Provision of FP10 and FP10[MDA] prescription forms by HM Prison Service for released prisoners: guidance for England only / Department of Health, 13 March 2008
PDF - http://digbig.com/4wptj
"This guidance is for offender health and NHS professionals, organisations and those who dispense prescriptions for released prisoners. It describes changes that will enable prisoners released from prisons and young offender institutions to be issued with a special prescription form to improve continuity of care on release."

Reducing Drug Use, Reducing Reoffending: Are programmes for problem drug-using offenders in the UK supported by the evidence? / UK Drug Policy Commission, 17 March 2008
PDF - http://www.ukdpc.org.uk/resources/RDURR_Full_Report.pdf
Reducing Drug Use, Reducing Reoffending: Are programmes for problem drug-using offenders in the UK supported by the evidence?: Summary / UK Drug Policy Commission, 17 March 2008
PDF - http://www.ukdpc.org.uk/resources/RDURR_Main_Summary.pdf
Prison risks doing more harm than good for the rehabilitation of drug users, says UK Drug Policy Commission / UK Drug Policy Commission, 17 March 2008
PDF - http://www.ukdpc.org.uk/resources/RDURR_Press_Release.pdf
[PRESS BRIEFING]

Drug Interventions Programme (DIP) E-bulletin - February 2008 / Home Office
http://digbig.com/4wpdc
"Provides a monthly update provides information on developments in the Drug Interventions Programme."

Alcohol information pack for offenders under probation supervision / NOMS, 28 February 2008
PDF - http://digbig.com/4wpcm
Interventions & Substances Abuse Unit
"This document provides offender managers with clear guidance and tools to identify offenders with alcohol misuse needs, deliver brief interventions to offenders with lower-level alcohol problems and offer support and onward referral to those who may need more intensive intervention."
Alcohol information pack: guide for offender managers
PDF - http://digbig.com/4wpcn
Alcohol Information Pack: Section 1: Probation Service's Role
PDF - http://digbig.com/4wpcp
Alcohol Information Pack: Section 2: General Alcohol Information
PDF - http://digbig.com/4wpcq
Alcohol Information Pack: Section 3: Specific Offender Groups and Issues
PDF - http://digbig.com/4wpcr
Alcohol Information Pack Section 4: Motivational Interventions
PDF - http://digbig.com/4wpcs
Alcohol Information Pack: Section 5: Routes into Treatment
PDF - http://digbig.com/4wpct

Meeting needs? The Offenders’ Learning and Skills Service: Report by the Comptroller and Auditor General / National Audit Office,
PDF - http://www.nao.org.uk/publications/nao_reports/07-08/0708310.pdf
HC 310 2007-2008
Executive Summary
PDF - http://www.nao.org.uk/publications/nao_reports/07-08/0708310es.pdf
"Many of the long standing problems in providing offenders with effective and useful learning and skills training have yet to be overcome following the establishment of the Offenders’ Learning and Skills Service (OLASS). Offenders who find employment upon their release are less likely to reoffend, which is why improving their training and skills could contribute to a reduction in crime levels..."

Ministry of Justice: Protecting the public: the work of the Parole Board report by the Comptroller and Auditor General / National Audit Office, 5th March 2008
Summary
PDF - http://www.nao.org.uk/publications/nao_reports/07-08/0708239es.pdf
Full report
PDF - http://www.nao.org.uk/publications/nao_reports/07-08/0708239.pdf
HC 239 2007-2008

Health and Prisoner Reentry: How Physical, Mental, and Substance Abuse Conditions Shape the Process of Reintegration / Urban Institute, 26 February 2008
http://www.urban.org/publications/411617.html
Kamala Mallik-Kane, Christy Visher

The importance of housing for women prisoners: briefing for housing advice and support providers in prisons / NOMS , Ministry of Justice, 20 February 2008
PDF - http://digbig.com/4wmqw
"This booklet outlines why those working with women prisoners should pay particular attention to their housing needs and offers support in seeking to maintain and gain housing on discharge from custody."

Inmates 'at risk' in police cells / BBC, 20 February 2008
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7253708.stm

NOMS Voluntary Sector Newsletter: Issue No 9: Winter 2008 / NOMS, February 2008 PDF - http://digbig.com/4wkdb

THE CHANGE UP PUBLIC SERVICE PRIORITY PROGRAMME: APRIL 2005 – DECEMBER 2006: EVALUATION FINDINGS / NOMS, February 2008
PDF - http://digbig.com/4wjry
"The Change Up Public Service Priority Programme included five pilot projects commissioned nationally by the NOMS Voluntary Sector Unit (now NOMS Partnerships Unit, Voluntary and Community Sector Team) to test out approaches to building the capacity of the voluntary and community sector in order to enable agencies to engage and respond effectively to NOMS and the commissioning of offender services."

[USA] Online Victim Notification Service Tracks Custody Status of Criminals / GovTech.com, 6 February 2008
http://digbig.com/4wjqr
"Called the "IowaVINE" system, a victim information and notification system for crime victims that tracks the custody status of criminals who have been arrested or convicted, has just expanded to include persons in the system of the Iowa Department of Corrections."

Not Seen. Not Heard. Not Guilty. : The Rights and Status of the Children of Prisoners in Scotland / Scotland’s Commissioner for Children and Young People, 7 February 2008
PDF - http://digbig.com/4wjpe
(CCYP/2008/1)
Kathleen Marshall,
"Laid before the Scottish Parliament by the Commissioner for Children and Young People in Scotland in pursuance of section 12 of the Commissioner for Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2003 on 07/02/08."

NATIONAL COMMISSIONING AND PARTNERSHIPS FRAMEWORK 2008/09: February 2008: Version 7.0 / NOMS, 5 February 2008
PDF - http://digbig.com/4wjbn

Statistics on Women and the Criminal Justice System 2005/06: A Ministry of Justice publication under Section 95 of the Criminal Justice Act 1991 / Ministry of Justice, January 2008
PDF - http://www.justice.gov.uk/docs/women-criminal-justice-system-2005-06.pdf
Zoe Allwood
[Criminal Justice Act 1991 Section 95]

The National Probation Service: the supervision of community orders in England and Wales : Report by the Comptroller and Auditor General / National Audit Office, 31 JANUARY 2008
PDF - http://www.nao.org.uk/publications/nao_reports/07-08/0708203.pdf
HC 203 2007-2008
"This report shows how the effective delivery of community order sentences could be improved to secure the full benefits of the scheme by the National Probation Service. Not all components of community orders are used in all probation areas, and there is incomplete data on the cost of orders and the number of offenders who have not completed all aspects of their orders, and there are long waiting lists for some group rehabilitation programmes. The NAO also found that community orders offer benefits such as enabling offenders to stay with their families and in work, and avoid additional pressure on the prison estate by reducing reoffending. Early data show the actual reconviction rate for community orders is 3.6 per cent better than the predicted reconviction rate. However, more research is needed on the effectiveness of some order requirements, such as supervision, in reducing reconviction."
Final Report: Costing of Community Order Requirements / NAO, 31 January 2008
PDF - http://www.nao.org.uk/publications/nao_reports/07-08/0708203_I.pdf
Accenture
A Synthesis of literature on the effectiveness community orders / NAO, 31 January 2008
PDF - http://www.nao.org.uk/publications/nao_reports/07-08/0708203_II.pdf
Robert Davis, Jennifer Rubin, Lila Rabinovich, Beau Kilmer, Paul Heaton
RAND Europe

[Canada] Study: Female offenders: 2005 / Statistics Canada, 24 January 2008
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/080124/d080124a.htm
"Females accounted for a small proportion of all alleged offenders in 2005 and, when they did offend, they tended to commit offences such as theft, common assault, bail violations and fraud. This report shows that females aged 12 and older accounted for about 1 out of every 5 people accused by police services of committing a violation against the Criminal Code. The findings are based on data from a subset of 122 mostly urban police services located in nine provinces."

Independent review of the diversion of individuals with mental health problems from the criminal justice system and prison / Department of Health, 31 January 2008
PDF - http://digbig.com/4whfx
"An independent review of the diversion of offenders with mental health problems or learning disabilities away from prison, led by the Rt Hon Lord Keith Bradley, is due to report this Summer. This letter from the Lord Bradley invites comments and suggestions from stakeholders regarding the review, by 28th February 2008."

Women prisoners need life support / Guardian, 29 January 2008
http://digbig.com/4whda
Angela Greatley
"More should be done to transform the lives of women behind bars."

Prison study could show better diet reduces violence / Guardian, 29 January 2008
http://digbig.com/4whcs
Sarah Boseley
"A three-year trial in British prisons is to be launched to establish whether improvements in the diets of inmates can cut violence and antisocial behaviour."