Independent review of the prison system: terms of reference
The independent review will provide a strategic, risk-based assessment of the current, emerging and future risks and opportunities facing the prison system.
Applies to England and Wales
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The government has announced the launch of the independent review of the prison system, a major review to assess the long-term challenges facing prisons and make recommendations to improve their resilience, performance and effectiveness.
The independent review will be led by the Right Honourable Amber Rudd, supported by a panel of experts.
The prison system faces ongoing and future challenges that are not widely understood, shaped by pressures across capacity, safety and decency, security and rehabilitation, as well as the age, condition and configuration of the prison estate.
While recent investment and action have mitigated some pressures, the underlying risks remain structural and long-term in nature.
The independent review will provide a strategic, risk-based assessment of the current, emerging and future risks and opportunities facing the prison system.
It will consider a broad range of challenges, including:
- Security risks, including drugs, drones, escapes and corruption, as well as emerging threats such as cyber risks
- Safety and decency, including violence, self-harm, crowding and the condition of the physical estate
- Capacity pressures, including maintaining sufficient prison places and managing crowding
- Workforce challenges, including capability, non-effective staffing levels, sickness absence and attrition
The review will also consider how wider factors, including socio-economic and environmental change, technological progress, sentencing trends and an increasingly complex prison population, are compounding these pressures.
Alongside this assessment, the review will identify practical and deliverable options for reform to improve the resilience, performance and effectiveness of prisons, and will build a robust evidence base to support long-term decision-making and future investment. It will also seek to identify efficiencies to increase the sustainability of the prison system.
The review will take account of the wider system in which prisons operate, including the role of private operators, government departments and partner organisations, and will build on existing evidence and independent reviews. It will also consider learnings from international examples of good practice.
The review is expected to report to the Deputy Prime Minister and Lord Chancellor by December 2026, with its findings informing future decisions on the prison system, including long-term investment and reform.
Out of Scope
- The review will make recommendations relating only to prisons.
- The review will not develop detailed prison estate delivery plans or site-specific proposals.
- The youth justice system.
Independent Chair – Amber Rudd
The Rt Hon Amber Rudd has previously held Cabinet roles as the Home Secretary, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, the Minister for Women and Equalities, and the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change. She served as MP for Hastings and Rye from 2010 to 2019.
Appointment of an Independent Panel
The Lord Chancellor has appointed an Independent Panel to support the Chair, Rt Hon Amber Rudd. The Panel members’ breadth of experience and expertise will provide independent advice and challenge to the Chair and strengthen the development of the Review’s findings and recommendations. The panel comprises following individuals:
Dame Lynne Owens
Dame Lynne Owens is a former senior law enforcement leader, with over three decades of experience across policing and national security, including as Director General of the National Crime Agency and Deputy Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police. She has led major operational responses to serious and organised crime and recently conducted an independent review into failures in prison release processes.
Sue McAllister CB
Sue McAllister is a senior criminal justice leader with over 25 years’ experience in prison operations, policy and oversight. She began her career in HM Prison Service, serving as a prison governor and senior manager, before becoming Director General of the Northern Ireland Prison Service. She later served as Prisons and Probation Ombudsman for England and Wales, leading independent investigations into deaths and complaints in custody, and as interim Chief Inspector of Probation
Lara Newman MBE
Lara Newman is a highly experienced property and construction leader with over 25 years’ experience across both the public and private sectors. She is the former Chief Executive of LocatED, the Department for Education’s property company, where she led the acquisition, management and development of sites for the education sector. Her career spans senior leadership roles advising government on capital investment, estates strategy, PPP/PFI deals and regeneration projects. She now leads a property consultancy focused on public sector estates, bringing commercial discipline, delivery expertise and a strong focus on social value and inclusion for underrepresented groups seeking careers within property and the built environment.
Dame Clare Barclay DBE
Dame Clare Barclay is a senior business leader with nearly 3 decades of experience driving transformation, innovation, and strategic change across industry and government. She served as President of Enterprise & Industry EMEA at Microsoft until 2026, following 4 years as CEO of Microsoft UK. Across these roles she has led organisation‑wide modernisation, scaled responsible AI adoption, and forged major cross‑sector partnerships that have strengthened productivity and competitiveness across multiple markets.
Clare serves as Chair of the Industrial Strategy Advisory Council to the UK Government. Her leadership ensures the council’s insights directly inform national policy and support the UK’s future economic growth. Clare is also a Non‑Executive Director at Zilch, a high‑growth fintech innovator.