information

• Lord Chancellor letter to the Sentencing Council: 20 March 2025
• The measures in the Bill will extend and apply to England and Wales only.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 1 April 2025.

Victims can attend the parole hearings of their perpetrators from today (1 April) as part of the Government’s Plan for Change.

For the first time, victims from across England and Wales will be able to apply to observe private Parole Board hearings held to decide if a prisoner is safe to be released.

It will let victims see first-hand how offenders are held accountable for their crimes, their subsequent behaviour in prison and their work to prove they can live law-abiding lives if released.

A pilot in the South West of England and Greater Manchester found victims were reassured to see the level of scrutiny that prisoners are put under before any decision to release them is made.

It is hoped, therefore, that these changes will provide more victims with a greater understanding of the decisions made by the Parole Board while ensuring they feel more involved in the process.

Minister for Victims and Violence Against Women and Girls, Alex Davies-Jones, said:

For too long, victims have been locked out of the parole system.

As part of our Plan for Change, we are now giving victims the right to see how offenders are challenged when up for parole.

This Government is improving our justice system to ensure it serves victims better.

Even when the Parole Board makes the decision to release an offender on licence, they are then supervised by the Probation Service and subject to strict conditions, such as curfews and exclusion zones that prevent them approaching their victims. Offenders face going back to prison if they break the rules.

The Parole Board is an independent body that carries out risk assessments on prisoners to determine whether they can be safely released into the community on licence conditions or moved to an open prison.

Victims who are part of the Victim Contact Scheme will apply to the Parole Board to attend hearings with the help of their victim liaison officer and those who are successful in applying will observe remotely so they don’t have to sit with the perpetrator.

They will then be provided with in-person support during the hearing and victims will be directed towards additional support following the proceedings, such as counselling, if necessary.

Anna, a victim who attended a parole hearing as part of the pilot, said:

Observing the hearing was a surprisingly positive process for us. It has helped us to draw a line under the whole chapter and move on.

Witnessing the level of care taken by the Parole Board instilled in me genuine confidence regarding how the offender will be managed upon release.

Before the parole hearing, I had some unanswered questions. Observing the hearing helped me answer many of these.

The Victims’ Commissioner for England and Wales, Baroness Newlove, said:

As someone who has been through the parole process, I welcome this national rollout. This is a vital step towards lifting the lid on a system that has long felt closed off to victims, helping them feel more meaningfully involved rather than bystanders to proceedings.

As the rollout begins, it is crucial that victims are provided with all the information they need to make an informed choice about whether to apply – and to understand what to expect if their application is successful- alongside access to guidance and support at every stage of the parole hearing process. Open justice should always be encouraged, but victim welfare must remain paramount.

This latest reform to the Parole Board process follows new measures which will be implemented later this year to introduce a Ministerial check on the release of the most dangerous offenders.

This power will give Ministers better oversight of the release of the most serious offenders by allowing them to refer certain cases directly to the High Court for a second check.

Further Guidance:

• Victims will not be able to observe the entire hearing, as certain evidence must be heard in private, such as that relating to risk management.
• The pilot began in September 2022 in the South-West Probation Region and was expanded to Greater Manchester in September 2023.
• The Government’s ‘Understand Your Rights’ Victims’ Code campaign raises awareness of the Victims’ Code and highlights that it is there for every victim, whatever the crime. The campaign directs users to understand their rights at Your rights as a victim of crime – Victim and Witness Information

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 28 March 2025.

“Public safety must never be put at risk again by the failure to have enough prison places”, Lord Chancellor Shabana Mahmood said as she opened a new nearly 1,500-place prison in Yorkshire.

• Major milestone in plan for 14,000 more prison places nationwide by 2031
• New prison designed to cut crime and get offenders into work
• Part of government’s Plan for Change to create safer streets

HMP Millsike is the first of four new jails to be built as part of the Plan for Change to create 14,000 extra prison places by 2031. This extra capacity will help put more violent offenders behind bars, make streets safer and ensure the country never runs out of cells again.

Last summer, the government inherited a prisons system days away from collapse which would have left police unable to take dangerous criminals off the streets.

Ms Mahmood said the opening marked another milestone in her work to get a grip of the prisons crisis that has dominated her first nine months in post.

As a Category C prison, HMP Millsike has been designed with a clear aim – cutting crime. It includes 24 workshops and training facilities aimed at getting offenders into work on release and away from crime for good so fewer people become victims in the future.

Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, Shabana Mahmood, said:

This Government is fixing the broken prison system we inherited, delivering the cells needed to take the most dangerous criminals off our streets.

HMP Millsike sets the standard for the jails of the future, with cutting crime built into its very fabric. It is a huge step in our plan to add 14,000 extra prison places by 2031.

But building jails only takes us so far in ending this crisis, which is why we’re also reviewing sentencing so we can always lock up dangerous offenders and make our streets safer.

The prison is the size of 39 football pitches and comes fitted top-to-bottom with security technology to combat the drugs, drones and phones that have plagued prisons in recent years and risked the safety of frontline officers.

This includes reinforced barless windows to deter drone activity, hundreds of CCTV cameras, and X-ray body scanners to spot and stop contraband entering the prison.

The prison will be operated by Mitie Care and Custody and will have education and workplace training provider PeoplePlus on site to give offenders the tools they need to find work on release and stay on the straight and narrow.

The construction of the prison alone generated nearly 800 jobs and around 600 will be created now it is in full operation, providing an economic boost to Yorkshire.

With the country still using many of its Victorian prisons, HMP Millsike has been built to also stand the test of time. Its use of modern materials and fittings will keep running and repairs costs to a minimum for taxpayers.

Russell Trent, Managing Director, Mitie Care & Custody said:

We are a proud partner to the MoJ, focused on building safer communities.

As a resettlement prison, our focus is on rehabilitation and restoration centred on future orientation to break the cycle of reoffending. We want our prisoners to leave HMP Millsike qualified, employable and equipped for life in the outside world. Everything from the building design to the technology, education and training opportunities has been engineered to create an environment where people leave ready to integrate and contribute to society.

Stuart Togwell, group managing director at Kier Construction said:

Using our significant experience in the justice sector, Kier has delivered a state-of-the-art, carbon-efficient facility designed to support rehabilitation, which has also provided new jobs, economic investment and skills development for the surrounding communities.

HMP Millsike supports the government’s commitment to increasing prison capacity and reducing reoffending, and joins our growing portfolio of prison redevelopment and build projects awarded in recent years.

Its opening is a major milestone in the government’s 10-year prison capacity strategy published in December. This plan includes 6,400 places through new houseblocks and 6,500 places via new prisons. One thousand rapid deployment cells will be rolled out across the estate while more than 1,000 existing cells will be refurbished.

The government started the 700-place expansion at HMP Highpoint in Suffolk earlier this month, and a new houseblock providing nearly 460 places at HMP Rye Hill in Northamptonshire recently received its first prisoners.

It follows a £2.3 billion investment to deliver these prison builds, with a further £500 million going towards vital building maintenance across prisons and the probation service. The strategy will work alongside the Independent Sentencing Review to ensure the most serious offenders can always be sent to prison to protect the public.

Background information

• Situated on land next to the existing HMP Full Sutton, HMP Millsike has been named after Millsike Beck, a local stream that runs adjacent to the new jail, firmly embedding the prison into its local community.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 12 March 2025.

Greater use of AI and technology in legal services will spur economic growth thanks to a new Government investment as part of the Plan for Change today (12 March 2025).

Greater use of AI and technology in legal services will spur economic growth thanks to a new Government investment as part of the Plan for Change today (12 March 2025).

The £1.5m funding boost announced by Justice Minister Sarah Sackman will help further the UK’s leading position in the international legal services market.

In a speech to legal professionals she announced the LawtechUK programme will receive a £1.5m investment which will help startups to attract further private investment.

Since 2023, LawtechUK has directly supported over 176 startups to grow and the legal services sector is now estimated to provide over 300,000 jobs in the UK. Their activity connects businesses with investors, builds relationships between technology companies and law firms, and offers showcasing opportunities at key international and domestic events.

One recent example is Lexverify which created an advanced AI tool that helps saves lawyers time and money by providing real-time risk prevention for legal, compliance, and cybersecurity issues.

Courts and Legal Services Minister, Sarah Sackman KC MP, said:

Britain is leading the world in Lawtech. We are innovating and making legal services faster, cheaper and more accessible. Our Lawtech sector is changing how we work, and opening up access to justice for working people, at lower costs.

Lawtech is powering the future of the UK economy by helping people resolve disputes faster.

Lawtech UK is a government-backed initiative to drive digital transformation in the legal services industry, which is already worth £37 billion to the UK economy every year.

Since 2019, £6 million has been invested in the programme, supporting the lawtech sector’s rapid growth as it attracts record private investment of over £139 million and transforms how legal services are delivered. Another LawTechUK beneficiary, Office and Dragons, developed software that eliminates wasted time on repetitive legal tasks, achieving over 85%-time savings on administrative work.

Over half of the participants in LawtechUK’s education programmes come from outside London and the South-East, ensuring the benefits of legal technology reach across the country.

The Ministry of Justice also delivers the GREAT Legal Services campaign which promotes the strength of UK legal services and the UK as a legal centre to the global market.

The campaign showcases UK lawtech companies internationally and helps build relationships with potential business partners. It has taken delegations of UK firms to take part in events in the US, Australia and Singapore, and will be returning to the US later this month for a programme of activity around the Legalweek conference in New York and Chicago.

Since April 1, 2023, LawTechUK has been delivered by CodeBase and Legal Geek.

Jon Hope, SVP at CodeBase, said:

Building on the success of the past two years, we are excited to extend LawtechUK into its third year.

Together with our delivery partners, Legal Geek, we remain committed to driving innovation and transformation in the legal industry.

We are proud of the impact LawtechUK has already made and look forward to continuing to shape the future of the legal sector.

Beth Fellner, Director at Legal Geek, said:

Legal Geek and our delivery partner, CodeBase, have delivered a high impact programme of activity over the last two years.

We are ready to build on this work during a third year and continue to drive digital transformation in the legal sector across the UK.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 7 March 2025.

More dangerous criminals will be taken off the streets thanks to a 700-place expansion which will turn a Suffolk jail into the UK’s largest public sector prison.

The three new, four-storey houseblocks at HMP Highpoint will boost its capacity by more than 50 percent– and is the latest step in Government action to create safer streets.

The houseblocks will include innovative workshops and teaching facilities to train prisoners with skills to secure a job on release and turn their backs on crime for good. The new cells will be fully operational by summer 2027.

The construction is a significant milestone in the Government’s plan to deliver 14,000 more prison places by 2031 to lock up dangerous offenders and keep the public safe.

Minister for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending, Lord James Timpson said:

This government is fixing the broken prison system it inherited – wasting no time in getting shovels in the ground to deliver the spaces needed to protect the public.

These new houseblocks have been designed with a laser-focus on cutting crime and are a major step in our plan to deliver 14,000 more prison places by 2031.

But we cannot simply build our way out of this crisis, which is why we’re also reviewing sentencing so we can lock up dangerous offenders, cut crime and make our streets safer.

HMP Highpoint Prison Governor Nigel Smith said:

The expansion at Highpoint will provide much-needed prisoner places in our region.

The new accommodation will provide a safe and secure environment for us to rehabilitate prisoners and get them ready for release.

We are pleased that the construction work has officially begun and we look forward to working with our contractors to get things delivered.

The build will be delivered by Wates Group, a leading family-owned development, building and property maintenance company. Once completed Highpoint will be the largest public sector prison in terms of land size in North-West Europe and the largest in the UK based on prisoner population.

It will help provide an economic boost to East Anglia with hundreds of jobs created during construction and over 200 permanent jobs at the prison once built. Construction alone will bring investment into local businesses with 30% of materials/subcontractors coming from within a 50-mile radius.

Phil Shortman, Regional Managing Director at Wates said:

We are proud to be involved in the major programme of delivering much-needed prison spaces.

Through the construction of this project, around 2,000 building components have been crafted in prison workshops, providing meaningful employment opportunities, helping develop valuable skills and supporting brighter futures.

We look forward to continuing our collaboration with the government delivering additional prison capacity with a focus on rehabilitation, sustainability and social value for the local community.

The development is part of the government’s 10-year prison capacity strategy published in December. It includes 6,400 places through new houseblocks and 6,500 places via new prisons. One thousand rapid deployment cells will be rolled out across the estate while more than 1,000 existing cells will be refurbished.

A 1,500-capacity prison in Yorkshire, HMP Millsike, will be opened in the coming weeks. The government is investing £2.3 billion to deliver these prison builds, while a further £500 million will go towards vital building maintenance across prisons and the probation service.

The strategy will work alongside the Independent Sentencing Review to ensure the most serious offenders can always be sent to prison to protect the public.