# Minister of State for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending

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.
On 5 July 2024 James Timpson was appointed by Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

## 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

| Name | Name | Took office | Left office | Political party | Prime Minister |
| Position created out of Minister of State for Home Affairs Minister of State for Prisons ||||||||
| | Ann Widdecombe MP for Maidstone | 28 February 1995 | 2 May 1997 | Conservative | John Major (ll) |
| | Joyce Quin MP for Gateshead East and Washington West | 2 May 1997 | 28 July 1998 | Labour | Tony Blair (I) |
| | The Lord Williams of Mostyn | 28 July 1998 | 28 July 1999 | Labour | Tony Blair (I) |
| | Charles Clarke MP for Norwich South | July 1999 | June 2001 | Labour | Tony Blair (I) |
| | Keith Bradley MP for Manchester, Withington | June 2001 | May 2002 | Labour | Tony Blair (II) |
| Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Prisons and Probation ||||||||
| | Hilary Benn MP for Leeds Central | 29 May 2002 | 13 May 2003 | Labour | Tony Blair (II) |
| Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Criminal Justice, Race and Victims ||||||||
| | Fiona Mactaggart MP for Slough | 13 June 2003 | 5 May 2006 | Labour | Tony Blair (II+III) |
| Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Prisons and Probation Services ||||||||
| | Gerry Sutcliffe MP for Bradford South | 5 May 2006 | 29 June 2007 | Labour | Tony Blair (III) |
| Minister of State for Justice and Equalities ||||||||
| | Maria Eagle MP for Liverpool Garston | 2 July 2007 | 6 May 2010 | Labour | Gordon Brown (I) |
| Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Prisons and Youth Justice ||||||||
| | Crispin Blunt MP for Reigate, Surrey | 6 May 2010 | 4 September 2012 | Conservative | David Cameron (Coalition) |
| | Jeremy Wright MP for Kenilworth and Southam | 6 September 2012 | 15 July 2014 | Conservative | David Cameron (Coalition) |
| | Andrew Selous MP for South West Bedfordshire | 16 July 2014 | 16 July 2016 | Conservative |
| | Andrew Selous MP for South West Bedfordshire | 16 July 2014 | 16 July 2016 | Conservative | David Cameron (II) |
| | Sam Gyimah MP for East Surrey | 17 July 2016 | 9 January 2018 | Conservative | Theresa May (I) |
| | Sam Gyimah MP for East Surrey | 17 July 2016 | 9 January 2018 | Conservative | Theresa May (II) |
| Minister of State for Prisons ||||||||
| | Rory Stewart MP for Penrith and The Border | 9 January 2018 | 1 May 2019 | Conservative | Theresa May (II) |
| | Robert Buckland MP for South Swindon | 9 May 2019 | 24 July 2019 | Conservative | Theresa May (II) |
| Minister of State for Prisons and Probation ||||||||
| | Lucy Frazer MP for South East Cambridgeshire | 25 July 2019 | 4 March 2021 | Conservative | Boris Johnson (I) |
| | Lucy Frazer MP for South East Cambridgeshire | 25 July 2019 | 4 March 2021 | Conservative | Boris Johnson (II) |
| | Alex Chalk MP for Cheltenham | 4 March 2021 | 10 September 2021 | Conservative | Boris Johnson (II) |
| | Lucy Frazer MP for South East Cambridgeshire | 10 September 2021 | 16 September 2021 | Conservative | Boris Johnson (II) |
| | Victoria Atkins MP for Louth and Horncastle | 16 September 2021 | 6 July 2022 | Conservative | Boris Johnson (II) |
| | Stuart Andrew MP for Pudsey | 8 July 2022 | 7 September 2022 | Conservative | Boris Johnson (II) |
| Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Prisons and Probation ||||||||
| | Rob Butler MP for Aylesbury | 20 September 2022 | 27 October 2022 | Conservative | Liz Truss (I) |
| Minister of State for Prisons, Parole and Probation ||||||||
| | Damian Hinds MP for East Hampshire | 27 October 2022 | 13 November 2023 | Conservative | Rishi Sunak (I) |
| | Edward Argar MP for Charnwood | 14 November 2023 | 5 July 2024 | Conservative | Rishi Sunak (I) |
| Minister of State for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending ||||||||
| | The Lord Timpson Member of the House of Lords | 5 July 2024 | Incumbent | Labour | Keir Starmer (I) |