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Prisoners' Release: Young Offenders

Asked by Jim ShannonDemocratic Unionist PartyMinistry of JusticeTabled Answered 16 June 2025UIN 58990

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to support young people after being released from prison to prevent reoffending.

Answered by Sir Nicholas Dakin

Children returning to the community after serving time in custody receive personal and structural support from youth custody establishments and Youth Offending Teams to help them reintegrate, including assistance with housing and education, training, or employment.

Where appropriate, Release on Temporary Licence (ROTL) is used to support this transition. A new ROTL policy is being piloted at five sites, allowing eligible children to be considered and risk assessed for ROTL after five months or halfway through their sentence—whichever comes first—enabling earlier access to ROTL opportunities such as visits to potential community accommodation, education, or job placements.

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