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The resettlement of offenders is not given high enough priority and suffers from lack of co-ordination the new chief inspector of prisons says in her first report, writes Clare Jerrom.

Anne Owers says good practice is evident in the area of resettlement, but there is little continuity and no overall strategy, says the report.

Short-term prisoners, who are the most numerous, have the greatest needs and are the most likely to re-offend, are severely neglected. Prisoners often leave custody ill-equipped to function properly in the community, without having addressed their offending behaviour, says the report, 'Through the Prison Gate', jointly published by Owers and the chief inspector of probation Professor Rod Morgan.

The reports says: "Unless something is done to tackle the causes of offending behaviour, and the social and economic exclusion from which it commonly springs, and to which it contributes, prisons will continue to have revolving doors and the public will not in the long term be protected."

It highlights changes already made such as the establishment of the national correctional and policy framework and the common assessment method for both services.

The home office should provide risk and need assessments, interventions for drug and alcohol misuse, and appropriate interventions to raise offenders’ motivation to change, in order to address the position of short-term prisoners, the report says.

Educational and vocational opportunities and assistance with housing, debt and relationship difficulties should also be addressed.

'Through the Prison Gate' is available at www.homeoffice.gov.uk