Ministry of Justice

Problems and needs of newly sentenced prisoners - results from a national survey

Date: 13 October 2008

Prisoner

This report presents information derived from interviews conducted shortly after reception into prison with a representative sample of nearly 1,500 newly sentenced adult prisoners.


It is the first report from a major longitudinal survey of prisoners – 'Surveying Prisoner Crime Reduction' – which has several aims, including the collection of data on the problems and needs of prisoners; the interventions they receive while in prison; and outcomes upon release.

The national survey looks at issues such as physical and mental health problems; accommodation and employment pre-custody; qualifications; and drug and alcohol use. Data are presented on a number of sub-groups of prisoners, including female offenders, those serving short sentences and young offenders.