To ask the Minister of Justice to detail (i) any assessment that has been made of the potential impact on reoffending rates and community safety, if pilot prisoner support projects for short-sentence prisoners with complex needs are not continued; and (ii) any alternative provision that has been identified for this cohort.

As with all those in receipt of grant funding, the Northern Ireland Prison Service monitors the Prisoner Support Project pilot through quarterly report cards and regular review meetings. In addition, an independent evaluation by Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) has been commissioned by the provider of the project, which examines outcomes including changes in offending behaviour, offences committed during participation and returns to custody.

While the high-level outcomes of this assessment are positive, further analysis is required to fully assess the impact the project has had, including its potential contribution to reducing returns to custody, alleviating prison population pressures and assessing overall value for money. Once this analysis has been completed, consideration will be given to further provision required for short-term prisoners.

The Northern Ireland Prison Service continually works to enhance resettlement provision to those in our care, including for individuals serving short sentences.

A reduction in support may reduce the effectiveness of current rehabilitation activity and may contribute to higher levels of reoffending and recall. In turn, this could have adverse implications for community safety, as well as increasing pressures on prison capacity and wider justice services.