PRT regenerated, and now provides the secretariat to, the All-Party Parliamentary Penal Affairs Group. This active group, chaired by Lord Ramsbotham, and coordinated by PRT head of policy and communications, Mark Day, aims to increase its members’ knowledge of penal affairs and to work through parliamentary channels for reform of the penal system.

Several of its meetings have led directly to parliamentary debates and questions on a broad range of issues including: effects of long term imprisonment and resettlement, youth justice, re-organisation of the criminal justice inspectorates, self harm and suicide in prison and the needs of prisoners’ families.

The Prison Reform Trust, the All-Party Group and PRT’s director Juliet Lyon have been referred to directly in Hansard over 50 times in 2013/14. In particular, the Bromley Briefing Prison Factfile is greatly used by parliamentarians when holding the prison system to account. We know from feedback and Hansard monitoring when a briefing has been helpful. PRT has made substantive submissions to major government consultations on future policy. PRT continues to perform an important role in bringing to light information for public and parliamentary debate.