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Courts: Reoffenders

Asked by Kerry McCarthyLabourMinistry of JusticeTabled Answered 8 September 2026UIN 19879

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Intensive Supervision Court in Bristol on levels of reoffending.

Answered by Ministry of Justice

The Intensive Supervision Court (ISC) pilot is subject to a full impact evaluation, including an assessment of its impact on reoffending. It is too early to determine whether the pilot has influenced reoffending rates, as reliable analysis requires a sufficient follow-up period. Once the evaluation has concluded, final outcomes for the pilot will aggregate reoffending outcomes across the existing ISC pilot sites, including Bristol Crown Court ISC, with publication expected by early 2029.

Early findings from the process evaluation are encouraging, showing high levels of compliance, with 66% of offenders not breaching their orders, alongside strong participant engagement and access to treatment and support services (available on gov.uk: Process evaluation of the Intensive Supervision Courts pilot: Final Report). International evidence also suggests that problem-solving approaches such as Intensive Supervision Courts can reduce arrests by around 33% compared with standard sentences.

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