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Written question asked by Kerry McCarthy (Labour) on Friday, 28 August 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 2 September 2026. It was answered by Catherine McKinnell (Labour) on Tuesday, 8 September 2026 on behalf of the Ministry of Justice.

Courts: Reoffenders

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.

Answer

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.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
19879
Session
2026-27
Subjects
Courts Bristol Pilot schemes Reoffenders
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk