02/05/2025
By Jonathan Hussey
The Ministry of Justice’s latest Reducing Reoffending: Evidence Synthesis (April 2025) offers an interesting update on the effectiveness of interventions designed to reduce reoffending in England and Wales.
Why This Matters
Data suggests that reoffending remains a persistent challenge. According to recent figures, nearly half of adults released from custody reoffend within a year. This new synthesis brings some clarity on what works.
Evidence-Based Interventions That Make a Difference
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
CBT-based interventions have a strong evidence base. Offenders who received CBT had a 30% reoffending rate, compared to 40% for control groups — a clear 10%-point reduction.
For practitioners: If you’re not already integrating CBT principles into your work, this is the time to build skills or partner with specialists who can.
Restorative Justice Conferences (RJCs)
RJCs, particularly when delivered alongside custodial sentences, have been shown to reduce reoffending by 7% to 45%, depending on the setting and delivery model.
For practitioners: RJCs are especially powerful where victims are willing to participate. They not only support desistance but also give voice to those harmed.
Supervision Quality Matters
Officers trained in Core Correctional Practices (CCPs) see reoffending rates fall to 36%, compared to 50% amongst those without such training.
For practitioners: It’s not just what you do, but how you do it. Relationship-based practice, empathy, and reflective supervision are not soft skills — they’re essentials.
Substance Misuse Treatment
Opioid Substitution Therapy (OST) and psychosocial support significantly reduce reoffending among those with substance misuse issues.
For practitioners: Co-delivery with health services and trauma-informed care should be standard in all substance-focused workstreams.
Promising but Mixed Results
Mentoring (Non-peer): Some studies show a 4–10% reduction in reoffending for young people, though others find little effect. Mentoring can be useful, but it needs structure, training, and consistency.
Employment and Education: While post-release employment correlates with reduced reoffending, interventions are too varied to generalise. Still, it’s clear that stable work is a protective factor.
Accommodation: Stable housing is a critical enabler, though isolating its impact is difficult due to interlinked needs.
Gaps in the Evidence
Crucially, the report highlights the areas below where evidence is either limited or lacking.
Finance, Benefits, and Debt: We know financial instability contributes to reoffending, but we don’t yet know which interventions actually work.
Mental Health: Despite high prevalence of mental health needs among offenders, few studies link treatment to measurable reductions in reoffending.
Community Ties: Social capital is important, but interventions to strengthen community belonging need rigorous evaluation.
Implications for Practice
This evidence synthesis reinforces what many frontline professionals already experience—the most effective interventions are those that are:
It also reminds us that reoffending is not always best tackled through enforcement or surveillance. In many cases, support, structure, and opportunity are far more effective at enabling change.
Just as importantly, this raises a challenge for commissioners: if we know what works, then resources and funding must follow the evidence. Commissioning should prioritise proven approaches that deliver real outcomes — not just outputs.
The Road Ahead
Practitioners play a pivotal role in shaping the next phase of justice reform—not only by delivering high-quality interventions but by fostering a learning culture. That means evaluating what we do, collecting meaningful data, and sharing insight across the system.
There’s growing appetite for evidence-based practice. Let’s ensure frontline experience and research drive both delivery and commissioning decisions in the years ahead.
Read the full Ministry of Justice report: Reducing Reoffending: A Synthesis of Evidence on the Effectiveness of Interventions
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reducing-reoffending-evidence-synthesis