Catch22’s new Insights Paper makes the case for better rehabilitative alternatives, support and transparency in the use of fixed term recall (FTR) to custody.
The use of fixed term recall (FTR) is on the rise, with thousands of prison leavers returning to custody for minor licence breaches, causing further strain on a prison system already at breaking point.
In 2023 alone, there were over 6,600 FTRs to custody; enough to fill a prison for a year.
FTR, which returns someone to custody for 14- or 28-days, was designed as a “short, sharp shock” to mitigate risk of serious harm (RoSH), keep the public safe and reintroduce compliance when someone on probation fails to adhere to their licence conditions.
Catch22’s newest Insights Paper, Fixing Fixed Term Recall, draws on data analysis from Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, individual testimonies, and a review of current practices in the justice system to explore how the mechanism of FTR is impacting both those subject to it, and the system itself.
The paper argues that FTR doesn’t fix the real reasons why people breach their license conditions, often through housing precarity or substance dependency, and emphasises the inadequacy of the current FTR system to address the significant challenges faced by prison-leavers. Catch22’s Justice services have seen firsthand how FTR disrupts resettlement, trapping individuals in cycles of instability rather than supporting long-term rehabilitation.
The key findings from the paper show that:
- Quarterly FTRs have nearly doubled in the last two years.
- Most FTRs are due to minor breaches, like missing appointments, rather than committing new crimes.
- FTR periods are rarely used productively to fix the root causes of non-compliance and can even exacerbate the challenges that led to licence breach in the first place.
One former prison-leaver shared their experience:
“I put myself back in because I thought there was no other way that I was gonna get accommodation or anything like that. So, I went back in and tried again…all it [the recall] gave me was a roof over my head and regular meals.”
What Needs to Change?
We know that offender rehabilitation is key to public safety and that short periods in custody are less effective at addressing the root causes of criminogenic behaviour than community alternatives. Catch22 is therefore advocating for a system that, especially amid a prison capacity crisis, prioritises rehabilitation over custody.
The Insights Paper is calling for:
1. Better alternatives to FTR
This would involve investment in more community-based rehabilitative alternatives for those facing FTR, such as treatment programmes and high-intensity mentoring services. In particular, prison leavers facing homelessness should be exempt from FTR.
2. Better continuity of rehabilitation
Where FTR is deemed necessary, the 2 or 4 weeks back in custody must be used productively by providing timely access to targeted interventions, such as housing or mental health support, and with closer communication with Probation.
3. Better transparency and data sharing around the use of FTR
The publication of comprehensive, regular data on FTR figures, costs, and reasons to ensure greater system accountability and evidence-based decision-making.
Matt Randle, Director of Justice at Catch22, says:
“Fixed term recalls represent a missed opportunity for rehabilitation. Their use can be compared to pulling a student out of lessons for a few weeks and expecting them to pass their final exam.
This report should act as a springboard for system reform. In it, we recommend a more rehabilitative approach to FTR; one that addresses the root causes of non-compliant behaviour and prioritises support and rehabilitation over custody. By doing so, we can create a criminal justice system that reduces recidivism, eases pressure on prisons, keeps the public safe and helps individuals successfully reintegrate into the community.”
Join the Conversation
Catch22’s Fixing Fixed Term Recall insights paper is now available for download.
We urge policymakers, practitioners, stakeholders and people with lived experience to work with us in reshaping the approach to FTR, ensuring it supports rehabilitation rather than reinforcing the revolving door between prison and community. Please join us in calling for more effective and rehabilitative alternatives to Fix Fixed Term Recall.
📖 Read the full report here.
📝 Read the executive summary here.
📩 For media inquiries, contact: media@catch-22.org.uk
📢 Get involved in the conversation on social media using the Fixing Fixed Term Recall Asset Pack.