The Minister of State for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending (or simply Prisons Minister) is a mid-level ministerial office in the Ministry of Justice.
Catherine McKinnell has held the office since July 2026.
Responsibilities The minister currently has responsibility of the following policy areas:
Prison operations, policy, reform and industrial relations Probation policy and operations Youth justice Parole Offender health Offender Cohorts Extremism Home Detention Curfew (HDC) Release on Temporary Licence (ROTL) schemes Drugs Reducing reoffending Female offenders Foreign National Offenders
The minister also provides support on Global Britain and the promotion of legal services. List of ministers for prisons NamePortraitTook officeLeft officePolitical partyPrime MinisterPosition created out of Minister of State for Home AffairsMinister of State for PrisonsAnn Widdecombe MP for Maidstone28 February 19952 May 1997ConservativeJohn Major (ll)Joyce Quin MP for Gateshead East and Washington West2 May 199728 July 1998LabourTony Blair (I)Gareth Williams, Baron Williams of Mostyn28 July 199828 July 1999Charles Clarke MP for Norwich SouthJuly 1999June 2001Keith Bradley MP for Manchester, WithingtonJune 2001May 2002Tony Blair (II)Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Prisons and Probation Hilary Benn MP for Leeds Central29 May 200213 May 2003Labour Tony Blair (II)Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Criminal Justice, Race and Victims Fiona Mactaggart MP for Slough13 June 20035 May 2006Labour Tony Blair (II+III)Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Prisons and Probation Services Gerry Sutcliffe MP for Bradford South5 May 200629 June 2007Labour Tony Blair (III)Minister of State for Justice David Hanson2 July 20079 June 2009Labour Gordon Brown (I)Maria Eagle9 June 20096 May 2010Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Prisons and Youth JusticeCrispin Blunt MP for Reigate, Surrey6 May 2010 4 September 2012ConservativeDavid Cameron (Coalition)Jeremy Wright MP for Kenilworth and Southam6 September 201215 July 2014Andrew Selous MP for South West Bedfordshire16 July 201416 July 2016David Cameron (II)Sam Gyimah MP for East Surrey17 July 20169 January 2018Theresa MayTheresa May Minister of State for PrisonsRory Stewart MP for Penrith and The Border9 January 20181 May 2019ConservativeTheresa May Robert Buckland MP for South Swindon9 May 201924 July 2019Minister of State for Prisons and ProbationLucy Frazer MP for South East Cambridgeshire25 July 20194 March 2021ConservativeBoris Johnson Boris Johnson Alex Chalk MP for Cheltenham4 March 202110 September 2021Lucy Frazer MP for South East Cambridgeshire10 September 202116 September 2021Victoria Atkins MP for Louth and Horncastle16 September 20216 July 2022Stuart Andrew MP for Pudsey8 July 20227 September 2022Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Prisons and ProbationRob Butler MP for Aylesbury20 September 202227 October 2022ConservativeLiz Truss Minister of State for Prisons, Parole and ProbationDamian Hinds MP for East Hampshire27 October 202213 November 2023ConservativeRishi Sunak Edward Argar MP for Charnwood14 November 20235 July 2024Minister of State for Prisons, Probation and Reducing ReoffendingJames Timpson, Baron Timpson5 July 202420 July 2026LabourKeir Starmer Catherine McKinnell21 July 2026IncumbentAndy Burnham
See also Ministry of Justice (United Kingdom) His Majesty's Prison Service
References