Reception Procedures & Court Production

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Discharge Grant (21.05.21)

The rate of the Discharge Grant is being increased from £46 to approximately £76. This increase will come into effect this summer and more details will be released nearer the time, including the actual date the change comes into effect. The Lord Chancellor announced the change at a meeting with NACRO on Thursday, May 20th.

The increase will mean that individuals leaving prison who receive the Discharge Grant will be better able to pay for the basic goods they need on release. Existing funds will be reprioritised to provide a one-off uplift to the Discharge Grant to reflect increases in the UK’s Consumer Prices Index (CPI) since 1995 and going forward increase the Discharge Grant year on year until 2024/25 in line with the CPI.

The final amount of the revised Discharge Grant is subject to change as the CPI is calculated and published by the Office for National Statistics on a monthly basis.

This policy change supports the wider work being done to reduce reoffending and protect the public by improving the immediate financial assistance available to prison leavers to meet their basic needs on release and support prison leavers’ resettlement.

Court Production (November 2020)

HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) resumed cases in selected courts on 18 May 2020 as a precursor to a wider re-instatement of courts nationally. Prisoner movements are expected to significantly increase in the near future and it is vital that Reception operates safely and effectively, carefully balancing COVID controls with the need for efficient, safe and secure reception processes. The purpose of this guidance is to outline how cohorting and social distancing can operate in Reception during COVID-19 restrictions.