In 2013 a joint report by the Inspectorates of Probations and Prisons in England and Wales
concluded that offender management in prisons was ‘not working’ and called for a fundamental
review. This article considers why existing arrangements have failed and draws upon theory and
research on resettlement, case management and desistance from crime, to define what a more
effective system of ‘rehabilitative resettlement’ – both inside prison and ‘through the gate’ – might
look like. It also comments on emerging proposals for radical change, including abandonment
of the ‘end to end’ model of offender management by an outside probation officer and the
development of ‘rehabilitative prisons’, in which more responsibility is placed on prisoners for
managing their own rehabilitation, and a formal motivational role is created for large numbers of
prison staff.10.1177/1748895816665435 Published in the Journal Criminology & Criminal Justice published by Sag