Rehabilitation is the missing link in justice reform
The UK Government’s latest sentencing reforms are an attempt to ease pressure on prisons and increase rehabilitation. Purpose Coalition organisations like Sodexo and The Wise Group are already show what efforts to boost rehabilitation and reduce reoffending looks like in practice.
A system under strain
Last week’s justice reform package, led by Lord Chancellor Shabana Mahmood, set out to tackle a crisis: prisons are close to running out of space, with the population rising by 3,000 per year. The reforms introduced a new “earned release” model, harsher penalties for bad behaviour in custody, expanded use of tagging, and a record £4.7 billion investment in prison construction.
At present, reoffending rates remain stubbornly high. Nearly half of all adults released from custody reoffend within 12 months — and for sentences under 12 months, it’s closer to 60%.
But Purpose Coalition organisations like Sodexo and The Wise Group are already show what efforts to boost rehabilitation and reduce reoffending looks like in practice.
Sodexo: Rehabilitation Behind the Gate
Sodexo, which operates six UK prisons including HMP Forest Bank and HMP Northumberland, has carved out a distinctive, rehabilitation-first approach. Rather than relying solely on discipline and control, Sodexo prioritises preparation for release from day one.
Their model includes:
Education and employment: Through partnerships with employers and in-prison academies, prisoners gain qualifications and hands-on experience in sectors like construction, catering and logistics.
Family and community ties: Initiatives like parenting classes, family visitation centres, and digital messaging help prisoners maintain vital relationships.
Personal development: Programmes tackling substance abuse, violence and trauma are embedded into daily routines.
This aligns with the government’s “earned release” approach — but crucially, it earns progress through opportunity, not threat. Sodexo’s model reflects the evidence: people are more likely to desist from crime when they have purpose, skills and social support.
Yet despite these results, the government’s reform plan offered no serious commitment to scale or replicate such models.
The Wise Group: Reintegration That Works
Outside the prison gates, The Wise Group shows what effective reintegration looks like. Operating across Scotland and the North of England, the organisation supports people as they leave custody — often from day one.
Key elements include:
Peer mentoring: Individuals with lived experience of prison provide one-to-one guidance, helping build trust and accountability.
Housing and employment support: The Wise Group works intensively to secure stable accommodation and pathways into work — often within days of release.
Trauma-informed practice: Recognising the high prevalence of childhood adversity and mental health issues among ex-offenders, all support is designed to be psychologically safe and person-centred.
Evaluations show that participants in Wise Group programmes are significantly less likely to reoffend. Their work delivers precisely the kind of reassurance the public needs if prison is no longer the default.
This is the kind of model the government should be elevating as a core plank of its reform strategy — not leaving on the sidelines.
Rehabilitation’s Man Inside Government: Lord James Timpson
A surprise hire to the government last summer, Lord Timpson’s appointment was widely viewed as being a coup for Keir Starmer in a summer when prison capacity was nearing crisis point.
As CEO of the Timpson Group, Timpson has built one of the UK’s most powerful models of second-chance employment. Over 12% of the company’s 4,500+ workforce are people with criminal convictions. Timpson has long argued that stable employment is the single most effective route out of reoffending — and he has made it his mission to show that business can lead on rehabilitation where the state has often faltered.
His appointment injected real-world expertise and credibility into the Ministry of Justice. Timpson understands what rehabilitation looks like in practice: trust, structure, work, and purpose. His decades-long advocacy for giving people a “proper go” after prison contrasts sharply with the dominant rhetoric of deterrence and punishment.
Conclusion: Justice Beyond Punishment
The government is right to confront the crisis in our prisons. But reducing sentences without transforming rehabilitation will not be a silver bullet, even if more cells are built and more ankles tagged. A clear answer to the question: ‘what will stop these people from reoffending?’ must be a key part of decision making.
Organisations like Sodexo and The Wise Group are already showing what’s possible when rehabilitation is not an afterthought but a guiding principle. Everyone now have a chance to go beyond the politics and back a justice system that actually works.
